From Dream to Screen: Interview with Screenwriter Natalie Ekberg

One Writer’s Journey to a Commissioned TV Pilot I’m excited to share an inspiring interview with screenwriter Natalie Ekberg, a screenwriter and playwright who embarked on her writing journey at age 48. She shares how she transitioned from a career in coaching to writing, the unconventional paths she took to break into the industry, and her strategies…

Pitching Your Story in 3 Minutes or Less! Tips from the Children’s Media Conference

After a busy few weeks preparing for and attending the Children’s Media Conference in Sheffield, I’m excited to share some insights from my experience. If you work in children’s TV, media, or storytelling in general, CMC is a fantastic event. I was fortunate enough to have 11 x 15 minute meetings with TV executives at…

Desperate to Turn Your Picture Book into an Animated Film? Here’s How!

Reader Question Today I want to answer a question that I’m approached about quite often… “I’ve written a picture book that I think would work well as an animated film. Where do I start?” First off, This article isn’t just for picture book authors. It includes plenty of useful tips for anyone with a screenplay to…

Asking for Help is Scary (Especially if you’re a Writer)

Monthly Inspiration Today I am trialling a new format… An anecdote from me A quote from another writer A useful resource and A call to action  Asking for Help / Fear of Failure An anecdote from me I listened to a recent episode of the Happiness Lab podcast and it seemed very relevant to us writers, so…

How To Get A Badass Deal – Notes from the London Book Fair

Thanks from my former client, Jay, for this fantastic summary of a brilliant talk entitled: ‘How To Get A Badass Deal’. Novelists, take note! How to Get a Badass Deal A great opening and a great hook are incredibly important if you want to sell to a traditional publisher. Your book and you are the product, it’s…

Even More Tips from the London Book Fair [Part 2]

Key takeaways from 2 talks at the London Book Fair 2023 – Writing & Resilience and Spotlight on Children’s: How to Get Noticed in a Crowded Market As I said in my last article, I had the pleasure of attending the London Book Fair this year. I sat in on some great panel discussions on…

Top Tips from the London Book Fair [Part 1]

Key takeaways from 3 talks at the London Book Fair 2023 – Making your WIP Stand Out, Keeping up with Social Media, and The Indie Author Income Survey I recently had the pleasure of attending the London Book Fair, soaking up the wonderful writerly atmosphere, meeting up with some lovely writers, and listening to some…

Spotlight on Networking – The London Book Fair

In my last post, I introduced you to my Writers’ Arc tool. Today, I’ll hone in on one of the 8 categories: Marketing and Networking. In particular, I’ll talk about the benefits of attending the London Book Fair, which is coming up in April. Networking Why do it? I’m a big believer in writers incorporating networking and…

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

Our First Commission Followed by a Pandemic The last of a 5-part series where I take you behind the scenes of the most fulfilling experience of my writing life: developing a kids’ animation series for TV. In this installment, I’ll talk about how we nabbed our first TV commission for an animated Christmas Special. I’ll also…