P J O'Connor Radio Play Competition

Have you got a good ear for dialogue? Can you tell a story? Why not try a radio play?

RTE Radio Drama is inviting radio plays of 40 minutes in duration - with a first prize of 5,000 euros for the winning script, as well as runner up prizes of 4,000 and 3,000 euro respectively.

Deadline is Friday the 17th March 2014.

Link here

They have lots of advice on layout and how to structure a radio play. The writer should be Irish or resident in Ireland.

The main advice I have is
- Listen to some radio plays and get an idea of what works and what doesn't
- Read it out loud!
- Don't have loads of characters - too confusing
- Grab your listeners early and don't let go

Free to enter. One entry only, Irish residents. 

Links to some of my work available online

Poems
Saturday Woman Poet on Poethead blog has two of my poems here
Amsterdam Otto Recommend poem that won the Plough Prize reading here
Californian Fruit in Burning Bush online magazine here
The Happiest Sock and other poems are in this video from Ignite
Drinking Now poem read at The Festival of The Fires here
Reaching Agreement poem read on YouTube here
Reading some Science Poems at Ignite here
Those Days are Nothing Now on Barehands online magazine here
While It Lasted on writing.ie here 
Two poems on And Other Poems here
What to Think About Instead at ofipress here
By Strawberry Beds from Poetry Bus 3 on Soundcloud here 
Painted Yellow Line from Poetry Bus 2 on Soundcloud here
Slow Poison is in Crannog 10 here-  Update: Actually this pdf doesn't get as far as my poem so you'll have to buy the book!
Developing Shadows is in Abridged 17 here
Appropriate Gift is in Abridged 23 here

Short Story
Saturday's Kiss on This Reading Life blog here

Non Fiction
Berlin Wall from RTE Radio Sunday Miscellany here

Francis MacManus Short Stories

I'm a little late getting to this but the Francis MacManus Short stories are on now. They're available to listen to on a podcast if you miss them on the radio. See here

My writing buddy Nollaig Rowan has hers coming up on Tuesday 3rd July.

If you're thinking about submitting in the autumn for next year, it's recommended to listen to work out what works well on radio and to get an idea of the type of thing the judges like.

A Living Word

The roots of this longstanding two-minute daily meditation programme on RTE Radio 1, reach back to the traditions of Morning Prayer and Compline. Today's transmissions range from the religious to the reflective along the whole spectrum of human spirituality. Broadcast as part of Radio 1’s Risin’ Time, Late Date and The Weekend on One.

Monday - Friday, 6.40am on RTÉ Radio 1
See the website here The podcasts seem to be very out of date though.

Contributions are very welcome. One week's output comprises five scripts in total, each of which should average 250 words at most. The five individual pieces may be a freestanding choice of topics or a thematised suite with a unitary concern. Personal and narrative material works well. The language should seek to be agile and vernacular, the tone companionable and even intimate.

Don't forget that the microphone (the Ancient Greek for 'a small voice') is the very opposite of the megaphone! Listen live or on the Website to editions of the programme as a good general guide.

Submissions for consideration should be sent to:
A Living Word, Arts and Features, Radio Centre, RTÉ, Donnybrook, Dublin 4

RTE P.J O'Connor awards

The shortlist for this radio play competition was announced on Friday's Arena programme. 17 out of a total 135 submitted. I personally don't recognse any names. Congrats to all.

THE KIDNAP by BILLY O’CALLAGHAN

SPEED-DATING IN THE LAND OF CAT WOMEN by JENNIFER McGRATH

NEW MANCHEGO by THOMAS EMMET

QUAVERS by DAVID McCALL

HARD DRIVE by MICHAEL D. O’CALLAGHAN

READING ICARUS by ASHLEY TAGGART

DE-LIGHTED by TERRY O’BRIEN

THE QUIET WILLOUGHBYS by NEIL FLYNN

SHE’S NOT MINE by ROSALEEN McDONAGH

THE COWBOYS by PETER TRANT

A MOTHER’s VOCATION by BRENDAN O’LEARY

GRENADES by TARA MCKEVITT

JUST IMAGINE by JOHN AUSTIN CONNOLLY

THE GHOST ROOM by OLIVER McQUILLAN

BUZZ ME WHEN YOU’RE DONE by BRIAN FENNELLY

15th AUGUST 1998 by ROSS DUNGAN

THE EULOGY OF HARRY BROGAN by ALAN ARCHBOLD

The final adjudication will be made on June 4th.

