Writer's Block

0:00:33 > 0:00:38I don't need eyes in the back of my head to see a mule's load slipping!

0:00:38 > 0:00:44- Marigold started going weird again on her birthday... - I'm drowning. I'm going to die...

0:00:44 > 0:00:48..in the darkness, behind the tea chests.

0:00:48 > 0:00:55"You can do this!" he told himself. "You really can do this!" He hadn't convinced his body.

0:01:05 > 0:01:08There's nothing like a good story.

0:01:08 > 0:01:12I love to immerse myself in a good book, and being here,

0:01:12 > 0:01:19in a bookshop, is heaven for me, because it's full of great books by some terrific writers,

0:01:19 > 0:01:26especially here in the Children's section. To be a writer must be a lovely job.

0:01:26 > 0:01:29I'd like to have a go, but where do you start?

0:01:30 > 0:01:35My ideas just come from anywhere and everywhere. They're unexpected.

0:01:35 > 0:01:41It might be an overheard remark, a situation you observe in the street,

0:01:41 > 0:01:48in public, or it might be an article in a newspaper. It can be a very tiny trigger.

0:01:48 > 0:01:53I wish I knew where I get my ideas from - then I could bottle it!

0:01:53 > 0:01:59For most writers, the biggest worry, or for me, is running out of ideas.

0:01:59 > 0:02:04I never get a whole, huge, long, detailed idea for a book,

0:02:04 > 0:02:12but every now and then there will be just some tiny image that appeals to me and I think, "Mm, I like that."

0:02:12 > 0:02:19A lot of the time, ideas hunt you down, and you don't really invent them. They come looking for you.

0:02:19 > 0:02:26All good stories need a good beginning... a good middle...and a good end.

0:02:26 > 0:02:30It's very important to have a good opening to a story.

0:02:30 > 0:02:35I try harder on openings than anything else.

0:02:35 > 0:02:39It hooks the reader - the cliche of the dead body on page one.

0:02:39 > 0:02:43If you can with the opening line, fantastic.

0:02:43 > 0:02:50I spend most of my time on the first third, getting characters and language right, the tone right.

0:02:50 > 0:02:56I think I'm looking for the moment the story takes on its own life.

0:02:56 > 0:03:02In my books, I tend to start characters just as they approach change,

0:03:02 > 0:03:09something will change in their lives, usually for the worst cos you want a story! Something dramatic

0:03:09 > 0:03:14that will change their lives, and it gets worse before it gets better!

0:03:14 > 0:03:22I think stories need resolution - especially stories for children. That is not to say happy endings.

0:03:22 > 0:03:29I don't think all ends have to be tied up neatly, to be resolved, but I don't like cheat endings at all.

0:03:29 > 0:03:36I want to be rewarded with an uplifting feeling, or a different view on the world.

0:03:36 > 0:03:41The subject should really dictate what the shape of the story is like.

0:03:41 > 0:03:45A great story like Moby Dick takes the form of a quest,

0:03:45 > 0:03:50a great adventure across the seas, and the story feels like a journey.

0:03:50 > 0:03:57It can become very flat, marooned, and then it goes on again and chases the whale.

0:03:57 > 0:04:02When you write a story, it must be interesting all the way through,

0:04:02 > 0:04:06from cover to cover, even when it's a short story.

0:04:12 > 0:04:19It was the weirdest thing. I looked into the darkness and I felt it looking right back at me.

0:04:19 > 0:04:26That's right. It was alive. Some people think darkness is just a place where there's no light,

0:04:26 > 0:04:34but they haven't been down Tranter Loudon's Kitchen. The darkness there is rich and patterned like a quilt.

0:04:34 > 0:04:41The deeper you go into it, the more you see. There are faces there. Twisted limbs, presences.

0:04:41 > 0:04:46You wouldn't understand unless you'd been inside that darkness. I have.

0:04:46 > 0:04:49For a while, I thought it had me.

0:04:49 > 0:04:54The whole thing started about five years ago, when I was 13.

0:04:54 > 0:05:02Some workmen were digging a water main. They found a way into Tranter Loudon's Kitchen, as it's known -

0:05:02 > 0:05:07a vast network of sandstone tunnels and caverns below the streets.

0:05:07 > 0:05:13Loudon was a preacher here in Oakfield in the 18th century. It seems he lived down there.

0:05:13 > 0:05:18He was a loner, by all accounts. The darkness beneath the town suited him.

0:05:18 > 0:05:24Then the kids started to disappear. In just a few weeks, half a dozen boys and girls vanished.

0:05:24 > 0:05:32Wasn't long before everybody said Tranter Loudon had them and was boiling them up for supper.

0:05:32 > 0:05:39Nonsense, of course, but they ran him out of town, though some say he just went back underground.

0:05:39 > 0:05:46Kids have been disappearing ever since - not often, but often enough to make you wonder.

0:05:46 > 0:05:49It's the Tranter Loudon legend.

0:05:53 > 0:06:01Once those workmen unearthed his strange world, all sorts of rumours started about gold rings, and coins.

0:06:01 > 0:06:08It was the idea of hidden treasure that grabbed Craig's attention. Find the right tunnel and we'd be rich!

0:06:08 > 0:06:14So one summer holiday we booked ourselves a guided tour.

0:06:15 > 0:06:20On the day, we were the only ones at the tunnel opening.

0:06:21 > 0:06:28The guide, an old boy with a limp, didn't look too pleased at having to open up for some kids,

0:06:28 > 0:06:31but he took us anyway.

0:06:36 > 0:06:41The moment I was down there, in that staring darkness, I wanted out.

0:06:47 > 0:06:51- I don't think this is a good idea. - Don't be such a wimp!

0:06:51 > 0:06:56You afraid of Tranter Loudon and his cooking pot?

0:07:01 > 0:07:06'My stomach filled with a dull ache. Fear was chewing up my insides.

0:07:06 > 0:07:13'We were about 20 minutes in when Craig did it! He grabbed me arm and dragged me down a tunnel!

0:07:13 > 0:07:17'It had a sign - "Danger! Keep out!"' < Hey!

0:07:17 > 0:07:19Hey!

0:07:24 > 0:07:27'It didn't take us long to lose him.

0:07:27 > 0:07:30'With that leg, he'd never catch us.

0:07:30 > 0:07:36- 'Craig pulled out a flashlight from his rucksack.' - Ready to search for treasure?

0:07:36 > 0:07:41Craig! I really think we should just...go back!

0:07:43 > 0:07:46'But he wouldn't have it.

0:07:46 > 0:07:49'He was determined to press forward.

0:07:49 > 0:07:55'As we penetrated deeper into the blackness, I began seeing differences in the gloom.

0:07:55 > 0:08:00'It was as if there were different planes of darkness, all shifting.

0:08:00 > 0:08:07'So, on we went, until we came across something that wasn't part of any tour.

0:08:08 > 0:08:12'Up ahead, there was a line of candles.

0:08:16 > 0:08:20- Who could've done that? - Let's go back!

0:08:20 > 0:08:26- 'But Craig was having none of it.' - I've seen something! - 'He threw down his torch.

0:08:26 > 0:08:30'He picked up one of the candles to guide his way.'

0:08:33 > 0:08:39- I've found it!- 'There, glittering in the half-lit gloom

0:08:39 > 0:08:46- 'were rings, coins, goblets, all made of gold, so it seemed to me!' - We're rich!

0:08:46 > 0:08:52'He handed me some of the stuff and started shoving the rest into his rucksack.'

0:08:56 > 0:09:03'Then, the candles blew out! How, I don't know. There wasn't a breath of wind in that dank tunnel.

0:09:03 > 0:09:08'The darkness grew fingers and nails, scratching my arms and legs.

0:09:08 > 0:09:15'I heard Craig trying to find the torch but it was out, just like the candles. Craig was sobbing.

0:09:15 > 0:09:20'Something clawed my clothes. Craig was still scrabbling for the torch!

0:09:20 > 0:09:26'It was something else, right there beside me! A creature of the intense gloom!

0:09:26 > 0:09:33- 'That's when the darkness roared!' Craig! The treasure! Give it back! - Never! Finders keepers!

0:09:33 > 0:09:36HE GASPS WITH FEAR

0:09:36 > 0:09:43'There was a second voice, echoing and chattering in the blackness. Saying a prayer, or a curse.

0:09:43 > 0:09:48'It was too dulled in the velvet dark to make out the words.

0:09:48 > 0:09:55'It could've been the scamper of a rat, except that it was in some way, some foul, cold way, human!'

0:09:55 > 0:10:00This isn't ours! It belongs to Tranter Loudon!

0:10:00 > 0:10:05'So I let my share vanish into the swarming darkness.

0:10:05 > 0:10:10'Immediately, the tearing, sucking presence fell away. I could go!

0:10:10 > 0:10:15'Not Craig. He clung to the dark, and it clung to him.

0:10:15 > 0:10:20'Then, I heard something. A butcher sound, in the gloom.

0:10:20 > 0:10:26'Like the crunch of bones. The crack of cartilage, the splash of blood! I shouted Craig's name...'

0:10:26 > 0:10:29CRAIG! CRAIG!

0:10:29 > 0:10:31CRAIG WAILS

0:10:31 > 0:10:38'All I could hear was the reverberating crunch, crack, splash, and then something bubbling!

0:10:38 > 0:10:42'I ran for my life, fighting the raging, scuttering blackness,

0:10:42 > 0:10:46'more alone, more scared then I've ever been!'

0:10:49 > 0:10:55There he is! 'The rescue team discovered me a few hours later,

0:10:55 > 0:10:58'half-dead with fright.

0:10:58 > 0:11:00'Craig's never been found.'

0:11:05 > 0:11:10'To this day, when I'm lying in bed, I hear a bubbling sound in the night.

0:11:10 > 0:11:15'I've got a feeling I know what's cooking in the kitchen.'

0:11:24 > 0:11:28These are the Joseph Williamson Tunnels -

0:11:28 > 0:11:32the inspiration for my story, Tunnel Vision.

0:11:32 > 0:11:37At the start of the 19th century, Williamson established these tunnels,

0:11:37 > 0:11:42and they inspired my horror story, set under the city of Liverpool.

0:11:42 > 0:11:47There's this huge network of tunnels under the city - an alternative city

0:11:47 > 0:11:52of darkness and mystery, and I wanted to locate a horror story here,

0:11:52 > 0:11:56in this magnificent achievement.

0:11:56 > 0:12:02Once I'd heard about the tunnels, the ideas hung about in my head. I'd thought about it,

0:12:02 > 0:12:09and then I came across this article and it added the final piece, but there were mysteries about them -

0:12:09 > 0:12:14people going missing, jewellery discovered. The story was on its way.

0:12:16 > 0:12:21Tunnel Vision began with an idea that darkness had to be a character.

0:12:21 > 0:12:28Darkness was absolutely central, and so the darkness itself was a thing drawing you in,

0:12:28 > 0:12:35and it was dangerous, and it tested you, and slowly I wanted to bring out a character you could hinge on,

0:12:35 > 0:12:39that wasn't just darkness but one who emerged from the darkness.

0:12:39 > 0:12:47In the first paragraph I set up the mood of scariness, and start dropping hints. The story must say,

0:12:47 > 0:12:52"Read me!" as if two hands come out of the story and grab your eyeballs.

0:12:52 > 0:12:57I wanted pace, and snappy sentences, so they've got to be short.

0:12:57 > 0:13:02You don't want loads of subordinate clauses or long descriptions.

0:13:02 > 0:13:06Like building up pebbles to create a statue -

0:13:06 > 0:13:09short sentences with strong verbs.

0:13:15 > 0:13:19The characters are based on people I know.

0:13:19 > 0:13:21One is me - the cautious narrator,

0:13:21 > 0:13:28cos all my friendships were built on my mates wanting to get in scrapes, and me going,

0:13:28 > 0:13:35"Do you think we should?!" and I was the one being dragged along, but I always went and did the adventures,

0:13:35 > 0:13:38'but I thought about it afterwards.' Craig!

0:13:38 > 0:13:42I think we should just...go back!

0:13:44 > 0:13:49I wanted really powerful metaphors, and images, and similes

0:13:49 > 0:13:51like "darkness patterned like quilt".

0:13:51 > 0:13:54We don't see it as different colours.

0:13:54 > 0:13:59We imagine red, blue, green... I wanted planes of darkness -

0:13:59 > 0:14:05a "creature of intense gloom"... "darkness roared" - the darkness is a thing...an animal

0:14:05 > 0:14:11that will seize a person who merges into it, and "velvet" darkness,

0:14:11 > 0:14:14both comforting and suffocating,

0:14:14 > 0:14:19because the whole world of the story is of darkness and its complications.

0:14:19 > 0:14:24When it comes to the end, there's always a pressure to make it happy,

0:14:24 > 0:14:30and to tie everything up. I was aware that in a horror story, which is challenging

0:14:30 > 0:14:36about whether this person survives, then you should have a sense of loss.

