Julian Jones

Among other series, Julian Jones has written for The Bill, Taggart, and As If. He also created the dramas Hex, Sinchronicity, and Merlin, which is currently airing on Saturdays on BBC1 and can also be viewed on the BBC iPlayer.

How did you get started as a writer?

I first thought about becoming a writer in my early teens. I was handed a careers form to fill out and was asked to give two options. As my first choice I wrote down "Superstar" and as my second I put "Playwrite". The teacher ignored the first and pointed out that I couldn't spell the second. He told me I'd be lucky to get an English O-level, and recommended I become an Estate Agent.

I was thrown out of school at 15 with only two O-levels, both in English. I did a one-year drama course at a technical college, but decided I wanted to earn money. Somehow, by the time I was 18 I was managing a shop in the King's Road. I think I might've still been in that business today, if it hadn't been for a girl called Helga. She jilted me for the lead singer of a well known punk band and, in a hopeless attempt to impress her, I applied to RADA. I got in.

I learnt a lot of things at RADA, probably the most important was that I didn't want to become an actor. I hated getting up on stage, but what I did enjoy was the process of studying and discussing text. I realized very quickly that an actor is an interpreter, and what I wanted to be was a creator. It also taught me something else that I believe is very important for television writers, the art of collaboration. Novelists, playwrights and screenwriters tend to endure (or enjoy) longer periods of isolation, working by themselves to create an authored piece. TV writers generally work at a much quicker pace; with producers, script editors, directors, and actors all having an input. For some, this is frustrating, but for others like me this is exciting. Personally, I relish sitting in a room, chucking ideas around and testing stories.

I left RADA with a basic understanding of stagecraft, but very little knowledge of narrative. It took another 8 years of very odd jobs and lots of half finished scripts before I got my first commission. I managed to get a script read by Peter Cregeen at Thames TV. He told me he liked the idea but couldn't make it. However, he asked me if I would like to work on a new weekly show he was about to set up. It was called The Bill.

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

Never get too precious about an idea, but always keep your passion. I often refer to myself as a rewriter. The real work begins on the second draft. Very rarely does a story land in your lap fully formed. Often you get an idea that has a little glint, you can sense a diamond somewhere inside it, but it's how to cut it. I find whiteboarding helpful. However, you can still discover at script stage that you've totally missed the story. I think the hardest thing is then to find yourself back at square one. I hate chucking away good scenes, particularly if they include a rare bit of witty dialogue. Yet, there are lots of times when I've had to shred the whole script and re-start from page 1. No matter how long you've been doing the job it's easy to find this demoralizing, but that is all part of the process.

If notes are incoming try not to take them personally. After all, some notes will illuminate your very ordinary story and turn it into a work of genius for which you will get all the credit. On the other hand, there will be notes that will appear to be inspired by the last movie the producer saw. I was once asked to make an episode of The Bill more like The Piano. Sometimes it's a matter of understanding the note behind the note. That's where a good script editor is a gift from God.

What's your writing routine?

The best scenes I've written have often been on the back of a napkin in Pizza Express. In an ideal world I'd write on the hoof, wandering the streets, parks, and cafes of London. Deadlines mean that I usually enjoy a less romantic lifestyle. I tend to prowl round the house with a pencil and pad or laptop. Working at home means I often have to contend with builders, repair men, sick children, and passing relatives. After 20+ years of professional writing I reckon I can pretty much write anywhere except in an office. I hate that, but sometimes it has to be done.

Working hours are pretty fluid. I write about five to six pages a day. I usually spend the morning rewriting the previous day's work, getting back into the world I've created and picking up all the threads. Some scripts fall from heaven, others require 20 hour days and 7 day weeks.

How does your writing process work?

Structure is very important. For TV, this can sometimes be dictated by ad breaks. On Merlin (a BBC hour) we use the three Act structure. We build the story and then try to identify our end of Acts. We then do a beat by beat, then flesh this into a storyline. The Executive Producers Julian Murphy and Johnny Capps are both involved very early in the process. They both have incredible story brains and have a very clear idea of the show. They also know exactly what we can do and what we can afford. This is a big consideration on a show with so much action and CGI.

How did your involvement in Merlin begin?

I worked on a show called As If with Julian and Johnny nearly 10 years ago and have been working with them almost exclusively ever since. They're just brilliant to work with and I've been lucky enough to develop three shows with them: Hex, Sinchronicity, and now Merlin. Julian Murphy and Jake Michie (another writer on the show) came up with the initial idea for a young Merlin. The BBC liked the concept and Julie Gardner suggested my involvement. I'd never done a Saturday night show before, so the BBC gave me an episode of Robin Hood. Which wasn't easy, but taught me a lot.

I was nervous about doing Merlin. The Arthurian legend means a lot to so many people and we were going to attempt a fresh modern take. One of the great things about working with Johnny and Julian is that they know my weaknesses and my strengths. Episode Ones are notoriously difficult, particularly where so much of the time has to be given over to establishing not only the characters, but a whole new world. They managed somehow to keep the pressure off me and help me create what I hope was a reasonably good script. In hindsight, I might've changed a few things. For me, the tone was a bit young in places and maybe wasn't epic enough, but I think we've all learnt as the series has developed.

What was it that attracted you to Merlin?

Merlin is the kind of story I loved as a kid. Family drama was big when I was growing up and I love the way Doctor Who has revived all that. So the chance to help create a show in that vein was irresistible. It's great fun of playing with all that colour on such a big canvas. It's very exciting.

Merlin is in the big Saturday Night Family slot, as popularised by Doctor Who - how has that affected the writing of the show?

The BBC's brief was that we should cater for all ages between seven to 97. "Three generational TV" as they like to call it. It's certainly not easy. Getting the tone right at the outset is difficult. Hopefully when you've done that, then the aim is just to get on and create cracking good stories. We've had to be aware not to be too subtle and use a little less subtext than you might use for an exclusively adult audience. I think maybe cross-generational jokes are the hardest to gauge.

How does the script development for the show work with other writers?

We have four writers, Jake Michie, Ben Vanstone, Howard Overman, and myself. We all got together for script meetings at the start, generating lots of ideas with the producers and the two script editors (Polly Buckle and Rachel Knight). Then we all went away and did our own thing, developing our individual stories with the script department. It's very collaborative, everyone is very generous and it makes for a great working atmosphere. I refer to it as Team Merlin.

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

The comfort of knowing that the worst things that happen in life will probably one day make you money. Losing the beautiful Helga inspired a whole series!