The Francis MacManus short story award has loads more entries than this and the shortlist will be announced this Wednesday 19th May.

PJ O'Connor Radio Play for RTE competition

I missed any announcement about this but it's open for submissions. This year it's 55 minutes.

Have you ever considered writing for radio? There are many opportunities and a good way to break in is to try for the RTE P.J. O'Connor competition. Here's the gen:

The aim of the competition is to encourage new writers to radio drama and to increase awareness of the possibilities and scope of radio as a medium in the field of drama.

Rules: For the first time RTÉ Radio Drama is inviting candidates to submit radio plays of 55 minutes in duration (rule of thumb is one page per minute when properly formatted)
Prizes: €3,000 for first prize, €2,000 second, €3,000 third prize.
All plays are planned to be recorded and broadcast. They shortlist between 12 and 20.

If you are a new writer in this medium, there is a great weekend course they offer shortlisted writers in writing for radio. And you may get lucky too. Sometimes they record and broadcast shortlisted plays and you are paid the standard RTE rates.

Deadline: March 31st 2009
Tips: Listen to lots of radio drama. You can get the BBC afternoon play online for a week.

Details here:

Sunday Miscellany

Result! After many years of trying to get a piece accepted on this radio show (RTE Radio 1 Sunday morning at 9:10) I'm in. I first sent something in in 2002 so perseverance is key. I wasn't at all continuous, please understand, more off than on, but I did send in my share. Some, on re-reading, were rubbish. Some weren't. This one is spot on.

Listen in on Sunday 15th November at 9:10 am or listen to the podcast later. I think it will start the programme.

I think some new voices would be good for the programme.

I hope to continue...watch this space.

The End of Quiet (Quarter)

Had an email from Máire Nic Gearailt saying that her programme Lyric Notes is finishing after 10 years in September and taking the lovely 4 minutes daily that is The Quiet Quarter along with it. What a shame. The programme will be sorely missed as will the demise of one of the few paying markets.

We should write to Lyric FM asking them to keep an avenue open for writers. And for listeners.

What do you want first?

The Good News:

I have 5 pieces accepted on the Quiet Quarter on Lyric FM on the theme of swimming. I'm recording them and will let you know the week so you can listen in either live or afterwards forever more on your Mp3/iPod or online.

The Bad News:
I was rejected by the Stinging Fly again. Both for my fantastic short stories and then for my brilliant poems. It's the same story for years. I have to accept that there are some publications that just gon't 'get' me and my stuff. Move on. Nothing more to see here.

Then, rejected by Poetry Ireland Review, New editor, new criteria.

Then, rejected from Acumen magazine. Very fast response.

I have enjoyed reading them but unfortunately am not able to make an offer for any this time. I found a lot to like here, but unfortunately nothing appealed quite enough for me to shortlist any.

I get around 5,000 poems a year and as I only publish 50 per issue,

And lastly (for now) Southword, a nice rejection

all different, all intriguing, competition is fierce, yadda, yadda, yadda

Their loss!

National Tree Week reading on Lyric FM

Hi all

One of my old pieces for the Quiet Quarter will be repeated on Lyric FM the week starting Monday 2nd March at 11:45, I think on the Tuesday. It will be available as a download later in the week.

RTÉ P.J. O'Connor Radio Drama Awards

Have you ever considered writing for radio? There are many opportunities and a good way to break in is to try for the P.J. O'Connor competition. Here's the gen:

The aim of the competition is to encourage new writers to radio drama and to increase awareness of the possibilities and scope of radio as a medium in the field of drama.

Rules: 28 minute play (rule of thumb is one page per minute when properly formatted)
Prizes: €3,000 for first prize, €2,000 second, €3,000 third prize.
All plays are planned to be recorded and broadcast. They shortlist between 12 and 20.

If you are a new writer in this medium, there is a great weekend course they offer shortlisted writers in writing for radio. And you may get lucky too. Sometimes they record and broadcast shortlisted plays and you are paid the standard RTE rates.

Deadline: March 13th 2008

Tips: Listen to lots of radio drama. You can get the BBC afternoon play online for a week.

Remember:

Don't use too many characters in one scene. Confusing.

Use people's names for the first while so listeners know who the characters are.