0:14:36 > 0:14:40What I went for was that the narrator survives,

0:14:40 > 0:14:47'but the other character is destroyed. I got a sense of loss, and a moral ending.' CRAIG!

0:14:47 > 0:14:55'He is destroyed because he makes a particular choice, and there are consequences to that choice.'

0:14:57 > 0:15:02Four elements can be termed "beginning" "middle" and "end" -

0:15:02 > 0:15:09the opening, the complication, the crisis and the resolution - the structure of most effective stories.

0:15:09 > 0:15:17I open with the sense that these two are going on an adventure into that darkness that could be dangerous,

0:15:17 > 0:15:24then it becomes complicated, because within this darkness there is someone dangerous and threatening,

0:15:24 > 0:15:30then the crisis - this dark force emerges, and then the resolution -

0:15:30 > 0:15:35will you give back the treasure the character thinks you have stolen,

0:15:35 > 0:15:39or hang on to it and be destroyed?

0:15:39 > 0:15:45That is the framework of this story that paces it and gives a satisfying structure.

0:15:45 > 0:15:49The opening of the story should establish the narrative voice,

0:15:49 > 0:15:53and introduce some of the main characters.

0:15:53 > 0:15:59Here, we have a modern romantic tale of boy meets girl.

0:16:00 > 0:16:03Then comes the complication.

0:16:04 > 0:16:09The rest of the story is spent trying to solve the problem.

0:16:17 > 0:16:22The most dramatic moment in the story is the crisis.

0:16:22 > 0:16:24It's the point of no return.

0:16:25 > 0:16:28HE SCREAMS

0:16:28 > 0:16:34The resolution of a story can be closed, where all the loose ends are tied up...

0:16:40 > 0:16:46Or open, where the writer deliberately leaves the reader guessing.

0:16:48 > 0:16:55So, here I am. I've got my coffee, my pens, my notebook... But where do I start?

0:16:55 > 0:17:01Hmm. What type of story am I going to write? Well, I like all sorts of stories,

0:17:01 > 0:17:06but I've got to choose my genre, and that is going to be difficult.

0:17:06 > 0:17:09What about...romance?

0:17:09 > 0:17:12Mystery? Adventure?

0:17:12 > 0:17:15Horror? Science fiction?

0:17:15 > 0:17:18Hmm...

0:17:18 > 0:17:23I quite like science fiction. That would really fire my imagination.

0:17:23 > 0:17:27Yeah! I think that'll be my chosen genre!

0:17:49 > 0:17:57I thought using a new notebook and pen would help me write, but as you can see, I haven't got far!

0:17:57 > 0:18:04Sometimes writing's like that - you just can't find the words. I need more inspiration.

0:18:04 > 0:18:06I'm gonna go for a walk.

0:18:40 > 0:18:47At last, I've got some ideas for my story! Just have to think of the opening now - easier said than done.

0:18:48 > 0:18:53I have to have an opening which leads you straight into the story,

0:18:53 > 0:18:58and you want to know what's happening, who your character is...

0:18:58 > 0:19:04If you're writing a really tense scene, or something action-packed,

0:19:04 > 0:19:09short sentences tend to work better, because it builds tension

0:19:09 > 0:19:13rather than long ones, which slow it down.

0:19:13 > 0:19:20If you describe a room, for example, have something happening in that room which conveys the description.

0:19:20 > 0:19:27If you have a list of what's in that room - a clock, a mantelpiece, it's very dull,

0:19:27 > 0:19:32but if you have someone sneaking round the room, poking in drawers,

0:19:32 > 0:19:39fiddling with the ornaments, you're getting a description as well as action at the same time.

0:19:39 > 0:19:44I carry a notebook. Something interests me, I scribble it down.

0:19:44 > 0:19:49It can be simple - what a dog looks like as it crosses the street...

0:19:49 > 0:19:52the dent in the red paint of a bus,

0:19:52 > 0:19:58so you write that...and I think, "Oh, how tedious!" but actually,

0:19:58 > 0:20:00it can generate a story.

0:20:00 > 0:20:05If you've got a chunk of wood, and you start shaving and moulding it,

0:20:05 > 0:20:09until you've got exactly what you're looking for,

0:20:09 > 0:20:15then you're getting the balance of words, sentences. Play with it!

0:20:15 > 0:20:22It depends on the book, and what you try to convey, and the feel of the book, but starting with dialogue

0:20:22 > 0:20:27is an immediate way to get into the story and hear your characters.

0:20:28 > 0:20:34I'll start my story with dialogue, because it'll be a lively opening

0:20:34 > 0:20:37and helps establish the characters.

0:20:37 > 0:20:42Conversation will draw readers in and help with some ideas later on.

0:20:42 > 0:20:48I've definitely decided to set it in Brighton, hence my inspiration.

0:20:48 > 0:20:54If you have trouble with inspiration, stick to something you know. Even with science fiction,

0:20:54 > 0:20:59if you use the familiar, it should be a little bit easier.

0:20:59 > 0:21:06You can move your story on in a different direction when you introduce complication and crisis.

0:21:06 > 0:21:08This is what I've written so far.

0:21:40 > 0:21:45Hmm! My dialogue's OK, but I think I could do a better opening.

0:21:45 > 0:21:52The problem is I've used the word "said" too much - a common mistake when writing dialogue,

0:21:52 > 0:21:57but I'll take them out and replace them with alternatives.

0:21:57 > 0:22:02In fact, I'll start over again, and improve my vocabulary and layout.

0:22:02 > 0:22:05Quack! Quack!

0:22:05 > 0:22:07Quack! Quack!

0:22:11 > 0:22:16Every time you write the actual word someone says,

0:22:16 > 0:22:20use speech marks before and after the words spoken.

0:22:23 > 0:22:28The spoken bit always starts with a capital letter.

0:22:29 > 0:22:33Even if it isn't at the end of a sentence,

0:22:33 > 0:22:38speech always ends with punctuation before the closing speech marks.

0:22:42 > 0:22:49If the sentence continues after the speech, put a comma before the closing speech marks.

0:22:50 > 0:22:54Don't just write "said" all the time.

0:22:54 > 0:22:58Try different verbs to describe how somebody is speaking.

0:22:58 > 0:23:03And if the speech is a question, put in a question mark.

0:23:09 > 0:23:13If the speech is a command, or shows strong feelings,

0:23:13 > 0:23:16use an exclamation mark!

0:23:16 > 0:23:18Quack!

0:23:30 > 0:23:37I remember, when I was about 10, I got one of those "How To Write" manuals at the library,

0:23:37 > 0:23:42which I read very solemnly, and they had a particular passage in it

0:23:42 > 0:23:48where it said, "Show, don't tell", and I do think this is good advice.

0:23:48 > 0:23:54One tip I've got is reading aloud - I do read aloud what I've written,

0:23:54 > 0:23:58because I like to hear the sound of my words,

0:23:58 > 0:24:01and to hear whether I get the action,

0:24:01 > 0:24:04and the rhythm, and the pace right.

0:24:04 > 0:24:08There's only 26 letters in the alphabet, but from those 26,

0:24:08 > 0:24:15we can make so many words, and from those words we can convey so many meanings, and that's amazing!

0:24:15 > 0:24:22I love working with sentences. I love taking my paragraphs apart and then putting them back together.

0:24:22 > 0:24:29Sometimes, I'll write a paragraph with only two words in it, because it looks nice, and I want to.

0:24:29 > 0:24:33I'll run a paragraph for a whole page, for variation.

0:24:33 > 0:24:40We all know about, you know, artistic production being 90% perspiration and 10% inspiration,

0:24:40 > 0:24:44but that 10% inspiration, for me,

0:24:44 > 0:24:49is absolutely vital, cos without it, I can't do the 90% perspiration.

0:24:49 > 0:24:55I've changed the beginning and written more. Here it is so far.

0:24:55 > 0:25:01It was a hot July day. Brighton was unbearably busy with daytrippers shouting, seagulls squawking,

0:25:01 > 0:25:07rubbish flapping in the breeze, and the seafront clogged with cars.

0:25:07 > 0:25:14They were all trying to escape from this tired seaside resort that had seen better days,

0:25:14 > 0:25:21and where the pier was barely able to stand on its own stilts. The West Pier, despite its appearance,

0:25:21 > 0:25:26was one of the best landmarks. If you stared at it in a certain light,

0:25:26 > 0:25:33you'd get the impression it was moving. This optical illusion was working particularly well that day.

0:25:33 > 0:25:38The more you focused on it, the more the pier resembled a UFO,

0:25:38 > 0:25:45hovering just above the sea. Even when you blinked several times, the mysterious vision didn't falter.

0:25:45 > 0:25:51It looked less and less like a dilapidated Victorian pier and more like a space ship,

0:25:51 > 0:25:59especially when two silver figures emerged from an opening and clumsily stomped along the shore.

0:25:59 > 0:26:04"Slow down, Jags!" Starky panted, grabbing his friend's cold shoulder.

0:26:04 > 0:26:10He was tired of dragging his metallic feet along the beach and shovelling pebbles with every step.

0:26:10 > 0:26:18"It's hard to keep up with these stones to wade through! What kind of planet has rocks like these?"

0:26:18 > 0:26:24"A terrestrial realm called Brighton," said Jags. "But these aren't the rocks we want.

0:26:24 > 0:26:31"There's a much more interesting formation. It's pink and white. I've seen pictures of it.

0:26:31 > 0:26:38"There are even letters inside which go right through its middle." "Letters?! What use are they?"

0:26:38 > 0:26:45"Shh! Keep your voice down!" Jags whispered. "They could contain the secret codes vital to our mission!"

0:26:45 > 0:26:50Starky was puzzled, but stumbled along behind his friend,

0:26:50 > 0:26:57until he collided with an abandoned deckchair. He was now totally fed up with this unfamiliar terrain,

0:26:57 > 0:27:00and sat down in protest.

0:27:00 > 0:27:07Jags was concentrating, but when he no longer heard his footsteps being echoed, he turned to find out why.

0:27:07 > 0:27:14"What's wrong?" he cried. "The rock!" said Starky. "Does it have a special name?"

0:27:14 > 0:27:20"Of course it does!" Jags replied abruptly, beginning to find his friend a little tiresome.

0:27:20 > 0:27:24"It's called Brighton rock!"

0:27:25 > 0:27:32Well, that's the beginning of my story. I'm quite pleased with it. Just the middle and end to sort!

0:27:50 > 0:27:52Chocolate biscuit.

0:27:54 > 0:27:56Chocolate...

0:27:58 > 0:28:00..biscuit.

0:28:00 > 0:28:05And I still remember where I was when I first heard those words.

0:28:05 > 0:28:07How it made me feel.

0:28:09 > 0:28:15I was eight years old. It was Christmas. My grandfather just came out with it.

0:28:16 > 0:28:19"Do you want a chocolate biscuit?"

0:28:21 > 0:28:24A chocolate...biscuit.

0:28:24 > 0:28:30Two things that to my eight-year-old mind were as close to heaven as I could imagine,

0:28:30 > 0:28:33in one.

0:28:33 > 0:28:37The crunchy, oatmeal butteriness of a biscuit,

0:28:37 > 0:28:43actually combined with the creamy sweet yumminess...

0:28:44 > 0:28:52..of chocolate. And how did I feel when I bit into this delicious first chocolate digestive, you ask?

0:28:53 > 0:28:56Well...

0:28:56 > 0:28:58I felt privileged, I felt renewed,

0:28:58 > 0:29:01I felt special!

0:29:01 > 0:29:05And on that day, I knew my life would never be the same again!

0:29:05 > 0:29:08I didn't know I had a problem,

0:29:08 > 0:29:11until a kindly geography master

0:29:11 > 0:29:15told me what I'm going to tell you now.

0:29:15 > 0:29:19"Life is about more than biscuits!"

0:29:23 > 0:29:26Certainly, they tasted good.

0:29:26 > 0:29:29Of course, they hadn't made me ill.

0:29:30 > 0:29:35Naturally, I thought I could handle them.

0:29:37 > 0:29:40But let me tell you -

0:29:40 > 0:29:43I couldn't.

0:29:43 > 0:29:45No-one can.

0:29:45 > 0:29:52Many people say, "Oh, I've eaten my fill of chocolate biscuits, and I'm fine!" Well...

0:29:52 > 0:29:56I'm here to tell you - you're not fine!

0:29:57 > 0:30:00You're very FAR from being fine.

0:30:00 > 0:30:03Just imagine,

0:30:03 > 0:30:05for the moment,

0:30:05 > 0:30:11how different your life would be if you hadn't spent so much of it

0:30:11 > 0:30:16scoffing down those delicious discs of DANGER!

0:30:17 > 0:30:23Now, on the one hand, chocolate biscuits are a delicious, nutritious snack food.

0:30:23 > 0:30:30On the other, they are a dangerous parasite gnawing at the very heart,

0:30:30 > 0:30:38the very FABRIC of our society! We know what we do with parasites, don't we?! WE CUT THEM OUT!

