From Proscenium to Paper: One writer’s journey by Jayne Chard

by Jayne Chard

I started writing at about eight; I wrote all the junior school plays. When I was fourteen, I wrote my first “novel.” One of my friend’s Dad was a writer, and I always remember him saying, “If you want to be a writer, you have to write every day,” I guess I’ve been doing that whether it was poems, plays or TV pitches. But it wasn’t until now, some fifty years later, prompted by the death of my mother, who had never stopped encouraging me, that I wrote my first novel. It’s been an interesting journey. 

At secondary school, I decided I wanted to be a theatre director. By the sixth form, I was directing the school plays and lunchtime theatre at the local Arts Centre. I also helped out as a general dogbody on a student graduation film for the MA in Film and Drama at Bristol University. I wanted to apply for the course but was told quite clearly that I needed a degree. I said I’d be back. I now knew what I had to do next. 

I studied for a BA in Psychology and Drama in London and continued to direct plays and short films. I won the Royal Shakespeare Company Buzz Goodbody Director’s Award for a production of Samuel Beckett’s Happy Days—a playwright whom I was enamoured with and whose plays Not I and Play I had also directed. I was drawn to the writers collectively known as The Theatre of the Absurd, in particular, Beckett, Ionesco, Albee and Genet. What excited me about them was their exploration of the human condition in unusual and often stark ways, the beauty of their language, the colourfulness of their characterisation, and how every character had a unique voice. 

After getting a 2:1 degree, I was fortunate to gain a place on the prestigious Regional Theatre Trainee Director Scheme (RTDS) and spent two years in repertory at the Palace Theatre in Westcliff-on-Sea. One of the shows I directed there was Dail M For Murder -the film made famous by Alfred Hitchcock – I think this was what sparked my interest in the crime genre. 

After Westcliff, I returned to London and worked as a freelance director on the London Fringe. One of the most exciting moments was when I came out of Sloane Square tube station and saw my name literally in lights on The Royal Court billboard; I wish I’d taken a photo! It was an honour to direct a show there; it’s a shining beacon for exciting British theatre. At the Cafe Theatre, I directed a play I’d written called Steps In Time and went on to direct at Soho Poly and the Riverside Studios, finally ending up as Artistic Director of Common Stock Theatre Company—a fantastic London-based touring company with five permanent actors, a resident musician, and visiting writers. 

At Common Stock, all plays were developed through improvisation, and it was in this environment that I began to hone my storytelling skills. I became interested in Clive Barker’s approach outlined in his book Impro. Barker’s work teaches actors to respond authentically and dynamically to each other. Using his tools and some I had developed, I would plan a series of workshops with the writer, actors, and musicians. This enabled us to generate the material for the story and characters, from which the writer would create a finished script. It was an inspiring time. 

I had only intended to stay in the theatre for a couple of years to gain experience working with professional actors. Seven years later, I felt it was time to move on—television drama directing had always been my ultimate goal.

I gained a place on the University of Bristol’s M.A. in Film and Television course, where I was taught by David Putnam, among others. This was also when I began writing film scripts. 

At the end of the one-year film course, David Putnam introduced my good friend Joe Ahearne and me to all the major studios in Los Angeles. We went to LA for a month to pitch our two scripts. It was a different world—it was Hollywood. We met some big names like Mike Meyers and David Hayman. I would like to say we met Robert Redford, but unfortunately, he wasn’t there when we visited his cabin on the studio lot!

It was an amazing experience. Although neither of us sold our scripts, we learnt how to evaluate a script commercially and how to pitch a project. 

Back in the UK, I wrote, directed, and produced harrowing documentaries for all the major broadcasters. After five years, I felt emotionally exhausted. A few years later, when I finally directed a TV drama, I found that my theatre experience, particularly directing actors, and my understanding of story structure proved invaluable.  

At that time, there were only a handful of women directors working in the UK. I was bashing hard on the glass ceiling, but it was having no effect. So, I packed it all in, bought a farmhouse in France, renovated it, and later sold it. 

Everything changed when I was asked to produce the short film I’ll Tell You – written and directed by Rachel Tillotson – the film went on to win Best of The West at Brief Encounters. I found I loved drama producing, and from there, I went on to produce three award-winning feature films and then moved into television drama.