Don't use too many characters in the whole thing as there is a limit to the cast numbers.

Start a new scene with a new voice.

Remember the listener can't turn back the page to check what's going on so be clear.

You can go anywhere - Bogner beach, a Bali nightclub, Outer Mongolia, outer space, underwater, Victorian Dublin, Roman Alexandria, Stone Age Kenya.

Use sound effects to allow the listener to picture (if that's the right word) the setting. But don't go over board.

Music is always good for mood.

Other guidelines are similar to short stories. Start in the action so the listener doesn't turn off. Don't use similar sounding names for multiple characters.

The View

The arts programme on RTE, The View, is on too late for me to remember to watch it. But you can watch it on your PC whenever you want for the next week. This week's discuss Kevin Power's new book Bad Day at Blackrock, giving it a bit of a mauling, which is apt as it's a brutal book in parts. But also the lovely Dylan Moran in A Film With Me In It, who I would invite to my virtual dinner party, no problem at all. Probably with Tony Curtis when a bit younger, and JK Rowling, who seems like a lovely woman and she could pay the bill. Any other nominations?

Podcasts

There is lots to listen to either online or download and listen to later. I sometimes listen on my PC but usually transfer to my phone (Nokia - love it) which can holds loads and then listen to my podcasts driving around or in the supermarket. It really makes the time pass faster.

Here are ones on my list:
Weekend Blend on Newstalk - a bit frothy but interesting guests
Woman's Hour Podcast
BBC Radio 4 Front Row highlights - always something that sparks the interest
Radio 3 Arts and Ideas podcast can ge ta bit high-falutin'
RTE The Arts Show but I'm still missing the late lamented Rattlebag
Lyric FM Quiet Quarter
Sunday Miscellany, yes even though they repeatedly refuse to acknowledge my brilliance.
Francis MacManus short stories you seem to have to listen to online.
DLR Libraries Podcast page has podcasts of various literary events.

and this new one:
short stories from the New Yorker Check out the great story from Tobias Wolffe, Bullet in the Head.

Also results from the Dromineer Literary Festival Competition

5th Dromineer Literary Festival will be launched and hold its award ceremony on next Friday 3rd Oct at Lough Derg Yacht Club, Dromineer, Co Tipperary. Congratulations to you all.

Prize winners :

Poetry
1st Nollaig Rowan, Dublin 'Making Your Deb's Dress' 500 Euro
2nd Michael Farry, Trim 'I Taught You to Drive' 350 Euro
3rd Tony O'Dwyer, Galway 'A Poem About Something Else' 150 Euro

Short story
1st Andrew King, Dublin 'The Old Guard' 500 Euro
2nd Mari Maxwell, Galway 'Burren Child' 350 Euro
3rd Sarah Cottle, Sligo 'First Impressions' 150 Euro

Festival runs 2nd to 5th Oct. 2008.

PJ O'Connor RTE Radio Play Competition

I'm really confused, concerned and possibly angry. The deadline for this competition was March 18th 2008 and yet there is an announcement on their website of the shortlist on 15th March 2008. How can that be? Most of the plays are submitted in the last week. Weren't they a little concerned that they only got 150 plays when in 2007 they got 200, in 2006 they got 235 and in 2005 they got 365?

An independent panel of actors and writers read all of the plays and chose a total of 13 for the shortlist. The short listed plays are now being read by a panel of judges, Danish theatre critic and playwright Jesper Bergmann, director and producer Selina Cartmell and chaired by actor and writer Mark O'Halloran (Adam and Paul/Garage)

1) Piano Lessons by Sarah Brennan from Donnybrook, Dublin

2) At the Hop by Wayne Denniston from Newtownforbes, Co. Longford

3) Lust for Money by Philip Doherty from Gortnakesh, Co. Cavan

4) 10! 9! 8! 7! 6! 7! 8! 9! 10! by Kevin Gildea from Dun Laoghaire, Co. Dublin

5) Get a Life by Ciarán Gray from North Strand in Dublin

6) The Lottery by Shay Linehan from Dun Laoghaire, Dublin

7) Something's Been Lost by Felim MacDermott from Knocknacarragh, Galway

8) Said the Bear to the Woman by Martin Malone from Kildare Town

9) Living Room by Andrea McCartney from Belfast

10) Will You Swap Knees With Me by John McManus from Knocknacarragh, Galway

11) Home Is Where the Heartache Is by Muireann Ní Aoláin from Ashbourne, Co. Meath

12) Deliver Us From Evil by Billy O'Callaghan from Douglas, Cork

13) Thinking Ahead by Jack Olohan from Rathfarnham, Dublin

The winners will be announced at a ceremony in the RTÉ Donnybrook studios on Tuesday 6 May at 6:30pm

What about mine? I sent it on March 12th, pleased to be in early. Who do I call?