0:30:43 > 0:30:49Now, when dear old Mr Gregory pointed out the error of my ways, well...

0:30:49 > 0:30:51I was appalled by what I'd done.

0:30:51 > 0:30:56What... What society had allowed me to do.

0:30:57 > 0:31:05And I tell you this - from that day, no chocolate biscuit has passed my lips, and I'm stronger...

0:31:05 > 0:31:08Significantly stronger for it.

0:31:10 > 0:31:13But I was lucky.

0:31:13 > 0:31:16I was stopped in time.

0:31:16 > 0:31:19I was still young!

0:31:19 > 0:31:22With hard work, extra lessons

0:31:22 > 0:31:29and double homework, in a few short years, I was back on track!

0:31:29 > 0:31:37It has been estimated that the average 35-year-old has spent 67% of their life

0:31:37 > 0:31:40eating chocolate biscuits.

0:31:40 > 0:31:4367%!

0:31:43 > 0:31:46And that's just eating them!

0:31:46 > 0:31:50Imagine how much time is spent buying the things!

0:31:50 > 0:31:52Opening the packets!

0:31:52 > 0:31:55DUNKING them!

0:31:55 > 0:32:00We must crush this problem, and crush it NOW!

0:32:03 > 0:32:07Do you want to live in a country which lags behind all others

0:32:07 > 0:32:12because we cannot shake off the grip of a crunchy confectionary?

0:32:13 > 0:32:18Do you think the Germans, or the French, or the Japanese waste time

0:32:18 > 0:32:23biting on bourbons with their beverages? Of course not!

0:32:23 > 0:32:28Well... I for one am going to do something about it.

0:32:28 > 0:32:32I want... I DEMAND that all production,

0:32:32 > 0:32:35distribution and consumption

0:32:35 > 0:32:38of chocolate biscuits ends NOW.

0:32:38 > 0:32:44Not tomorrow, not next week, not next month, but NOW and FOREVER!

0:32:51 > 0:32:56My friends, until we face this challenge and face it together,

0:32:56 > 0:32:59this country...this...this NATION...

0:32:59 > 0:33:02will continue to crumble!

0:33:04 > 0:33:08We will never again be able to call ourselves Great Biscuit...Britain...

0:33:10 > 0:33:13My friends,

0:33:13 > 0:33:20it is time for everyone, all of us, to break away from those tempting treats, rise up against them

0:33:20 > 0:33:24and in one CLEAR VOICE proclaim, "BAN THE BISCUIT!"

0:33:24 > 0:33:26"BAN THE BISCUIT!"

0:33:26 > 0:33:29"BAN...THE...BISCUIT!"

0:33:34 > 0:33:40That wasn't a bad speech. He did get carried away, though.

0:33:41 > 0:33:49The subject matter was pretty absurd, but he definitely knew how to present an argument.

0:33:49 > 0:33:56When you make a speech or give a presentation, the way you do it is almost as important as what you say.

0:33:56 > 0:34:01- What made that a good speech? - TAPE REWINDS

0:34:01 > 0:34:03He knew his subject well...

0:34:03 > 0:34:07The crunchy, oatmeal butteriness of a biscuit...

0:34:07 > 0:34:11He made his points so the argument was clear.

0:34:11 > 0:34:18On the one hand, chocolate biscuits are a delicious, nutritious snack food.

0:34:18 > 0:34:23On the other, they are a dangerous parasite

0:34:23 > 0:34:28gnawing at the very heart, the very FABRIC of our society!

0:34:28 > 0:34:31He looked confident, and smiled at his audience.

0:34:31 > 0:34:34He spoke clearly, and with flair.

0:34:34 > 0:34:38Do you think the Germans, or the French, or the Japanese

0:34:38 > 0:34:43waste their time biting on bourbons with their beverages?!

0:34:43 > 0:34:47He used humour to make it more entertaining.

0:34:51 > 0:34:58When you make a really good speech, people remember it. A lot of great speeches have gone down in history,

0:34:58 > 0:35:03but speech makers are remembered too for great performances.

0:35:03 > 0:35:05I have a dream...

0:35:05 > 0:35:11that one day, this nation will rise up

0:35:11 > 0:35:15and live out the true meaning of its creed -

0:35:15 > 0:35:22"We hold these truths to be self-evident - that all men are created equal."

0:35:22 > 0:35:25APPLAUSE

0:35:25 > 0:35:30I was one of the lucky people in life. I had a great upbringing,

0:35:30 > 0:35:36people who guided and helped me all my life, and a wonderful wife and family.

0:35:37 > 0:35:42I want to give something back to the country in which I live and believe.

0:35:42 > 0:35:48To those waiting with bated breath for that favourite media catchphrase, "the U-turn",

0:35:48 > 0:35:54I have only one thing to say. "U-turn" if you want to.

0:35:54 > 0:35:59AUDIENCE LAUGHS The lady's not for turning!

0:36:02 > 0:36:09..that if the British Empire and its Commonwealths last for a thousand years,

0:36:09 > 0:36:13men will still say,

0:36:13 > 0:36:16"This was their finest hour."

0:36:16 > 0:36:20- When making a speech... - Ahem!

0:36:20 > 0:36:23..be well prepared!

0:36:23 > 0:36:26Blah, blah, blah...

0:36:31 > 0:36:35Try to learn the speech!

0:36:42 > 0:36:46Blah, blah, blah...blah.

0:36:46 > 0:36:49Um...

0:36:49 > 0:36:52Or...work from notes!

0:36:54 > 0:36:57Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah!

0:37:03 > 0:37:05Be entertaining,

0:37:05 > 0:37:08but don't let humour...

0:37:09 > 0:37:13..overshadow the points you're trying to make.

0:37:24 > 0:37:27Blah, blah, blah...

0:37:27 > 0:37:30Blah blah blah blah blah blah blah...

0:37:30 > 0:37:32Speak slowly,

0:37:32 > 0:37:35and include pauses.

0:37:35 > 0:37:39Blah...blah...blah...

0:37:39 > 0:37:42blah...blah... BLAH!

0:37:47 > 0:37:51And remember to look at your audience,

0:37:51 > 0:37:54and smile when it's appropriate.

0:37:58 > 0:38:05Making a speech is nerve-wracking, but if you're well-prepared, and you've considered all the issues,

0:38:05 > 0:38:10you'll deliver a strong argument with confidence.

0:38:15 > 0:38:20As in football or cricket, there are two sides to every argument.

0:38:25 > 0:38:27So when you come to write a speech,

0:38:27 > 0:38:30know the other point of view,

0:38:30 > 0:38:34so you can argue against. So which is better - football or cricket?

0:38:34 > 0:38:39- Football is much better than cricket.- The best sport is cricket.

0:38:39 > 0:38:43- Football is much more fun than cricket.- Cricket is best!

0:38:43 > 0:38:49Football is better than cricket, because it's so fast-moving. The action's non-stop.

0:38:49 > 0:38:55A game of cricket isn't over in 90 minutes. It lasts up to five days,

0:38:55 > 0:38:58so you can enjoy it for much longer.

0:38:58 > 0:39:05The atmosphere at a football match is electric, with the crowd all singing songs and cheering. GOAL!

0:39:05 > 0:39:10Cricket is much more relaxing. It's exciting, but you make a day of it!

0:39:10 > 0:39:16The football season's longer - it's nine months and they play weekly.

0:39:16 > 0:39:21Ah, but cricket is played in summer, so the weather can be fantastic.

0:39:21 > 0:39:25Football teams have a stronger identity with their own colours!

0:39:25 > 0:39:31Cricket clothes are always white, so you don't have to buy a new shirt every year.

0:39:31 > 0:39:35They show up against the grass, and don't go out of fashion.

0:39:35 > 0:39:40The rules are simpler in football, and scoring is easier to follow.

0:39:40 > 0:39:44Yes, but the scoring in cricket is much more sophisticated.

0:39:44 > 0:39:50In football, you just score a goal. In cricket, there are many ways to score points.

0:39:50 > 0:39:58You can play football in all weathers. Footballers aren't afraid of rain. They don't run for cover!

0:39:58 > 0:40:05Cricket is dangerous. You can tell by all the padding! We don't play in rain to avoid getting injured!

0:40:05 > 0:40:12There are loads of football teams to support! Cricket has far fewer.

0:40:15 > 0:40:22Yes, but cricket's been around much longer than football. It's over 300 years old - clubs have more history.

0:40:22 > 0:40:29Football matches play to the end for a result, even if it's a penalty shoot-out or has to be replayed!

0:40:29 > 0:40:34In cricket, if you don't finish, it's a "draw"!

0:40:34 > 0:40:41Maybe, but the match is still satisfying. Cricketers' skills are so varied, you need to bat...

0:40:42 > 0:40:46..bowl...and field.

0:40:46 > 0:40:52Football's a game for young people at the peak of their physical fitness.

0:40:52 > 0:40:58You must be fit to play cricket but you can play to a much older age.

0:40:58 > 0:41:03- Football is far better than cricket. - Cricket is far better than football.

0:41:06 > 0:41:09Cricket, or football?

0:41:09 > 0:41:11I might take a raincheck on that.

0:41:11 > 0:41:16When you're a journalist, whether in print or on TV,

0:41:16 > 0:41:20you have to investigate all sides of a subject or issue.

0:41:20 > 0:41:23You may know which side you favour,

0:41:23 > 0:41:31but you have to consider the facts and listen to other points of view before you put your argument.

0:41:31 > 0:41:35So, let's look at a more serious issue.

0:41:35 > 0:41:39Should advertisers be able to target young children?

0:41:41 > 0:41:46In today's world we see advertising and marketing everywhere.

0:41:46 > 0:41:53Most people take it for granted, and, on the surface, it seems harmless, but there are concerns

0:41:53 > 0:42:01about how it impacts on young children. Why do some advertisers deliberately target children?

0:42:01 > 0:42:06'Children are a key target audience, much more than 10 or 20 years ago,

0:42:06 > 0:42:11'because they don't just buy toys for themselves and kids' products.'

0:42:11 > 0:42:16'They persuade their parents to buy a lot of the brands they want.'

0:42:16 > 0:42:20- Lego! ALL: LEGO!- Have you all got Lego?

0:42:20 > 0:42:24ALL: YES! I've got a stack of it!

0:42:24 > 0:42:27And who knows...

0:42:27 > 0:42:31- BARBIE! ALL: Barbie!- Barbie!

0:42:31 > 0:42:34- And who knows...- PEPSI! ALL: Pepsi!

0:42:34 > 0:42:40- You can see through the back of these, can't you?- I like Pepsi!

0:42:40 > 0:42:46These kids are two to four years old, and that's when advertising kicks home - at three.

0:42:46 > 0:42:50We found it can start as early as one-and-a-half.

0:42:50 > 0:42:53- Do you know this one?- No!

0:42:53 > 0:42:56It's a tough one, isn't it?

0:42:56 > 0:42:58Do you think it's a chocolate?

0:42:58 > 0:43:06'The research is useful because a lot of what I do is tell advertisers what works in packaging,

0:43:06 > 0:43:08'and what works in commercials.

0:43:08 > 0:43:15'If you choose the wrong logo, it won't stand out, and when you go down the shop aisle with a child,

0:43:15 > 0:43:20'they don't turn their heads and say, "I want this".'

0:43:25 > 0:43:29They watch a television ad, read a brochure...

0:43:29 > 0:43:32They watch what their friends have -

0:43:32 > 0:43:38playground cred is important. They needle the parents until they get it.

0:43:38 > 0:43:45When we write advertising, even for adult products, quite often we think about children as well,

0:43:45 > 0:43:50because children are much easier to reach. They pick up on it fast.

0:43:50 > 0:43:55We can exploit that relationship and get them pestering their parents.

0:43:56 > 0:44:02Advertisers target children because they pick up messages faster than adults.

0:44:02 > 0:44:09They also know children will pester parents for the brands they want. But is there any harm in that?

0:44:09 > 0:44:12Let's start with this one.

0:44:12 > 0:44:19We've got Adidas, Nike, Puma, Fila, Umbro, Head, Alessi, Reebok and Kappa.

0:44:19 > 0:44:24- Why do they all group together? - Because they're the biggest brands.

0:44:24 > 0:44:27- What do you mean? - ALL: The most popular.

0:44:32 > 0:44:40- Why is it better to have a brand name?- Fashion!- People see you and say, "Where did you get that from?"

0:44:40 > 0:44:48- If it's a shop name, they think you're weird.- If you're gonna buy something, go for the more...

0:44:49 > 0:44:55..top-selling, cos then it's like the talk of the...school.

0:44:55 > 0:44:59It's more...like...getting around.

0:44:59 > 0:45:04The most important thing about a brand is a stamp of authenticity.

0:45:04 > 0:45:11In the playground, if you have the wrong type of training shoes, you are excluded.

