Lana Citron

A History graduate of Trinity College Dublin, Lana Citron is the author of five novels, Sucker, Spilt Milk, Transit, The Honey Trap and The Brodsky Touch. The latter novels have recently been optioned by the BBC to be made into a TV series. Other works include; short stories and poetry—anthologised and broadcast on BBC Radio 4, the award-winning short film, I Was The Cigarette Girl, funded by the Northern Lights scheme and the radio play, Love Saboteur. A trained actress, she has appeared on TV, theatre and film. She has also performed as a stand-up comic and appeared at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. In  2006 she was selected to take part in the Writers Circle, a script writing programme initiated by The Script Factory and is currently working on her first feature script, Dead Dad.

What training have you received?
Most recently, I was selected to take part in the Writers Circle run by The Script Factory. It was a course set up to persuade writers from different genres to try script writing. Being one of the lucky 9 chosen out of 500 applicants was like having an epiphany, or finding one of the golden tickets in a Wonka Whipple Scrumptious Fudgemallow Delight or indeed free falling from an airplane and realising you can fly. Other training has been far more practical, of the “just doing it” kind.

What themes do you like to explore in your work?
I’m passionate about love, the effects of and the different types: lost, forsaken unconsummated, controlling, manipulating, parental, first, last—I could go on and on. I’m a total love junkie. I guess no matter how your story is framed i.e. be it a thriller, horror, road movie, gangster heist, whatever; in the end the essence of every story is about human relationships and how they work or don’t within a given situation.

What’s the best advice you’ve been given as a writer?
All writing is rewriting—that’s all you need ever know.

Most significant moment in your career so far…
Is right now. Developing my first feature script Dead Dad and beginning to understand the process of scriptwriting is proving to be a deeply invigorating experience, especially seeing how the script changes to become it’s own entity. I’ve been bowled over by the interest, support and encouragement received so far, it’s very exciting for me.

You’ll die happy when…
The fat lady sings.