Frank Cottrell Boyce

As well as writing the screenplays for (among others) the films Welcome to Sarajevo, Hilary and Jackie, 24 Hour Party People, Millions and Code 46, Frank Cottrell Boyce has written for TV and radio, and has recently turned his attention to children's books. His new series of plays, One Chord Wonders, is currently airing on BBC Radio 4 on Fridays.

You can read the script for Damned, Damned, Damned, the third One Chord Wonder, in our Script Archive. 

How did you get started as a writer?

The first thing I got paid for was a radio play. So One Chord Wonders is a return to my roots! But I first started writing for fun in year six of primary school. My teacher read a piece I'd written out to the whole class because she thought it was funny. I loved the feeling of sitting at the back of the class while she got my laughs for me up at the front - that strange mix of power and invisibility.

What advice would you give to anyone wanting to write for a living?

Keep a diary. In particular I suggest you get one of those diaries that only lets you write a sentence or two each day. And use the space to write about something other than yourself - something you've noticed or overheard. It's a great discipline. The diary becomes a kind of treasure box of detail. And after a while you start to notice patterns and connections - which in turn can grow into stories.

What's your writing routine?

I get up early and do as much as I can before life takes over.

You recently started writing children's books - how did you get into that?

It was Danny Boyle's idea. I was talking to him about how much I loved children's books. He said why don't you write one? I'd already written the script of Millions by then. I said, I didn't have any ideas. He said, well Millions would be a good book. I hadn't even thought of it. I started writing that night and finished a couple of months later.

You've worked in TV, film, books, and radio - what are the differences between them? Is there one medium you love best?

Well, in TV and film someone calls most days to "see how you're getting on" (ie tell you to hurry up). But in books you're on your own. It's much harder to write a book than it is to write a screenplay but it's much, much easier to get a book published than it is to get a film made. I've just finished a TV film for the BBC which has been twenty years in gestation. The very first conversation I ever had with Michael Winterbottom was about making a film of Tristram Shandy (I wanted to call it the Video Birth Diary Tristram Shandy). We made it seventeen years later. Books are hectic by comparison.

Tell us a bit about One Chord Wonders - what made you want to tell these stories?

Punk rock meant a lot to me. And although I don't really listen to the music any more I find myself trying to adhere to a set of "punk" values. At the same time I hate nostalgia. I went to watch a Clash tribute band a year or so ago and I remember standing at the back watching all these little bald heads jump up and down and it just seemed to me very funny that these blobby middle aged blokes were still so enthralled by the Clash. It seemed both moving and fun. It also seemed like a way of looking at the way we change.

What's the best thing about writing for a living?

So many things. The best thing for me is the joy of being able to work at home, surrounded by my children. After that, just the fun of writing itself. I love writing. Everything about it. It's what I do. I also love the research. I'm always amazed by how generous people can be when you ask them to tell you their story. Researching various projects I've met pop stars, explorers, astronauts, artists. What other job would let me do that?