0:45:11 > 0:45:16The thing about kids is, yes, they are keen to be individuals,

0:45:16 > 0:45:22but there's nothing worse than not being the right type of individual, which is included,

0:45:22 > 0:45:28so brands have that power to show that you're the right sort of kid.

0:45:28 > 0:45:34As a result of advertising, some children become obsessed with brands,

0:45:34 > 0:45:38while others are bullied for not having the right brands.

0:45:38 > 0:45:45It can also be hard for parents, because they can't afford the products their children want.

0:45:45 > 0:45:53I'm concerned about advertising toys. It's something we've never done here. During the last recession,

0:45:53 > 0:45:58I'd sit with my kids on a Saturday morning having a cup of tea,

0:45:58 > 0:46:00and they were watching children's TV,

0:46:00 > 0:46:07and...there was commercial after commercial trying to sell toys to kids,

0:46:07 > 0:46:11and my kids would ask if they could have it.

0:46:11 > 0:46:15I thought how painful it'd be if you were a father who'd lost his job

0:46:15 > 0:46:21and felt bad about not being able to support your family how you wanted.

0:46:21 > 0:46:26Your kids saying, "Can I have that?" and knowing you can't afford it.

0:46:26 > 0:46:32Most children don't have spending power of their own, so they pester their parents.

0:46:32 > 0:46:36This puts a lot of pressure on parents

0:46:36 > 0:46:40if they can't afford the brands their children choose.

0:46:40 > 0:46:46Children ARE affected by advertising, and not all its influences are good,

0:46:46 > 0:46:52but there are two sides to every argument, so it must have benefits as well.

0:46:58 > 0:47:04The really big benefit of marketing to kids is that they get what they want.

0:47:04 > 0:47:09In the old days, kids got products their parents wanted to give them,

0:47:09 > 0:47:14but when you look at what they have today... I'd love to be a kid today.

0:47:14 > 0:47:21A PlayStation with amazing software, and you can do brilliant things which only a kid could think of,

0:47:21 > 0:47:29and you've got toys that go further than ever before, videos and TV programmes which are brilliant.

0:47:29 > 0:47:31That comes out of kids' marketing.

0:47:31 > 0:47:37It's through kids' marketing that people have found out how they work and what they want,

0:47:37 > 0:47:42and marketeers become responsive in terms of the products they give them.

0:47:42 > 0:47:49So, I would say, if a kid said to me, "What's the point of all this money and effort in kids' marketing?"

0:47:49 > 0:47:54that you've got marketeers who want to give you what you want.

0:47:54 > 0:48:02So the market research that goes with advertising means children are asked their opinions about products.

0:48:02 > 0:48:07They play a part in developing new merchandise for the future.

0:48:12 > 0:48:15Many kids appreciate advertising.

0:48:15 > 0:48:21How else would they know about what products are available for them?

0:48:21 > 0:48:24Some advertising even benefits schools.

0:48:28 > 0:48:34Jazzy books are exercise books for schools with advertisements

0:48:34 > 0:48:38for brands like BT, Heinz and Kodak on the covers.

0:48:40 > 0:48:43Here's a Jazzy book. It's colourful,

0:48:43 > 0:48:48it contains sponsored advertiser panels within the book, and outside.

0:48:48 > 0:48:54It provides the chance to interact with kids in the classroom.

0:48:57 > 0:49:02Jazzy books aren't alone. Tesco's, Sainsbury's,

0:49:02 > 0:49:10Parker Pens, Barclays Bank, Walkers Crisps, and many more - they're all marketing today in schools.

0:49:10 > 0:49:17It's interesting that our most recent survey showed 85% of schools, and there are 32,000 of them,

0:49:17 > 0:49:21have in the last year had some form of commercial activity in class.

0:49:21 > 0:49:28That could take the form of a poster on the wall featuring a brand, or a branded message.

0:49:28 > 0:49:34It might include teaching materials, perhaps a video or teaching pack,

0:49:34 > 0:49:42and at any point in the year, it's possible that the children will collect vouchers to buy equipment.

0:49:49 > 0:49:53Advertising and sponsorship often go together,

0:49:53 > 0:50:00and many schools have been supplied with books and other equipment by well-known companies.

0:50:00 > 0:50:04So do you think it's harmless to advertise to children,

0:50:04 > 0:50:11or does it put pressure on them and their parents to buy brands? I told you - two sides to every argument!

0:50:18 > 0:50:23When you write an argument, either for a speech or report of some kind,

0:50:23 > 0:50:28it's useful to prepare by drawing a line down the middle of some paper

0:50:28 > 0:50:35then note down all the points for the argument on one side, and all points against down the other.

0:50:35 > 0:50:42There's nothing like a good argument, and if you know your subject, that's what you can write.

0:50:42 > 0:50:49I'm off to watch football, maybe cricket. Actually, I'm a rugby man myself!

0:50:55 > 0:51:01Ever since your mum died, you take care of your dad. You fetch water...

0:51:03 > 0:51:07We're in rehearsal for something called Fairytale Heart.

0:51:07 > 0:51:11Fairytale Heart is a stage play that I've written

0:51:11 > 0:51:16and like all my stuff, it's set in the East End of London.

0:51:16 > 0:51:21It's the story of two people - a boy called Gideon and a girl, Kirsty.

0:51:21 > 0:51:24Pick it up from, "Imagine this..."

0:51:24 > 0:51:29In this production, the part of Gideon is played by Sid Mitchell.

0:51:29 > 0:51:33Kirsty is played by Charlotte McDonagh.

0:51:33 > 0:51:37- What?!- You're a member of a tribe in the middle of the jungle...

0:51:37 > 0:51:44They've never met before. Fairytale Heart is the story of what happens when these two people meet.

0:51:44 > 0:51:49Hold it there. You're both looking in different directions for the hut.

0:51:49 > 0:51:54You see at the end of the auditorium, the exit sign...?

0:51:54 > 0:51:59Just as the actors have had to change to become the characters

0:51:59 > 0:52:04by changing their clothes, their hair or the way they speak,

0:52:04 > 0:52:08so where we're doing the play has had to change, too.

0:52:08 > 0:52:15The play is set in an abandoned community centre, so this place has had to be made to look like that.

0:52:18 > 0:52:25It's this transformation, the way everything changes, that, for me, is the real magic of theatre.

0:52:25 > 0:52:28It's why I like writing for it.

0:52:28 > 0:52:30And...cue.

0:52:30 > 0:52:35- You're a member of a tribe in the jungle.- I'm what?!- Give me a chance.

0:52:35 > 0:52:44You're a member of a tribe. The date has no meaning, cos things have been the same for millenniums.

0:52:44 > 0:52:47'For you, all your life has been the same...'

0:52:47 > 0:52:53The one thing people always ask me is where I get ideas for my stories.

0:52:56 > 0:53:00This is Bethnal Green in the East End of London.

0:53:00 > 0:53:07I was born here and still live here and most of my stories are based on locations around this area.

0:53:07 > 0:53:11This is the local community centre. I played here.

0:53:11 > 0:53:14It's boarded up now, it's derelict.

0:53:16 > 0:53:21I've always thought it'd make a great place to set a play

0:53:21 > 0:53:29and when I thought of the characters Kirsty and Gideon, I thought, "Yeah. Let's pop them in there."

0:53:29 > 0:53:32This is the street where I set my novel Krindlekrax.

0:53:32 > 0:53:36And that's where I set my stage play Sparkleshark.

0:53:36 > 0:53:43These buildings are called Lysander Estate, one of the largest council estates in the East End of London.

0:53:43 > 0:53:48Nobody refers to it as Lysander Estate. We call it the White Flats,

0:53:48 > 0:53:52and they've been a big inspiration for my stories.

0:53:52 > 0:53:56It's where Dakota lives in Dakota Of The White Flats,

0:53:56 > 0:54:01and it's where Milo Kick lives in Mighty Fizz Chilla. It's also where I put Gideon and Kirsty.

0:54:01 > 0:54:07The story of Dakota Pink and Milo Kick I told in the form of a novel.

0:54:07 > 0:54:12Why did I decide to tell the story of Kirsty and Gideon as a play?

0:54:12 > 0:54:19Well, when I thought of these two characters, I didn't think of it in terms of plot and locations.

0:54:19 > 0:54:25I saw it in the form of two people talking in one particular location,

0:54:25 > 0:54:30so I thought a stage play was the perfect way to tell their story.

0:54:30 > 0:54:36A play is a live experience and the audience can be very involved.

0:54:36 > 0:54:41It's a mixture of what the playwright has written and how it's interpreted.

0:54:41 > 0:54:45Watching a play is usually better than reading it.

0:54:45 > 0:54:49Plays need actors to bring them to life.

0:54:49 > 0:54:54When a story's turned into a play, it's a totally different experience.

0:54:54 > 0:54:59To bring a play to life, first of all you need a set or stage.

0:54:59 > 0:55:02You need actors.

0:55:02 > 0:55:05And a director.

0:55:10 > 0:55:15The director helps the actors interpret the play.

0:55:17 > 0:55:20Then you need lighting.

0:55:20 > 0:55:22Costume.

0:55:33 > 0:55:36Make-up.

0:55:41 > 0:55:43Props.

0:55:45 > 0:55:47And scenery.

0:55:47 > 0:55:50And sometimes you need music.

0:55:50 > 0:55:53DISCO MUSIC PLAYS

0:56:02 > 0:56:04CUT!

0:56:06 > 0:56:14Writing a story in the form of a play is a very different experience from writing in the form of a novel.

0:56:14 > 0:56:21If I was writing a novel, for example, I could say, "Kirsty enters the community centre.

0:56:21 > 0:56:28"She is very upset cos she's just left the party at which her father has announced he's getting married."

0:56:28 > 0:56:31You can't say that in a stage play.

0:56:31 > 0:56:35An actor can't act, "upset cos she's just left a party".

0:56:35 > 0:56:40Somebody else has to come on to the stage and say, "What's wrong?"

0:56:40 > 0:56:45Then the other character has to say, "I've just left a party."

0:56:45 > 0:56:53All the information has to be conveyed through how people speak to each other, what they say.

0:56:53 > 0:56:57It's my job to tell the story in the form of dialogue,

0:56:57 > 0:57:04to convey everything that we need to know, little clues about the characters, in the form of words.

0:57:04 > 0:57:11It's the director's job, along with the actors, to take these words and lift them off the page,

0:57:11 > 0:57:16to take words off a page and turn it into life.

0:57:16 > 0:57:20Let's have a look at the beginning of the play

0:57:20 > 0:57:26and see how the two characters act towards each other when the drama starts.

0:57:31 > 0:57:34DOOR RATTLES

0:57:41 > 0:57:43Who's there?

0:57:46 > 0:57:48Who are you?

0:57:48 > 0:57:51- Don't panic. - I don't mean you any harm.

0:57:51 > 0:57:55Don't mean me...? What are you prattling on about?!

0:57:55 > 0:57:59- You're Kirsty.- How d'you know my name?- Must've heard it around.

0:57:59 > 0:58:03You live in the flat next to the playground?

0:58:03 > 0:58:08If you call a sandpit full of dog poo a playground. Hear that around too?

0:58:08 > 0:58:15- Must've.- You'll be telling me my flat number next.- 13. - Have you been spying on me?- No.

0:58:17 > 0:58:23- Unlucky for some, eh?- What?!- 13. - I'm not superstitious.

0:58:23 > 0:58:27- How did you get in? - I unlocked the door.- What with?

0:58:27 > 0:58:32A pilchard with rigor mortis(!) What d'you think? A key!

0:58:32 > 0:58:36- But the only key belongs to me. - Correction!

0:58:36 > 0:58:41The only key belongs to your dad, the caretaker of the estate.

0:58:41 > 0:58:46As this is the community hall of said estate, your key... Blah-blah!

0:58:46 > 0:58:49Have you been spying on ME?

0:58:49 > 0:58:54- It's a small estate. - So where did you get your key from?

0:58:54 > 0:58:58Nosey! The Spanish Inquisition'd give me an easier time.

0:58:58 > 0:59:02You don't have to tell me if you don't want to.

0:59:02 > 0:59:05It's my mum's, if you must know.

0:59:06 > 0:59:11- Your mum died, didn't she? - Are you asking me or telling me?

0:59:14 > 0:59:17Yeah, she died. Two years ago.

0:59:17 > 0:59:20Two years and seven months.

0:59:23 > 0:59:27Before she got sick, she used to help out...

0:59:27 > 0:59:32Help out?! What am I saying? She ran it!

0:59:32 > 0:59:37When it was a real community centre, the windows weren't boarded up,

0:59:37 > 0:59:44when people used to come and have a gossip or play bingo, and a disco for kids.

0:59:44 > 0:59:51Mum knew everyone's name. It was her...her....

0:59:51 > 0:59:53Her kingdom.

0:59:55 > 1:00:00- It was.- I've heard a lot of people on the estate talk about her.

1:00:00 > 1:00:04She was real popular. Beautiful too, they say.