Francis MacManus Shortlist

The buggers. The Fools. They didn't chose my brilliant creation. below, the shortlist. But going back and re-reading my story, I can see holes. I thought it was perfect when I posted it last year. Has that ever happened to you?

The 2007 competition attracted over 700 entries from all over Ireland and from Irish people living abroad. The panel were impressed by the high standard of the entries and selected 22 entries for the short–list. All of these stories will be broadcast over the summer, starting with the winning entry.

SHORT LIST:

1. JACKIE BLACKMAN, DUBLIN 4.
TITLE: OLD BIKE

2. GERRY BOLAND, KEADUE, CO. ROSCOMMON.
TITLE: THE MAN WITH NO NAME

3. ELIZABETH CARTY, DUNSANY, CO. MEATH.
TITLE: WATCHMAN, WHAT OF THE NIGHT?

4. JOHN AUSTIN CONNOLLY, BOOTERSTOWN, CO. DUBLIN.
TITLE: CROCHET

5. EILEEN COUNIHAN, DUBLIN 18.
TITLE: LOSER

6. CIARAN FOLAN, AN SPIDEAL, CO. NA GAILLIMHE.
TITLE: THE BOOKIE’S RUNNER

7. RICHARD GIBNEY, DUBLIN 13.
TITLE: FATHER FEENEY’S MARCH OF THE BLESSED

8. KEVIN GILDEA, DUN LAOGHAIRE, CO. DUBLIN.
TITLE: THIRSTY

9. MARTIN MALONE, KILDARE TOWN,
CO. KILDARE
TITLE: GOD OF LITTLE

10. JAMES MARTYN, RENMORE, GALWAY.
TITLE: DUSTWOMAN

11. DAVID ANDREW MCILROY, BELGIUM.
TITLE: A BRIEF LOVE FOR ROWANBERRIES

12. RUTH MCKEE, SKERRIES, CO. DUBLIN.
TITLE: DROWNING

13. ALYS MEIRIOL, CONNEMARA, CO. GALWAY.
TITLE: WASP’S NEST

14. THALIA MILLER, DUBLIN 8.
TITLE: THE BLUE OLIVE TREE

15. JUDITH MOK, DUBLIN 8.
TITLE: WHERE’S THE PARTY

16. PHILIP O’CEALLAIGH, DUBLIN 3.
TITLE: WALKING AWAY

17. JOE O’DONNELL, BLACKROCK, CO. DUBLIN.
TITLE: VELEDICTION

18. MARY O’GORMAN, CLONMEL, CO. TIPPERARY.
TITLE: ONE HUNDRED STROKES

19. DENIS O’NEILL, DUNDALK, CO. LOUTH.
TITLE: FIRST FRIDAY

20. KEVIN POWER, RATHCOOLE, CO. DUBLIN.
TITLE: WILDERNESS GOTHIC

21. VINCENT SCOTT, DUBLIN 6.
TITLE: AN UNEVEN EVENT

22. MAIRIDE WOODS, DUBLIN 13
TITLE: WAITING BY THE LUTETIA


The winners of the competition will be announced on Tuesday, 1 April 2008.

Chick Lit Programme

There was a programme, Art Lives on RTE last night, a repeat I think with Anne Marie Hourihane on Chick Lit. (She who got 9,000 Euro grant from the arts council recently) Goodness but what a facetious, biased programme it was.

Chick Lit authors are retiscent about talking about their income. Gee. I wonder why? Could it be manners? COuld it be they're not men boasting about how big their wad is?

Some chick Lit is badly written. Gee. Some crime is badly written. Some Journalism. Some children's books, lots of poetry. Oodles of films and TV programmes, music and radio shows. Why does fiction written predominantly for women, by women get so much flack?

Why if when a woman writes about relationships is it 'only' chick lit and when men do, it's deep, insightful literature?

