Work Life Balance

Reflections on balancing writing with work, family life, and the demands of building a sustainable career

Writing Career

Researching Writers: How long does it really take to become a screenwriter?

Oct 28, 2026

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7 min read

Researching Writers: How long does it really take to become a screenwriter?

How much writing, learning and failing happens before the success we recognise? A look behind the credits of some of our best-known screenwriters.

Helen Tompson

Writing Career

What Revelations Have I Gained Recently (and why that almost made me throw in the towel)

Oct 7, 2026

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9 min read

What Revelations Have I Gained Recently (and why that almost made me throw in the towel)

What an agent, a script reading course and a near death experience taught me about protecting the work.

Helen Tompson

Writing Career

Silly Season Is Here: BBC, BAFTA, BFI... and How Not to Lose Your Mind

Sep 9, 2026

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9 min read

Silly Season Is Here: BBC, BAFTA, BFI... and How Not to Lose Your Mind

Navigating schemes and compeitions without losing the will to live.

Helen Tompson

Writing Career

What I gained from my time in The Network at the Edinburgh TV Festival 2025

Aug 26, 2026

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6 min read

What I gained from my time in The Network at the Edinburgh TV Festival 2025

What happens when you finally get the opportunity you’ve been chasing, and discover it isn’t quite what you thought you wanted?

Helen Tompson

Writing Career

Why Does Everything Take So Long in Screenwriting? (And What Successful Writers Do While They Wait)

Jul 8, 2026

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4 min read

Why Does Everything Take So Long in Screenwriting? (And What Successful Writers Do While They Wait)

Waiting is part of every screenwriting career. The trick is learning how to use that time to build momentum, develop your craft, and be ready when the next opportunity arrives.

Helen Tompson

Professional Development

The Shark Tank - Build Your Own Writers' Room

Jun 17, 2026

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5 min read

The Shark Tank - Build Your Own Writers' Room

The most valuable thing in my screenwriting career isn't an agent, a scheme, or a festival. It's four other writers.

Helen Tompson

Writing Career

Jun 10, 2026

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4 min read

The 'Fuck It' Button

A screenwriter's guide to overcoming hesitation, building connections, applying for opportunities, and creating momentum in your career.

Helen Tompson

Writing Career

Inside the WFTV Kay Mellor Screenwriters’ Lab

May 7, 2026

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5 min read

Inside the WFTV Kay Mellor Screenwriters’ Lab

What the WFTV Kay Mellor Screenwriters’ Lab taught me about resilience, access, opportunity, and the business of writing.

Helen Tompson

Writing Career

No time? No problem! Right? (Writing Around a Full Life)

May 6, 2026

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2 min read

No time? No problem! Right? (Writing Around a Full Life)

Time, energy, and the reality of building a writing career alongside everything else.

Helen Tompson

Writing Career

Where to start... The Business of Writing (and Finding Balance Along the Way)

Apr 22, 2026

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2 min read

Where to start... The Business of Writing (and Finding Balance Along the Way)

Why 'The Business of Writing' | Building a screenwriting career means treating it like a business, while protecting the life around it.

Helen Tompson

Work Life Balance

Researching Writers: How long does it really take to become a screenwriter?

What Revelations Have I Gained Recently (and why that almost made me throw in the towel)

Silly Season Is Here: BBC, BAFTA, BFI... and How Not to Lose Your Mind

What I gained from my time in The Network at the Edinburgh TV Festival 2025

Why Does Everything Take So Long in Screenwriting? (And What Successful Writers Do While They Wait)

The Shark Tank - Build Your Own Writers' Room

The 'Fuck It' Button

Inside the WFTV Kay Mellor Screenwriters’ Lab

No time? No problem! Right? (Writing Around a Full Life)

Where to start... The Business of Writing (and Finding Balance Along the Way)

The Business of Screenwriting