1:00:06 > 1:00:09It's like a fridge in here.

1:00:10 > 1:00:12"It's like a fridge in here."

1:00:12 > 1:00:19When Kirsty says that, she's really referring to the atmosphere between the two of them.

1:00:19 > 1:00:24The atmosphere between them at the beginning is pretty standoffish,

1:00:24 > 1:00:26pretty chilly, like a fridge.

1:00:26 > 1:00:31But by the end, things have changed. Let's see the end of the play.

1:00:31 > 1:00:33- Come to the party with me.- What?

1:00:33 > 1:00:39- The party.- But I can't just...- Don't panic. It's all right. Come on.

1:00:39 > 1:00:42- But my hair - rat's tails. - No-one'll mind.

1:00:42 > 1:00:46- My clothes. Next to you, I look... - Stop it, you hear?

1:00:46 > 1:00:53It's a party for people from the estate, the same people you're making all this for.

1:00:53 > 1:00:55- Meet them.- They'll just stare at me.

1:00:55 > 1:01:01I'll have a normal chat with you if it kills me. Remember how it works?

1:01:01 > 1:01:05I say something, then you say something nice. Ready?

1:01:05 > 1:01:09Oh, I wish I had someone to go to my party with.

1:01:09 > 1:01:13- I'll go.- Nearly. - I want to go.- Closer.

1:01:13 > 1:01:19- I'd love to go with you.- Thanks. I'd love to go with you too. Easy, eh?

1:01:25 > 1:01:27Hello, Kirsty.

1:01:27 > 1:01:30Hello, Gideon.

1:01:32 > 1:01:35Help me blow out the candles?

1:01:46 > 1:01:53- Are you hungry?- Always starving, me. - There's sherry trifle at the party.

1:01:53 > 1:01:55Oh, sherry trifle's amazing!

1:01:55 > 1:02:00Not this one. Dad's fiancee's made it.

1:02:00 > 1:02:04- Keep you mouth shut, though. - Don't wanna upset her, do we?

1:02:04 > 1:02:07Guess not.

1:02:07 > 1:02:09Will you dance with me?

1:02:10 > 1:02:15- I'm not very good. - It's easy. You just relax.

1:02:15 > 1:02:18- Think.- Buzz.- Splat.

1:02:18 > 1:02:20- Dance!- Dance!

1:02:23 > 1:02:29- You'll know if you're doing it right, cos it'll just be like...- Kissing?

1:02:33 > 1:02:38- I think a goatee WOULD suit you. - I've got the whiskers.- Let me feel.

1:02:42 > 1:02:44Boom-diddy, boom-diddy.

1:02:44 > 1:02:47Boom-diddy, boom-diddy.

1:02:54 > 1:02:59When Gideon and Kirsty meet, they're nervous with each other.

1:02:59 > 1:03:04They find it difficult to talk about things they're really feeling.

1:03:04 > 1:03:07Gideon introduces a sort of story-telling device,

1:03:07 > 1:03:12a way of allowing them to talk about things they really feel,

1:03:12 > 1:03:14but have never been able to express,

1:03:14 > 1:03:19and he starts this off by talking about a tribe in a jungle.

1:03:21 > 1:03:25You live with your dad in that mud hut. See it?

1:03:25 > 1:03:31Ever since your mum died, you take care of your dad. You fetch water. He's everything.

1:03:31 > 1:03:34Can you see the hut yet?

1:03:34 > 1:03:40- Yeah!- And then, a scream... out in the jungle!- What is it?

1:03:40 > 1:03:44- Someone's been killed.- Who?- A member of the tribe.- How?- A monster.

1:03:44 > 1:03:49- Some hideous thing - claws and teeth. - Maybe a giant rat, eh?- Very likely.

1:03:49 > 1:03:53At the beginning, it says Gideon enters,

1:03:53 > 1:03:58a 15-year-old boy, clothes thrown together. They look right on him.

1:03:58 > 1:04:04He knows what he wants and he's happy with who he is. He doesn't care what people think.

1:04:04 > 1:04:07To find out Kirsty's character,

1:04:07 > 1:04:12most of the clues are in the text. It helps with the language she uses,

1:04:12 > 1:04:17as you realise she's defensive. ..You got a degree in being nosey?!

1:04:17 > 1:04:24Gideon's language is very open and he persuades her to feel more comfortable with him.

1:04:24 > 1:04:29- Are you scared?- A little.- You've got to go.- I don't know if I can!

1:04:29 > 1:04:31In my role as a director,

1:04:31 > 1:04:38I take the written word that Phillip has written, in this case, and try to bring it alive.

1:04:38 > 1:04:43Cue! 'In the theatre, it's quite different from film or television,'

1:04:43 > 1:04:49because, with the use of a camera on film or TV, I'm able to be the audience,

1:04:49 > 1:04:56to decide what the audience see, whether they see a reaction, or a close-up, or a wide shot,

1:04:56 > 1:05:01all the different things one can do with the camera or lighting.

1:05:01 > 1:05:05In the theatre, the audience can look at what they like.

1:05:06 > 1:05:13I'm the production designer of the set, and I design the environment that the actors have to move in.

1:05:13 > 1:05:18Fairytale Heart was a fun thing to do, because you have a teenage boy

1:05:18 > 1:05:21who's designed this magical set of his own,

1:05:21 > 1:05:28but it's in a grotty, vandalised hall, so we had to do a set which is made from things

1:05:28 > 1:05:35he could have picked up on the estate. Could be dustbin lids, a fireplace... That's his area.

1:05:35 > 1:05:41But we've then had to do it in this hall, which we've turned into a vandalised state.

1:05:41 > 1:05:45When these two characters come onto stage,

1:05:45 > 1:05:50we have to give an indication quite quickly of who they are.

1:05:50 > 1:05:54We have to tell the audience who they are.

1:05:54 > 1:05:58It comes through the costume. It's the first thing you see.

1:05:58 > 1:06:05'He's got this wig, dreadlocks, a young-looking face with this big old hair and big, baggy clothes,'

1:06:05 > 1:06:10and a massive bag, carrying all his stuff, ready to work on the stage,

1:06:10 > 1:06:16and it was very important, the wig, and, putting the costume on, you feel different already.

1:06:18 > 1:06:24NEW SPEAKER: Well, I think with Kirsty, she's very vulnerable.

1:06:24 > 1:06:30She presents to the world this rather cocky, cheeky image,

1:06:30 > 1:06:36and that's very much reflected in the way she does her hair and the way she dresses,

1:06:36 > 1:06:43but underneath that, she is very vulnerable, and it's quite important to find a way of reflecting that.

1:06:43 > 1:06:46I particularly like all these fluffy bits.

1:06:46 > 1:06:52All this will be into these little twirly bits. How does it feel for YOU?

1:06:52 > 1:06:57- Good.- Yeah? Well done, I think it's lovely. Now, how does your wig feel?

1:06:57 > 1:07:03It's good that I'm wearing it in rehearsals. It's quite different to me normal hair.

1:07:03 > 1:07:10I think you need the weight of it. Get used to it swinging around. Thanks. You can take it off now.

1:07:10 > 1:07:17I'd been reading the script, and I was going home on the tube, and someone reminded me of Gideon.

1:07:17 > 1:07:22He didn't have the dreadlocks, but he had baggy clothes and a few tattoos,

1:07:22 > 1:07:28and he walked like he didn't have any worries and didn't care what people think. That's what Gideon's like.

1:07:28 > 1:07:34I like the fact that she's got a split personality - that she's very vulnerable and insecure,

1:07:34 > 1:07:40but she puts on this feisty aggressiveness. It gives the actress a lot to play with.

1:07:40 > 1:07:43When a play is done by a theatre,

1:07:43 > 1:07:49it goes through a sort of ritual in its presentation to the public.

1:07:49 > 1:07:56Part of the ritual is Press night, or critics' night, when the play is put on in front of lots of critics.

1:07:56 > 1:08:04The critics watch the play and, next day, write a review in a newspaper, telling people what they think.

1:08:04 > 1:08:10When they write a critique of a play, there's more to consider - not just what I've done as the writer,

1:08:10 > 1:08:15but what the directors have done, what the actors have done, a whole host of things.

1:08:15 > 1:08:21A critic's job is to see if all these things come together and work to produce one unique vision.

1:09:22 > 1:09:29Fairytale Heart is about language. It's about two people, Kirsty and Gideon, talking to each other

1:09:29 > 1:09:36and telling each other secrets. The method by which they tell secrets is the key that Gideon gives Kirsty.

1:09:36 > 1:09:43It's the language of Fairytale Heart, how to talk about problems in terms of princes and princesses.

1:09:43 > 1:09:49Once Kirsty can do this, she's able to discuss her problems and Gideon is able to discuss his.

1:09:49 > 1:09:55During the play, the two get closer and closer until, by the end, they really are friends.

1:10:02 > 1:10:04Relax!

1:10:04 > 1:10:09Imagine soaking in a hot bath, then think...of flowers.

1:10:11 > 1:10:16Let the thought travel out of your head, and down your arm,

1:10:16 > 1:10:20like an electric current - buzz, then out...

1:10:20 > 1:10:22Splat! Paint it!

1:10:22 > 1:10:25Relax, think...

1:10:25 > 1:10:28buzz...splat...

1:10:28 > 1:10:30- paint!- All there is to it!

1:10:32 > 1:10:35That's it - relax!

1:10:35 > 1:10:38Think...flowers.

1:10:38 > 1:10:41Now let it build up.

1:10:41 > 1:10:44You feel it? Feel it?

1:10:44 > 1:10:47Electric current...buzzing...

1:10:47 > 1:10:49buzzing...

1:10:49 > 1:10:52Now let it travel down your arm...

1:10:52 > 1:10:55Let it build up.

1:10:55 > 1:10:57That's it!

1:10:57 > 1:10:59Now...

1:10:59 > 1:11:01splat!

1:11:01 > 1:11:04SHE GIGGLES

1:11:05 > 1:11:11- See? Easy!- How will I know if I'm doing it right?- It's like kissing.

1:11:11 > 1:11:18You can be smooching and you think, "My nose is in the way, my teeth are too big, where do I put my hands?"

1:11:18 > 1:11:25That's a wrong kiss. But when it's going right...oh, I bet everything falls into place.

1:11:25 > 1:11:30Just an amazing... You HAVE been kissed before, haven't you?

1:11:30 > 1:11:33Kissed? Me? Zillions of times!

1:11:37 > 1:11:40W-What's the play gonna be about?

1:11:40 > 1:11:44- No idea yet! - Well, you must have!- Why?

1:11:44 > 1:11:46Oh, the backdrop?

1:11:46 > 1:11:49That's just the basics, really.

1:11:49 > 1:11:56- When Mum tells a story, it has kings, queens, princesses, forests, castles...- Fairy tales?

1:11:56 > 1:12:00No, they're more than that. Stories are a way of helping me...

1:12:00 > 1:12:04you know, with moving, new faces and stuff.

1:12:06 > 1:12:14- Mum says it's a way of expressing what's in your heart. Your fairytale heart, she calls it.- Fairytale heart?

1:12:14 > 1:12:16Amazing, eh?

1:12:16 > 1:12:24You see, if Mum told me a story about a prince who was misunderstood by everyone except the Queen,

1:12:24 > 1:12:28then I'd know that the Queen was my mum and, well, I was the...

1:12:29 > 1:12:34- You've got some paint on your skirt. - Oh, no! It's brand new!

1:12:36 > 1:12:40It's all right, I've got something to get it out. Here.

1:12:41 > 1:12:43Sit down here.

1:12:46 > 1:12:49It's my birthday today.

1:12:49 > 1:12:54- Aries - that explains it! - I don't believe in horoscopes.

1:12:54 > 1:12:57What are Aries like, anyway?

1:12:57 > 1:13:02- Fiery, dominating...argumentative... - I am NOT argumentative!

1:13:02 > 1:13:05Many happy returns.

1:13:08 > 1:13:14Dad organised a party for me, at our flat. That's why I'm in this outfit.

1:13:14 > 1:13:18Had my hair done special, too. Do you like it?

1:13:18 > 1:13:22I'm not sure about the metallic dandruff.

1:13:22 > 1:13:25Lie, OK? It's called being nice to someone.

1:13:25 > 1:13:30I fish for a compliment, and then you give one. Got it?

1:13:30 > 1:13:32- Try again.- Do you like my hair?

1:13:32 > 1:13:35- It's amazing!- Thank you!

1:13:36 > 1:13:42- I ran out of the party - it was horrible.- Life's too short for horrible parties.

1:13:42 > 1:13:45There you go - good as new!

1:13:52 > 1:13:56Ever since Mum died, it's just been me and Dad.

1:13:56 > 1:14:00We did everything together - not that we did a lot, but...

1:14:00 > 1:14:03I don't wanna talk about it.

1:14:07 > 1:14:11Some people must have thought it boring,

1:14:11 > 1:14:16going to the pictures with your dad. Not me! I loved it, it was...

