Screenwriter Jane Pugh talks to Fi Reed about giving up the day job and becoming a full time writer.

The idea of writing full time is a dream for many writers, but the realities of giving up a steady job with a regular income put many of us off. For most writers, the route into full-time, professional writing is long and convoluted. Very few experience immediate success, and a guaranteed income. Even those fortunate enough to be catapulted into best-sellerdom, have sweated and laboured before reaping any kind of a reward. Jane Pugh has been working her way towards achieving her goal of writing for a living, slowly but surely, and is now flying solo – without the safety net of regular, paid employment.

Starting Out
It has been a long haul. Jane started at a film workshop in Oxford, which gave her a broad introduction to film production, as well as extensive, hands-on practical experience. It also provided a way to unearth other people's stories – a license to be nosy.

'As a writer, you meet people, go to places and access things that others never can. Having people's lives unfold in front of you is amazing. A real privilege, but you have to remember that with it comes a responsibility. They want you to hear their story, but in the re-telling, you must be honest. Respectful.'

Formal Training
Pugh then attended the National Film School, where she learnt the value of doing unpaid work experience such as reading her way through publishers' slush-piles. An essential critical skill, which readily transfers across the industry.
'Don't begrudge making the coffee, or the fact that you're not being asked the important questions,’ she advises. ‘But do take note of who people are. The contacts, friends, and networking circles are what you'll take away with you. It makes a huge difference when you're setting out.'

Pugh spent the next few years working as a script editor for the BBC on programmes such as Ballykissangel and Peak Practice. However, she had little spare time to concentrate on her own writing. She entered a few competitions, wrote a couple of screenplays, but nothing serious.

Being Brave
'I was working like a dog, desperate to focus on my own projects, but the economics of it meant it just wasn't happening. So I had to do something drastic'.

In March 2000 she quit her job, sold up and moved to Cornwall in order to write. Scary but essential. There was still a mortgage to pay, however, so striking a balance between writing and earning was key.

'I did three days paid work, three days of writing, and had one day off. You really need to establish routines – be incredibly strict and disciplined about not losing your writing time. Not easy when other people seem to think that your writing is trivial. Treat it as serious, hold fast and aim for manageable, achievable goals.'

New Direction
The paid work that Pugh was involved in was instrumental in developing her writing. She managed a successful rural touring scheme, Carn to Cove, for four years. This broadened her knowledge of marketing, and targeting audiences; accessing funding bodies and applying for grants. It also enabled her to build contacts, and introduced her to the world of theatre.

Inspired, she began writing for the theatre, and had her first play staged at the Hall For Cornwall.
She has also developed an innovative play called Aural Fixation, due to tour in the Autumn with The Cornwall Theatre Collective. Devised in conjunction with a director, working with the actors improvising on the theme of karaoke, Pugh enjoyed the collaborative nature of the writing process.

She has also written short films and, her treatment for Bedbugs, was selected for production by Channel Four’s annual ‘Coming Up’ slot.

She's currently working on another feature script and a digital short film.

Plunging Again
So, with several major writing projects in the pipeline, Pugh has decided that now is the time to take the plunge further – trust that her writing will pay the bills, and give up the day job.

'As a writer you must accept your compulsion – something in you that needs to write. Always keep an eye out for opportunities. Remember, why it is that you write. For you, because it's a fantastic thing to do, but also for others – you want to tell somebody something, and hopefully they will be moved. Your audience is your partner, for the rest of your life.'