now, in case they want it. A third series hasn’t been commissioned
yet, but we’re hoping it will so I’m currently working that out.
Michael and I are also working on a show together, with
Patterson Joseph (Actor most well known from Peep show). And
yesterday we were making breakfast and suddenly we had a
breakthrough with an idea for this show. Suddenly it was solved I
use a formula called KISS “keep it simple stupid” which means the
plot has to be simple but the emotions are complex. Somebody
once said simple stories complex emotions and that is how I
write, from the character’s point of view. Its hard, say if I’ve got a
cold then I can’t write because all my characters have a cold!
I’m also working on a children’s drama with my 16 year old
daughter Ella, its really exciting, the production company are
about to pitch it to a broadcaster so I’ve been rewriting drafts
and researching that for pitch. I was working on 24 projects at
the beginning of the summer, but it was too much and too hard,
so I’ve reduced that now to my passion projects.
Image: Courtesy of the BBC
the BBC
Image: Courtesy of
It all sounds very busy, how do you work this with
family life?
Well I feel really lucky, I work from home and I’m there when the
kids come home from school, we always eat together and talk
about our days over dinner. Also its important for me to watch
telly, so often we will all watch dramas or films together. The kids
love it they are very analytical and often we’ll be discussing plot
lines or character development while we’re watching together.
I make sure they don’t miss out on stuff, they are both
involved in Theatre groups and I make sure they can get to
those and other things they want to do. And if I have to go to parents
evening or something then yes I go.
I was working on Casualty once and my sister’s best friend died. This
was a girl I’d grown up with and I said hold on, I have to be there for
my sister, so I pulled out of Casualty. I needed to be there for my sister,
nothing is more important that real life. Then some time later I got the
opportunity to write the episode for Casualty where I burned Holby
down. And I literally burned the Bristol set down!
There are times I’m not around, I went to LA earlier in the year
with the BBC to do the show runners course. I met so many amazing
writers, from the Game of Thrones people, HBO, CBS and the people
behind The Walking Dead and Star Trek. In America they write in
➜
What inspires your ideas?
Well I spend a lot of time on the Arlesey Facebook page! I also
walk round the village and ask questions about it. I take a lot of
inspiration f