1:14:16 > 1:14:19I don't wanna talk about it.

1:14:19 > 1:14:22Then, one day...

1:14:22 > 1:14:28we go to the supermarket. Dad's pushing the trolley, I'm putting things in. Same as usual.

1:14:28 > 1:14:33And then, suddenly, I turn round... and the trolley's gone!

1:14:33 > 1:14:37"Dad?" Up and down the aisles... "DAD!"

1:14:37 > 1:14:44There he is, at the checkout... talking to someone. Never seen her before.

1:14:44 > 1:14:51Some woman. I don't like the look of her. Hairdo by a lawn mower, colour out of a bottle.

1:14:51 > 1:14:58Eyelashes fluttering so much, they should issue a gale warning! And her... Talk about a padded bra!

1:14:58 > 1:15:03You could land a helicopter on 'em! And look at Dad, lapping it up!

1:15:03 > 1:15:09I don't wanna talk about it - you hear? I don't wanna talk about it!

1:15:13 > 1:15:20- Ain't you interested?!- You said you don't wanna talk about it.- Don't be so obliging! Ask me something!

1:15:22 > 1:15:27- D'you think I should grow a goatee? - What?!- On my chin, a little beard.

1:15:27 > 1:15:34- I've got the whiskers - feel!- I'm not bothered about that.- You said to ask you something.- Not about whiskers!

1:15:34 > 1:15:40About HER - that woman! Dad's floozy. Say something about HER!

1:15:43 > 1:15:50- I think she's nice.- You don't know her!- I know who you mean. I've seen her in the supermarket.

1:15:50 > 1:15:57- She wears a ribbon in her hair. - Mutton dressed as lamb.- Good figure! - Deformed!- Smiling!- Demented!- Jolly!

1:15:57 > 1:16:03She's jolly, all right - got Dad wrapped round her little finger. Like schoolkids, they are!

1:16:03 > 1:16:09At MY party, too! Canoodling, nibbling each other's ears! It's disgusting!

1:16:09 > 1:16:16When she looks at Dad, she clutches her chest and goes, "You make my heart go boom-diddy, boom-diddy!"

1:16:16 > 1:16:20- Boom-diddy, boom-diddy?! - Boom-diddy, boom-diddy! Yuk!

1:16:29 > 1:16:36Travel writing is usually associated with exotic locations or famous cities

1:16:36 > 1:16:40or treks across mountains or deserts.

1:16:40 > 1:16:47- But anyone can be a travel writer, and you don't have to go very far - even a town nearby.

1:16:47 > 1:16:52I'm about to catch a bus into town and do some writing along the way.

1:16:52 > 1:16:58When you're a travel writer, you can write about almost any kind of journey, from a Himalayan hike

1:16:58 > 1:17:04to a walk down the high street. The location isn't important. It's the WAY you write about it that counts.

1:17:04 > 1:17:08Travel writing is a type of factual writing.

1:17:08 > 1:17:13The great thing is, you can include your personal points of view.

1:17:13 > 1:17:21Wherever and however you write, there are tips and techniques to help you develop your own style.

1:17:21 > 1:17:28While Steve is travel writing on the bus, I'm about to take a journey myself.

1:17:29 > 1:17:34Snowdonia National Park in North Wales is famous for beautiful scenery

1:17:34 > 1:17:38and for the Ffestiniog railway here at Porthmadog.

1:17:38 > 1:17:43It's a great opportunity to do some travel writing.

1:17:44 > 1:17:49- Hi. Can I have a ticket for the next train, please?- Yes, of course. There.

1:17:49 > 1:17:52- Thanks very much!- Thank you.

1:17:52 > 1:17:57Travel writing's subjective, so what I write is based on my own opinions.

1:17:57 > 1:18:02Anyone could do the same journey and write something completely different.

1:18:02 > 1:18:06There are no set rules, but there are some tips.

1:18:06 > 1:18:11When I go anywhere to write a travel piece, I bring three things...

1:18:11 > 1:18:16a notebook and pen...and a camera. The notebook is absolutely vital

1:18:16 > 1:18:22so that you can literally write down notes. You won't have time to write full sentences on the move.

1:18:22 > 1:18:29So if you just jot things down, it'll help jog your memory when you come to write the full piece.

1:18:29 > 1:18:32TRAIN WHISTLE HOOTS

1:18:32 > 1:18:38'It's good to think about words that describe sights, sounds and atmosphere.'

1:18:46 > 1:18:48STEAM HISSES

1:18:49 > 1:18:52COACHES SQUEAK

1:18:56 > 1:18:58CONDUCTOR BLOWS WHISTLE

1:18:58 > 1:19:00TANNOY CRACKLES

1:19:00 > 1:19:06You'll find it helpful to think of writing the piece in terms of pictures, so that each new view

1:19:06 > 1:19:13is a new paragraph. So...this opening shot will help me set the scene

1:19:13 > 1:19:18and establish that I'm about to take a journey on the Ffestiniog Railway.

1:19:18 > 1:19:24'Boarding the train, I was hit by a warm fug, and that certain smell of old fabric and excited bodies.

1:19:24 > 1:19:31'I sat down on a blue, threadbare seat elaborately adorned with the Ffestiniog Railway insignia

1:19:31 > 1:19:35'and fringed with fraying cotton.

1:19:35 > 1:19:42'I gazed at the wonderful view from my window as we left Porthmadog behind us.

1:19:42 > 1:19:47'Over the Cob, the train picked up speed,

1:19:47 > 1:19:52'clouds of steam floating past the windows.

1:19:52 > 1:19:57'The smell of smoke, coal dust and worn metal added to the excitement

1:19:57 > 1:20:01'as I felt like I was travelling back in time.

1:20:09 > 1:20:16'The landscape was so varied, with views of the sea, houses and stations.

1:20:16 > 1:20:23'We approached Minffordd Station, and there were people on the platform anticipating our arrival.

1:20:23 > 1:20:29'It looked exactly like a giant version of a model railway - the paintwork immaculate.

1:20:29 > 1:20:35'And spectators waved as we journeyed up the mountain.

1:20:41 > 1:20:46'We stopped at Tan-y-Bwlch, where the train is filled up with water.

1:20:49 > 1:20:57'The engine bubbled and spluttered and took on water as if it had a really dry throat.'

1:20:57 > 1:20:59WHISTLE

1:20:59 > 1:21:03'With a whistle and a lurch, we were off again.

1:21:03 > 1:21:10'A series of jolts, squeaks and rattles before the train settled into that comforting, steady chug.'

1:21:25 > 1:21:29Writing a travel piece is a little like writing a diary,

1:21:29 > 1:21:34and you can use, if you want to, the first-person narrative - the I-word.

1:21:34 > 1:21:36For example, I could write -

1:21:36 > 1:21:42"I'm on a...very...wobbly train...

1:21:42 > 1:21:46"trying...to write my notes."

1:21:46 > 1:21:51Oops! Looks a bit like a spider's written them.

1:21:55 > 1:22:03'We climbed higher and higher, past the beautiful waterfall cascading from a crevice above the track.

1:22:08 > 1:22:14'I could even feel my ears popping, we were going so high.'

1:22:18 > 1:22:20Thanks.

1:22:20 > 1:22:23Thanks very much indeed.

1:22:23 > 1:22:29'I sipped on a piping hot coffee and gazed out of the window.

1:22:35 > 1:22:38'As the train passed through narrow rocks,

1:22:38 > 1:22:42'suddenly, there was a blackness, a cold smell of damp stone

1:22:42 > 1:22:44'and a tunnel had swallowed us up,

1:22:44 > 1:22:49'then spat us out, back into the sunlight and familiar tall trees.

1:22:56 > 1:23:00'As we arrived at Blaenau, people lined the platform.

1:23:10 > 1:23:12'We changed over here,

1:23:12 > 1:23:17'lost some passengers and took on more.

1:23:17 > 1:23:20'I got chatting to a fellow passenger.'

1:23:20 > 1:23:26I'm a publican from Oldham, and I come here to get away from it all.

1:23:29 > 1:23:31I'm getting my grandson into it now.

1:23:31 > 1:23:35- He's only two but he's got most of the Thomas set.- Has he?

1:23:35 > 1:23:39- He's started to get into this so that's another excuse to come.- Yes!

1:23:39 > 1:23:44Have you got a model railway in your attic?

1:23:44 > 1:23:47Only a small one! Yeah.

1:23:47 > 1:23:51- I don't have time, as a publican. - No.- I'm very busy.

1:23:51 > 1:23:54You could build one round the pub. That'd be great!

1:23:54 > 1:24:00- Going round the bar!- My customers think I'm potty enough as it is!

1:24:00 > 1:24:04So would this be one of your top five...

1:24:04 > 1:24:10- in the country? - It's arguably the best in the world. - Really?- No doubt about it.

1:24:14 > 1:24:19'As we left the grey-slated backdrop of Blaenau,

1:24:19 > 1:24:25'it struck me that there is real love and pride for this railway.

1:24:27 > 1:24:33'People gazing lovingly at the immaculate paintwork and gleaming brass.

1:24:33 > 1:24:36'We headed back down the mountain to Porthmadog.

1:24:36 > 1:24:39'The engine was leading from my carriage,

1:24:39 > 1:24:42'and the noise of the whistle was deafening.'

1:24:42 > 1:24:44WHISTLE BLOWS

1:24:44 > 1:24:51One of the nice things about travel writing is the freedom you have what to include and what to leave out.

1:24:51 > 1:24:59A journey like this is absolutely fantastic because there's so many things to write about,

1:24:59 > 1:25:06but if your journey is less inspiring, here's a checklist of ideas that could help you out.

1:25:06 > 1:25:09As with any descriptive writing...

1:25:09 > 1:25:15Think about sight, sound, taste, touch and smell.

1:25:21 > 1:25:27The things that happen to you are the events and the people you meet are the characters.

1:25:27 > 1:25:33A funny anecdote will always add a unique twist to your writing.

1:25:36 > 1:25:44What I've discovered - this is my personal tip - is that there really is a thing called writer's block.

1:25:44 > 1:25:50You can chain yourself to your desk, sit in front of your computer or notebook - nothing comes.

1:25:50 > 1:25:54Your brain feels like cotton wool. Go and have a bath.

1:25:54 > 1:26:01You get back to your notebook and you're scribbling away, and suddenly look up and it's ten hours later.

1:26:01 > 1:26:05You just feel fantastic. It's the most wonderful feeling.

1:26:05 > 1:26:07My top tip - go and have a bath!

1:26:07 > 1:26:13'Back down at sea level, spots of rain spattered on the window.

1:26:31 > 1:26:33'Porthmadog was waiting for us,

1:26:33 > 1:26:40'and the noise of the wheels screeching to a stop meant the journey had come to an end

1:26:40 > 1:26:48'and I was back in the present day, after my trip back in time on the railway.'

1:26:53 > 1:26:57That was completely brilliant. I feel really uplifted and inspired,

1:26:57 > 1:27:01so I'm going to run away and write about it before I lose the feeling.

1:27:01 > 1:27:09Always write about how you felt on your journey - it'll make your piece much more personal to you.

1:27:09 > 1:27:13It'll allow the reader to feel part of your experience. See you later.

1:27:20 > 1:27:23SEAGULLS CRY

1:27:34 > 1:27:40I'm still working on my travel writing, but Kate's written a brilliant piece about her trip.

1:27:40 > 1:27:44It makes me really want to go on it. It'll make a change from the buses.

1:27:44 > 1:27:51But her writing doesn't include instructions - information tourists may find useful. Here it is.

1:27:51 > 1:27:57"It's a cold, blustery day, but boarding the train, I was hit by a warm fug

1:27:57 > 1:28:00"and that certain smell of old fabric and excited bodies.

1:28:00 > 1:28:06"I sat down on a blue, threadbare seat elaborately adorned with the Ffestiniog Railway insignia

1:28:06 > 1:28:09"and fringed with fraying cotton."

1:28:09 > 1:28:14That's great, but we're already on the train and I don't know how much the ticket costs.

1:28:14 > 1:28:18I'll go myself, with an entirely different writing purpose in mind.

1:28:18 > 1:28:24Where do I start? It's a good idea to write things down in chronological order.

1:28:24 > 1:28:29That means putting things into sequence - what to do first, second, third, fourth and so on.

1:28:29 > 1:28:37This makes it easier for the reader to understand. I'm using numbers. You could use bullet points.

1:28:37 > 1:28:44The information needs to be concise. The instructions should include imperative verbs, like commands,

1:28:44 > 1:28:47such as "Buy your ticket at the ticket office."

1:28:47 > 1:28:52One ticket for the next train journey, please.

1:28:52 > 1:28:56This is the Ffestiniog Railway.

1:28:56 > 1:28:59Refreshments are available at Spooner's Bar.

1:29:04 > 1:29:07The train departs in five minutes.

