Hi. My name’s Ella Thompson. Nine months ago my Drama Teacher introduced me to the National Theatre’s script writing competition for young people, New Views. The first prize was amazing to say the least – having the script performed at the National Theatre and the Houses of Parliament. If someone had told me then that I would win, I’d have laughed! However, my 30-minute play Carpe Diem is being performed on 11 and 12 July at the National and at Parliament on 15 July.

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At the start of the process, our school established a 13-student writing group, run by dedicated teachers. Our 45-minute sessions began at 8 am on a Wednesday, which meant getting up at 6:30. We started by looking at the New Views website, which had extremely helpful videos which I used throughout the process. When coming up with ideas for the play I shifted about, but my Mum suggested I write about what I know. I (unfortunately) know about school, so I thought about past school events that stuck out in my mind. This helped me to come up with ideas for scenes. Once I’d planned out the order of my scenes, it was just about getting the dialogue right. My storyline shifted throughout the process, but I feel that’s what they are meant to do. Once my first draft was completed I tried to get as much feedback as possible. I asked for advice from everyone and I took it on. A second opinion is really the best thing I could have asked for.

Ever since the beginning of the competition I’ve been reading and watching plays. I really enjoyed the performance of Simon Stephens’s Port which I later performed in my drama exam. I’ve started to read other plays he has written and I feel they are perfect for young people. I also have also enjoyed reading Baby Girl by Roy Williams, Victim Sidekick Boyfriend Me by Hilary Bell, Journey to X by Nancy Harris and D.N.A by Dennis Kelly. I would recommend them to anyone.

My advice to other young writers is :

1. Write about what you know and what makes you angry – I always find the most exciting and relatable drama is the best.
2. Plan your scenes – It’s tempting to jump right in but you may get lost so use a map.
3. Manage your time – Set aside 30 minutes a day to work on your piece.
4. Get a second opinion – Others’ advice really is gold –  after all you are writing for the enjoyment of your audience.
5. Don’t give up – Writing can be a tiring journey but it’s worth it.
6. Read – You learn best from watching others.

Winning the competition means so much to me. It’s made me realise that I want to do more and I hope to continue script writing. It really has been life changing, opened so many doors and taught me so much. Thinking that my play will be performed at the Houses of Parliament is mad. That sort of stuff just doesn’t happen! It feels unreal.

Ella Thompson won the National Theatre’s New Views competition for under-19s with her play Carpe Diem. For more information about the competition, visit the website. 

Photo by Flickr user Cruccone, under a Creative Commons Licence.