Billie Ingram-Sofokleous, who is currently studying for a Master’s Degree in Creative Writing, was one of the writers attending our Writing for TV course in June 2019 tutored by Matthew Hall. She writes about her experiences.

This course represents a pivotal turning point for me not only in my professional aspirations, but in my personal progression as a writer.

We analysed numerous characters’ story arcs and development within their pilot episode, with a recurring theme that proved linear in all of them: change, a vital and integral component that embodies the writer’s journey. Having struggled this year to commit to stories that truly captivated me; I realised the root of the problem was creating a relatable and empathetic plot that contained characters that could carry the story forward.

Matthew Hall has shared his experiences gladly and generously, with the calm and considered approach to our suggestions. We discussed the transition of his work into being produced and all that this entails. We looked at Keeping Faith, The Sopranos, Edge of Darkness, Breaking Bad and using these as templates to successful screenplay writing. This has brought an understanding to improve our ideas as we worked together collaboratively on a pilot episode of a script.

Gert Thomas, our guest speaker offered an alternative perspective to the world of presenting stories to a scheduled audience. This was discussed informally about children’s television and soap operas which operate within a team of writers to create continuous plotlines. This duality was helpful to us as we were able to contemplate our skills and have an overall richer understanding.

The world of television is a hard industry to break into, and on this course, I truly feel I found my voice as a writer with like-minded peers. Tŷ Newydd has truly been the ideal space to nurture my aspirations and goals as a writer, and I strongly encourage writers who need a fresh perspective on their work, to look to Tŷ Newydd’s welcoming resources.