1:29:07 > 1:29:10The train starts in Porthmadog,

1:29:10 > 1:29:16travels to Blaenau, then back to Porthmadog.

1:29:16 > 1:29:19The journey takes around two and a half hours.

1:29:44 > 1:29:47The next stop is Penrhyn.

1:29:59 > 1:30:02There's even a toilet on board.

1:30:15 > 1:30:21Tan-y-Bwlch is where they fill up the engine with water.

1:30:35 > 1:30:43- Hello there!- Here we are, sir. Your cup of tea and a bar of chocolate. - Thank you.- £1.25.- There you go.

1:30:43 > 1:30:46Refreshments are available on board.

1:30:56 > 1:31:01This is Blaenau, the end of the line.

1:31:01 > 1:31:06This is where the engine is taken from the front of the train to the back,

1:31:06 > 1:31:10to take us back down to Porthmadog.

1:31:30 > 1:31:35Here I am back in Porthmadog. I've got my list of instructions.

1:31:35 > 1:31:39- Hi, Kate.- Fantastic - you're back. I wanted you to see these.

1:31:39 > 1:31:46These were all the leaflets. All the pictures, all the phone numbers, everything you need to know...

1:31:46 > 1:31:49if you want to visit something.

1:31:49 > 1:31:56- But there's not one for the Ffestiniog Railway.- That's weird! - Why don't we design one?- OK!

1:31:56 > 1:32:00Gather all the information together, get some nice pictures,

1:32:00 > 1:32:04put the phone numbers and prices on - encourage people to visit.

1:32:04 > 1:32:10Great idea. You've got your description of the journey, I've got my list of instructions.

1:32:10 > 1:32:12We just have to work out how to organise it.

1:32:18 > 1:32:22- How's that?- That's better. I think that should fit.

1:32:22 > 1:32:27- That's...- ..Oh, yes - I'll just stick this in the...

1:32:27 > 1:32:29- Nice!- Have him.

1:32:29 > 1:32:35Leaflets don't give you much space, so remember, the writing has to be very clear and concise.

1:32:35 > 1:32:40It has to be informative, but also attractive, and don't forget who you're making it for.

1:32:40 > 1:32:44This could be used by the tourist information centre.

1:32:44 > 1:32:47How about...one of these ones?

1:32:47 > 1:32:52- Yeah, I like that one. Did you take that?- I did, actually.

1:32:52 > 1:32:53Good!

1:33:16 > 1:33:23Here it is - just a rough draft. When we've scanned in the pictures and typed it up, it'll look great.

1:33:23 > 1:33:27We've done a good job. I'll go back to my travel writing on the bus now.

1:33:27 > 1:33:32- I feel inspired after my railway trip.- Good. Don't forget these.

1:33:32 > 1:33:37- Just think of a series of pictures - it will help.- See you!- Good luck!

1:34:10 > 1:34:13Once upon a time...

1:34:13 > 1:34:16many, many years ago...

1:34:16 > 1:34:21there were some wonderful stories known as fairy tales.

1:34:21 > 1:34:24They were told to generations of children,

1:34:24 > 1:34:27who grew up and told them to THEIR children,

1:34:27 > 1:34:31who then went on and told them to THEIR children.

1:34:31 > 1:34:36So they were passed on and on through the centuries.

1:34:36 > 1:34:41The stories were so popular and had such important things to say

1:34:41 > 1:34:44that, as if by magic,

1:34:44 > 1:34:49versions of them began to appear all over the world.

1:34:49 > 1:34:53Elements from these traditional tales can still be found

1:34:53 > 1:34:59in the books, films, plays, ballets, TV and computer games that we enjoy today.

1:36:01 > 1:36:06"And once again, the probing, lateral brain of Jonathan Creek

1:36:06 > 1:36:11"had pierced the veil of darkness, restoring reason to another seemingly impossible mystery."

1:36:31 > 1:36:34Look at me.

1:36:34 > 1:36:39I know what you want, Dinah. Trust me.

1:36:50 > 1:36:52R-RIP! What are you doing?

1:36:52 > 1:36:57Let's just have a look at them old scores, shall we? Eh?

1:37:00 > 1:37:02I win. You lose.

1:37:07 > 1:37:11Now, according to the fairy tale,

1:37:11 > 1:37:15if I put these slippers on and they fit,

1:37:15 > 1:37:19the handsome prince will come and I'll live happily ever after!

1:37:19 > 1:37:21Yeah, right(!)

1:37:39 > 1:37:42See? As I thought!

1:37:42 > 1:37:45The magic in fairy tales doesn't often happen in real life.

1:37:45 > 1:37:48I'm certainly not going to try kissing that!

1:37:48 > 1:37:52The goody-goody heroine waiting to be rescued by a handsome prince

1:37:52 > 1:37:57is a typical fairytale plot, but there are other common ingredients.

1:37:57 > 1:38:01Fairy tales are usually set in faraway places.

1:38:01 > 1:38:04They have simple plots,

1:38:04 > 1:38:08which invariably include fantastic or magical incidents.

1:38:08 > 1:38:12They often feature royal characters, like kings and queens,

1:38:12 > 1:38:18and magical beings like fairies, witches, wizards or genies.

1:38:18 > 1:38:24Each character tends to be a recognisable type,

1:38:24 > 1:38:27with a specific role.

1:38:27 > 1:38:30Some of the most widely used ones are -

1:38:30 > 1:38:34a hero, or victim, at the centre of the tale,

1:38:34 > 1:38:37like Jack, or Red Riding Hood.

1:38:37 > 1:38:43A villain who poses a threat, like the wicked Queen in Snow White.

1:38:43 > 1:38:50A princess, or sought-after person, like Rapunzel or the Sleeping Beauty.

1:38:50 > 1:38:58A helper, often a good friend or creature who tries to help the hero or princess,

1:38:58 > 1:39:02like Buttons or Dandini in Cinderella.

1:39:02 > 1:39:07And a provider, like a fairy godmother or good spirit

1:39:07 > 1:39:15who can sometimes perform magic or bestow gifts to help the hero or victim.

1:39:16 > 1:39:18Oh!

1:39:18 > 1:39:23The work of a poor heroine who's fallen on hard times...

1:39:23 > 1:39:25is never done.

1:39:26 > 1:39:28Now.

1:39:28 > 1:39:32Shall I stay here and wait for me prince?

1:39:32 > 1:39:34Or shall I plant these five magic beans?

1:39:34 > 1:39:37Or shall I go for a walk on my own in the woods?

1:39:37 > 1:39:40Or thread up that old spinning wheel?

1:39:40 > 1:39:42Shall I eat the shiny red apple?

1:39:42 > 1:39:44Or let all my hair down?

1:39:44 > 1:39:46Hmm.

1:39:46 > 1:39:53Because I know me fairy tales, I can predict what will happen with whichever decision I make.

1:39:53 > 1:40:00And they're all a bit...far-fetched. Strangely enough, the more bizarre fairy-tale elements

1:40:00 > 1:40:05are often the ones that we enjoy the most and remember best.

1:40:05 > 1:40:09They've certainly influenced many modern children's authors.

1:40:11 > 1:40:16Fairy tales have had a big influence on the way I write,

1:40:16 > 1:40:20not an especially big influence, not more than films I've enjoyed,

1:40:20 > 1:40:25or the great literary novels I've read, but equal with them.

1:40:25 > 1:40:30Fairy stories are a wealth of ideas. You can get so many things from them.

1:40:30 > 1:40:33Subconsciously and consciously,

1:40:33 > 1:40:36I use those ideas and subvert them in my own writing.

1:40:36 > 1:40:41Cinderella, I think, is THE prototype story, in all sorts of ways,

1:40:41 > 1:40:46although it doesn't have the terror or the witches,

1:40:46 > 1:40:53but it is about injustice, in such a powerful way that it makes it a very enduring story.

1:40:53 > 1:40:57Fairy stories, and mythical, traditional tales

1:40:57 > 1:40:59all ask the same kind of questions,

1:40:59 > 1:41:04and have universal themes which are relevant to modern readers.

1:41:04 > 1:41:08In this book, I take a prince, but not a conventional prince,

1:41:08 > 1:41:13not the handsome prince with blue eyes and chiselled features.

1:41:13 > 1:41:19He looks like Chris Evans - ginger hair, skinny, pasty-faced -

1:41:19 > 1:41:25but inside, he IS a prince, and he's pursuing a girl that in every way is a princess.

1:41:25 > 1:41:32Finally, his dignity, his decency as a human being emerges, and he becomes the prince that's been his potential.

1:41:32 > 1:41:38There's a beautiful, logical, simple, clear structure to the great fairy tales,

1:41:38 > 1:41:41which has never been, um...surpassed,

1:41:41 > 1:41:46and I love reading the simplicity of them, the clarity of the language,

1:41:46 > 1:41:49the obvious logic of the sequence of events.

1:41:49 > 1:41:55Even when they're fantastical events, there's a logic and a clarity there. I love that.

1:41:58 > 1:42:05I've decided to have a make-over. Well, it's more useful than a coach and horses in this day and age!

1:42:05 > 1:42:11Just because I'm Cinderella doesn't mean I have to be stuck in those old fairy-tale conventions.

1:42:11 > 1:42:18I'm leaving the woods and heading for the city. Who needs a fairy godmother when you have a mobile?

1:42:18 > 1:42:22And a laptop is far more useful than a tired old magic wand.

1:42:22 > 1:42:30Wait a minute! Why am I just changing the conventions? Why don't I just leave the genre altogether?

1:42:30 > 1:42:36Yeah, that's a great idea! Mmm, I'm gonna get out of the fairy-tale genre

1:42:36 > 1:42:40and move into... crime and mystery instead!

1:42:40 > 1:42:46Just call me Agent Cinders, private eye extraordinaire and international spy!

1:42:50 > 1:42:54'Coming soon... to a cinema near you...'

1:43:01 > 1:43:04If I was gonna rewrite a fairy story,

1:43:04 > 1:43:09I would simply put it into the ordinary everyday world.

1:43:09 > 1:43:16Say if I took Little Red Riding Hood, I would set it somewhere in Newcastle near where I live.

1:43:16 > 1:43:23Little Red Riding Hood would live in an ordinary house with an ordinary family. The forest is the park

1:43:23 > 1:43:30across the street, so to go through the forest, she has to go through the park. She'll see her grandma,

1:43:30 > 1:43:37who lives a few streets away. To see her she goes through the park. I can't have a wolf. What can I have?

1:43:37 > 1:43:44Maybe there's that terrible dog that lives down at number 97, or that guy who always looks suspicious.

1:43:44 > 1:43:49It's taking elements of the story and putting them into an ordinary world.

1:43:49 > 1:43:55What happens is, you get a mixture of ordinariness and extraordinariness.

1:43:55 > 1:43:59The two together make powerful stories.

1:43:59 > 1:44:05If you change the events of the story, you change it in a more fundamental way.

1:44:05 > 1:44:12If a fairy godmother arrived to PREVENT Cinderella from going to the ball, it'd be a different structure.

1:44:12 > 1:44:14I might actually write that!

1:44:14 > 1:44:17With the happy-ever-after endings

1:44:17 > 1:44:23which frequently end in the characters getting great riches,

1:44:23 > 1:44:28or getting married, that's only the beginning of a story, isn't it?

1:44:28 > 1:44:34Perhaps it might be fun to go back and find out what happened next to all these characters.

1:44:34 > 1:44:42Maybe I'd take something like Little Red Riding Hood and make the big bad wolf into a serial killer

1:44:42 > 1:44:45who's stalking the urban jungle,

1:44:45 > 1:44:51or maybe Rumplestiltskin could be done as a cowboy-and-western type of story.

1:44:51 > 1:44:55He's the man with no name that rides into town to rescue the princess,

1:44:55 > 1:44:59but she finds out he HAS got a name, so it doesn't end the way he planned.

1:45:01 > 1:45:05'From the farthest reaches of the galaxy...

1:45:05 > 1:45:08'came Prince Vigo...

1:45:08 > 1:45:11'the love of Princess Lavinia.'

1:45:24 > 1:45:26Ribbit!

1:45:26 > 1:45:28'Life would never be the same again.'

1:45:28 > 1:45:32MEXICAN MUSIC

1:45:32 > 1:45:35Now I'm Sheriff Cinders of the Old Wild West,

1:45:35 > 1:45:39and I'm changing genre and convention all over again.

1:45:39 > 1:45:44I'm a law woman, preaching peace and harmony, and I ain't carryin' a gun!

1:45:44 > 1:45:49It's fun putting well-known characters into different genres.

1:45:49 > 1:45:53They can feature in all sorts of writing - even poetry.

1:45:54 > 1:46:00"My dumbstruck dad's in love again The kitchen's falling apart

1:46:00 > 1:46:05"As I mop up the fag-ash floor And grey as ash lies my heart

1:46:05 > 1:46:10"My stepmum's a lottery-holic Gambling all goodness away

1:46:10 > 1:46:16"We live a life of pumpkin stew With bills for afters each day

1:46:16 > 1:46:22"My stepsisters hang out after dark Two puffed-up smoke rings of fear

1:46:22 > 1:46:27"As circles of hate slip out of their mouths, Where is my dead mother dear?

