Developing a Kids’ Animation Series for TV [PART TWO]

Applying for Funding The second of a 5-part series where I take you behind the scenes of the most fulfilling experience of my writing life: developing a kids’ animated TV series.  As I said in Part One this 6-year rollercoaster was filled with both success and failure. I hope my journey will be both interesting and…

Developing a Kids’ Animation Series for TV [PART ONE]

A Writer’s Journey This is the first of a 5-part series where I’ll share the ins and outs of one of the most fulfilling experiences of my writing life: developing a pre-school kids’ animation series for TV. This 6-year rollercoaster ultimately ended in failure, but there were some amazing successes along the way. So, after grappling…

Why Do We Procrastinate?

I’ve recently spent far more time procrastinating than I’m comfortable with. So I was fascinated to hear Oliver Burkeman discuss why we procrastinate on Rangan Chatterjee’s wonderful ‘Feel Better Live More‘ podcast. I can’t resist sharing these tips as I’m sure you’ll find them helpful too.  In episode 260, in a conversation about Burkeman’s new…

How to Choose Writing Competitions

Earlier in the year, I shared some tips for those who want to write professionally. One of my tips was about building your track record, which included entering writing competitions. Reader Question Frank got in touch to ask how you identify which writing competitions increase the likelihood of getting shortlisted or winning a prize. So today I’m…

The Art of Adaptation: from Picture Book to Animated Film

The most fun and fulfilling writing experience of my life was adapting my children’s picture book into an animation. Here I’m going to divulge some tips about the art of adaptation and share my journey of taking ‘Hopscotch and the Christmas Tree’, from book to screen. If you’re considering writing an adaptation yourself, I hope…

Three tips if you want to write professionally (or semi-professionally)

Today’s article is short and sweet and was inspired by a discussion at a recent session of the London Writers’ Meetup. I hope you find these suggestions useful if you want to write professionally. Writing is a craft It takes a while to master it, so don’t expect success from just one piece of work.…