Yes, it's an industry. Yes there are lots of books that go on a bit much about shopping and finding Mr Right but so what? They also tackle adoption, drugs, alcoholism, IVF, death, divorce etc.

P.J. O'Connor Radio Play Competition

Have you ever considered writing for radio? There are many opportunities and a good way to break in is to try for the P.J. O'Connor competition. Here's the gen:

The RTÉ P.J. O'Connor Radio Drama Awards were established in 1983 to honour the late P. J. O'Connor, former Head of Drama in RTÉ Radio 1, who was noted for his encouragement of new talent. The aim of the competition is to encourage new writers to radio drama and to increase awareness of the possibilities and scope of radio as a medium in the field of drama.

Rules: 28 minute play (rule of thumb is one page per minute when properly formatted)
Prizes: €3,000 for first prize, €2,000 second, €3,000 third prize. All plays are planned to be recorded and broadcast. They shortlist between 12 and 20.

If you are a new writer in this medium, there is a great weekend course they offer shortlisted writers in writing for radio. And you may get lucky too. Sometimes they record and broadcast shortlisted plays and you are paid the standard RTE rates.
Deadline: March 18th 2008 - note the day after Paddy's Day. So you need to post on Friday 14th March (though I believe they are flexible about postmarked dates)

Tips: Listen to lots of radio drama. You can get the BBC afternoon play online. Remember:

• Don't use too many characters in one scene. Confusing.
  
• Use people's names for the first while so listeners know who the characters are.
  
• Don't use too many characters in the whole thing as there is a limit to the cast numbers.
  
• Start a new scene with a new voice.
  
• Remember the listener can't turn back the page to check what's going on so be clear.
  
• You can go anywhere - Bogner beach, a Bali nightclub, Outer Mongolia, outer space, underwater, Victorian Dublin, Roman Alexandria, Stone Age Kenya.
  
• Use sound effects to allow the listener to picture (if that's the right word) the setting. But don't go over board.
  
• Music is always good for mood.
  

Other guidelines are similar to short stories. Start in the action so the listener doesn't turn off. Don't use similar sounding names for multiple characters.

The Quiet Quarter on Lyric FM

The Quiet Quarter, a daily 5 minute thoughtful and sometimes though-provoking piece, has changed time again. I turned on the radio a couple of weeks ago to listen and there it wasn't!

Now it's on Monday to Friday at 11:45 am on Lyric Notes with Máire Nic Gearailt.
You can listen online - recommended and useful if you want to know the type of piece that works well. You can also subscribe the the podcast. It pays too.

RTE Scheduling

So who was the wally who scheduled Desperate Housewives at the same time as Art Lives about John Banville? Both were well worth watching or setting the video for. are we supposed to be differentiated into people who want to watch either one or the other but not both?

The script on Desperate Housewives was very cleverly done where Bree (Brie?) tries to get the recipe for pie from her dodgy but super polite neighbour. A writer could take a few lessons from that. I wonder does John Banville watch Desperate Housewives? What he does watch is The Sopranos. And I've always said much the same as him, though not so lyrically and succinctly. It's modern day Greek tragedy. Character driven, moments of high comedy, betrayal, sex, money, it had it all. The last episode in particular was an exercise on what to leave in, what to take out. Fabulous.

The RTE Guide said

a writer frequently described as "difficult." The documentary follows him from life in Wexford town, through a "grindingly boring job as a clerk" in Aer Lingus, to work as a journalist with the Irish Press and The Irish Times. We witness Banville on trips to Rome and London, but Being John Banville focuses mostly on the tangled business that is the commerce and the art of writing. His self described "killer agent" Ed Victor features prominently and Banville reveals the impact of his 2005 Man Booker Prize win for The Sea. There's also a look at his double life as thriller writer Benjamin Black.

They must have done the Benjamin Black bit and the agent bit at the start when I was still on Wisteria Lane.

Miscellany

Actually I realise that Sunday Miscellany has only had the piece posted yesterday since the end of July so there's hope yet. They ask for 6 months to consider. Though it's really a summer piece. Ah well. Must see about sending them some poems. Problem is they consider stuff for that early in the morning with restrictions. No sex (obviously) or violence or death (unless it was a long time ago) or contentious or anything from the dark side. They prefer things with an Irish slant too (obviously) and not too many of my poems fit these restrictions.