1:46:27 > 1:46:32"I'd love to go the party downtown But what would I have to wear?

1:46:32 > 1:46:37"I live in the land of hand-me-down And only dream of great gear

1:46:37 > 1:46:43"But look at this get-up, bright as a match, hidden in my mother's chest

1:46:43 > 1:46:48"I'd dress like an burning ember The boys make a beeline - impressed

1:46:48 > 1:46:54"My stepsisters are flabbygasted As I smooch with a lad from Year 10

1:46:54 > 1:46:58"Their eyes like smouldering cinders

1:46:58 > 1:47:01"As he kisses me...yet again!

1:47:03 > 1:47:09"'Twas midnight and my prince was slobbering all over his latest recruit

1:47:09 > 1:47:14"Drunk as a lord - oh, what a drag! In the end, I gave him the boot!"

1:47:19 > 1:47:24I'm a story-teller and a poet, and I wanted to write a piece

1:47:24 > 1:47:28that combined the two. Cinderella is a lovely story, but out-of-date,

1:47:28 > 1:47:36so I thought, "Let's modernise this." Cinderella's name in the Grimm tales is Ashputtle. Ash is interesting.

1:47:36 > 1:47:43Cinderella is always dressed in rags, always grey. I thought, "What's modern and grey?" Fags, cigarettes.

1:47:43 > 1:47:48It's a horrible image, but it worked well into the metaphor for the piece.

1:47:48 > 1:47:52Of course, she ends up stubbing out the prince.

1:47:52 > 1:47:59I find it strange when people think a poem just appears, and you just write what you're thinking and feeling.

1:47:59 > 1:48:05A poem requires good craftedness. That comes through the use of simile, metaphor, developed images,

1:48:05 > 1:48:09called conceit, when the same metaphor runs through the poem.

1:48:09 > 1:48:14"My stepsisters hang out after dark Two puffed-up smoke rings of fear

1:48:14 > 1:48:21"As circles of hate slip out of their mouths, Where is my dead mother dear?"

1:48:21 > 1:48:26I wrote this as a ballad, as ballads are often used to tell stories.

1:48:26 > 1:48:29"Ballad" comes from the Latin "ballare", "to dance",

1:48:29 > 1:48:34and the rhythm is strong. It's in quatrains of four lines, like...

1:48:34 > 1:48:38Dee-dum, dee-dum, dee-dum, dee-dum Dee-dum, dee-dum, dee-dum

1:48:38 > 1:48:42Dee-dum, dee-dum, dee-dum, dee-dum Dee-dum, dee-dum, dee-dum.

1:48:42 > 1:48:49That strong rhythm enables you to get a point across. The pauses create drama or comic effect.

1:48:49 > 1:48:56Timing is everything. It's not just what's ON the page, it's how it leaps off like a salmon and comes to life.

1:48:56 > 1:49:00"Drunk as a lord - oh, what a drag!"

1:49:00 > 1:49:04I was looking for some very modern words,

1:49:04 > 1:49:06and also a lot of wordplay.

1:49:06 > 1:49:11For instance, at the end, it says, "Drunk as a lord,"

1:49:11 > 1:49:14this guy who's all over Cinderella,

1:49:14 > 1:49:18but in the original story, he's a prince, so it fits well.

1:49:18 > 1:49:23"What a drag!" Drag is a cigarette, but it has that meaning, too.

1:49:23 > 1:49:25I like to play on the meanings.

1:49:25 > 1:49:28"My stepsisters are flabbygasted."

1:49:28 > 1:49:31"Flabbygasted" seemed perfect.

1:49:31 > 1:49:34They're flabbergasted, but they're not very pretty!

1:49:34 > 1:49:38"My stepmum's a lottery-holic."

1:49:38 > 1:49:44I'm updating the Cinderella myth, so I thought, "Who could this stepmother be? She'd be greedy for money."

1:49:44 > 1:49:50She'd be into the Lottery. Being an alcoholic would be obvious.

1:49:50 > 1:49:53"Lottery-holic" has that sense of addiction.

1:49:53 > 1:49:58Poetry does not have to be dull. You can write about all sorts of things.

1:49:58 > 1:50:03It's why me and my wife wrote Poems With Attitude, a teenage collection,

1:50:03 > 1:50:09because there weren't poems about all those issues that we experienced as teenagers.

1:50:09 > 1:50:14Write about anything relevant to you. It doesn't have to be swaying trees.

1:50:14 > 1:50:21I wrote another with a fairy-tale theme, but wanted it to be much harder-hitting, so I used short lines

1:50:21 > 1:50:26and very punctuated rhythm. It's definitely a performance poem.

1:50:26 > 1:50:33I was looking at the way fairy tales have been changed by the forces that be, the forces in TV and movies.

1:50:33 > 1:50:37"We must have happy endings," said Walt Disney famously.

1:50:37 > 1:50:42The original folk tales were much darker, much deeper.

1:50:42 > 1:50:47You just have to look at life around you and the comparison is very real.

1:50:47 > 1:50:53"Peck those eyes out! Cut off the heel! Such Grimm tales reflected the real.

1:50:53 > 1:50:56"Cut open the wolf! Fill him with stones!

1:50:56 > 1:51:00"Here the handless miller's daughter moans

1:51:00 > 1:51:04"Her stumps are bleeding into the pool

1:51:04 > 1:51:08" 'Protect our children - this is too cruel!

1:51:08 > 1:51:13"' Happy ends! Prioritise! Censor violence! Sanitise!'

1:51:13 > 1:51:19"So said Walt, Mr Apple Pie! It's all his fault films are...cutesy-pie

1:51:20 > 1:51:23"But in the park, behind the shed,

1:51:23 > 1:51:26"Listen with care to what is said

1:51:26 > 1:51:29"Wolfish bullies are alive and well

1:51:30 > 1:51:34"Not just hidden in a fairy spell

1:51:34 > 1:51:38"Read the paper! Nothing changed

1:51:38 > 1:51:41"Real life is more deranged

1:51:41 > 1:51:45"Snow White's mum, in her red-hot shoes

1:51:45 > 1:51:49"Join Amnesty and listen to the news."

1:51:50 > 1:51:58Some of the plots and story lines in fairy tales seem implausible, while others can ring true.

1:51:58 > 1:52:04Look how the headlines use language associated with fairy tales.

1:52:04 > 1:52:10There have been plenty of real-life rags-to-riches stories over the years.

1:52:10 > 1:52:16But the life of a girl called Adeline Yen Mah, brought up in China in the 1940s and '50s,

1:52:16 > 1:52:23really did resemble that of the fairy-tale Cinderella character, especially when she was a child.

1:52:23 > 1:52:30Adeline's family considered her to be bad luck, because her mother died giving birth to her.

1:52:30 > 1:52:36Then, when her father remarried, things went from bad to worse.

1:52:36 > 1:52:43Her stepmother, Nyang, was certainly as cruel as any wicked stepmother from a fairy tale.

1:52:43 > 1:52:50There was a knock at the door, and Asan came in without waiting, looking flustered and fearful.

1:52:50 > 1:52:55A crowd of your little friends is downstairs. They're asking for you.

1:52:55 > 1:53:02Her words were like a thunderbolt in the clear blue sky. I stared at her, dumbfounded.

1:53:03 > 1:53:08- Is my mother at home?- I'm afraid she is. So is your father.

1:53:08 > 1:53:13Tell my friends I'm not home. Please, send them away!

1:53:13 > 1:53:19I tried, but they know you're here. They followed you home from school and saw you enter the door.

1:53:19 > 1:53:25They want to give you a surprise party for winning the election for class president!

1:53:25 > 1:53:29- Everyone has brought a gift. They mean well.- I know.

1:53:29 > 1:53:36I felt panic-stricken, but had no choice but to follow Asan to the parlour.

1:53:36 > 1:53:43As I crept downstairs, I could hear the giggles and screams of my classmates resound through the house.

1:53:43 > 1:53:50I bit my lower lip and forced myself to go in to greet my friends. They surrounded me, shouting...

1:53:50 > 1:53:54Surprise! Congratulations! Victory!

1:53:54 > 1:54:01They were singing and chanting slogans, drunk with euphoria and excitement. No-one seemed to notice

1:54:01 > 1:54:06my tongue-tied silence. I shifted my eyes from meeting anyone else's,

1:54:06 > 1:54:11afraid that my secret home life was about to be exposed.

1:54:11 > 1:54:18Inside, I was quaking with terror, hoping against hope that Nyang would leave us alone

1:54:18 > 1:54:22until I could politely ask my friends to leave.

1:54:22 > 1:54:26Asan reappeared, and touched me on my arm.

1:54:26 > 1:54:29Your mother wishes to see you - now!

1:54:31 > 1:54:34I fought against the panic surging from within,

1:54:34 > 1:54:37and forced a stiff smile on my face.

1:54:41 > 1:54:43I wonder what she wants!

1:54:43 > 1:54:46Excuse me for a moment.

1:54:47 > 1:54:52My mind was blank as I knocked on the door of the Holy of Holies.

1:54:52 > 1:54:55My parents stood side by side.

1:54:55 > 1:55:02I stood in front of them with my head hanging and my eyes fixed on Nyang's red silk slippers.

1:55:02 > 1:55:09I could hear the gleeful squeals of a dozen merry ten-year-old girls echoing through the entire house.

1:55:09 > 1:55:15Who are these little hooligans making such a racket in the living room downstairs?!

1:55:15 > 1:55:22- They're my school friends.- What are they doing HERE?- They're celebrating my becoming class president.

1:55:22 > 1:55:30- Is this party YOUR idea?- No, Nyang, they came of their own accord. I didn't know anything about it.

1:55:30 > 1:55:31Come here!

1:55:31 > 1:55:36I approached her gingerly, trembling with terror.

1:55:36 > 1:55:39She slapped my face so hard I almost fell.

1:55:39 > 1:55:42Liar! You planned it, didn't you?

1:55:42 > 1:55:47To show off our house to your penniless classmates!

1:55:47 > 1:55:49No, I didn't!

1:55:49 > 1:55:55Tears streaked down my cheeks. I found it hard to breathe.

1:55:56 > 1:56:02What insolence! To invite them here, into our living room, and make such a racket!

1:56:02 > 1:56:09I didn't ask them here. They know I'm not allowed to go to their house after school,

1:56:09 > 1:56:12so they decided to visit me instead.

1:56:13 > 1:56:18- She slapped me with the back of her hand against my cheek.- Show-off!

1:56:18 > 1:56:25Go downstairs this minute and tell them to get out! They are not welcome!

1:56:26 > 1:56:31As I hesitated, and shuffled my feet, she hit my face yet again.

1:56:31 > 1:56:36Do you hear me?! I want them out of this house this minute!

1:56:36 > 1:56:41Are you deaf? Tell them never to come back! Never! NEVER!

1:56:44 > 1:56:48Adeline Yen Mah's book is a true story, but the title,

1:56:48 > 1:56:56Chinese Cinderella, makes an obvious comparison between her life and that of the famous fairy-tale heroine.

1:56:56 > 1:57:02It's a piece of factual writing, but her true life story was so dramatic

1:57:02 > 1:57:05that it almost resembles a piece of fiction.

1:57:05 > 1:57:10The plots and characters in fairy tales are popular and famous.

1:57:10 > 1:57:14They keep being altered and updated

1:57:14 > 1:57:18for modern stories and other kinds of writing.

1:57:18 > 1:57:25You can choose well-known story conventions and place them in an entirely different setting or genre.

1:57:25 > 1:57:30You can rewrite well-known tales as brand-new stories,

1:57:30 > 1:57:34or try a different writing form, like poetry.

1:57:34 > 1:57:40Fairy tales can also be rewritten using a factual writing style,

1:57:40 > 1:57:44like Adeline Yen Mah's autobiography.

1:57:44 > 1:57:49Here I am, back as Cinderella, working hard in pantomime.

1:57:49 > 1:57:52CROWD: Oh, no, you're not!

1:57:52 > 1:57:54Oh, yes, I am!

1:57:54 > 1:58:01Actually, I'm waiting to be discovered by some big Hollywood producer, who'll make me a star!

1:58:01 > 1:58:08And I'll have a big house, and everything I've ever wanted. My own true rags-to-riches story.

1:58:08 > 1:58:10And I'll live happily ever after!

1:58:12 > 1:58:14OK, OK!

1:58:14 > 1:58:21I know I'm getting carried away with my fairy-tale imagination, but I can dream...can't I?

1:58:24 > 1:58:28MUSIC: "Sleeping Beauty" by Tchaikovsky

1:58:47 > 1:58:51Subtitles by BBC Subtitling BBC Broadcast 2002

1:58:51 > 1:58:54E-mail us at subtitling@bbc.co.uk