Over the intervening years, my mother and I had become very close. One of our many trips together was to a “murder” evening, which was pretty awful but hilarious—for all the wrong reasons. Still, that event and my mother’s lifetime friendship with her polar opposite, Adelle, inspired my first book, More Than Murder. I read my mum the book’s prologue, which made her smile, and I knew I was on the right track. I promised I would finish it, but before I was able to, my mother died. I was devasted. 

My TV career continued to flourish. I produced drama for SKY, ITV and the BBC. One of my favourite shows to work on was BBC 1’s flagship brand, SILENT WITNESS. I brought in some significant production changes, and with the support of a great team of people, production, crew and cast, we returned the series to its place as a top-rated show with rave reviews and over 7 million viewers. “It was the strongest Silent Witness in years.” “That was a 10/10 introduction. Oh my goodness,” “Such a gripping storyline.”

I faced one of the most challenging decisions of my career: whether to stay for the next series or leave and complete my book. I loved working with my team and knew that in the next season, we would be able to build on all our hard work and take the show even further. But I had a promise to keep. I had to finish my book. 

As a viewer and as a producer, I’ve always loved crime drama, so I suppose it was no surprise that my first book would be in the crime genre – if a little cosy. 

I have a whiteboard in my office, and every time I think of an idea, a scene, or a line of dialogue—I can often be seen on my morning dog walk dictating random thoughts into my phone—I pin it on the board. At the same time, I’m thinking about the story structure. 

After weeks of thinking, it all starts to come together; I’m not really sure how that happens. The characters start talking to you, and new characters start to appear and wiggle themselves into the plot. At this point, I often have sleepless nights, as there’s so much noise in my head!

Then, one day, there it is, the last page. You want to type The end, but that’s not the done thing nowadays. Besides, it’s not the end. It’s the beginning. There will be comments from the development editor and the copy editor, sparking rewrites and more rewrites until it’s finally sent to the proofreader. It’s a long and arduous process, but when you hold the paperback in your hand, it’s exhilarating. I’m already writing my second book in the series. 

MORE THAN MURDER is dedicated to my mum; I think she would have loved it.  

Whether writing a play, making a TV series or writing a novel, it’s all about storytelling. A quote that’s always stayed with me is from Edward Albee’s Zoo Story, “Sometimes it’s necessary to go a long distance out of the way in order to come back a short distance correctly.” It has been a long journey from the proscenium to the paper; it’s been exciting, heart-breaking, exhilarating, challenging, unforgettable, and now a whole new chapter is just beginning. 

—

Jayne Chard is a multi-award-winning film and TV drama producer. She lives in the West Country of England with her partner and two mad cockapoos. She is already busy writing the next book in this cosy crime series. https://jaynechard.com/

MORE THAN MURDER

TWO ESTRANGED SISTERS. ONE DISAPPEARING BODY.

A witty, cosy mystery packed with twists, turns and tea!

When her flamboyant and spirited half-sister, Frankie, returns to Little Clarsden to claim her share of Rose Cottage, left to them by their Aunt Lucy, she is met with a frosty reception from Julia, who still harbours an old grievance. In an attempt to mend their fractured relationship, the sisters attend a murder mystery weekend at the grand country house of the Medfield estate in the rolling hills of Somerset.

After the first evening’s supper, a “poisoned dart” “kills” one of the guests. In the classic whodunit style of a country house mystery, the game of tracking down the “killer” is afoot.

The playful intrigue takes a sinister turn when the sisters discover a real body hidden in a secret passage. When the body disappears before anyone else can see it, no one believes it ever existed.

As night falls, dark clouds are massing like a cloak of a thousand ravens. A fierce storm leaves the guests trapped in the mansion. With fallen trees and debris rendering the guest’s escape impossible, the killer strikes again.This time, everyone believes the sisters.

With the body count rising and two murders to solve, our sharp-witted, sleuthing sisters set aside their differences, determined to unravel the tangled clues of the murder mystery, track down the real killer, and uncover the truth.
Amid the glamour and intrigue of the other guests and the actors slipping in and out of character, it’s difficult to distinguish between fact and fiction. Nothing and no one is as they seem.

As the sisters get closer to the truth, someone wants them silenced—permanently. With laugh-out-loud banter, a hint of danger, and a twist even Agatha Christie would admire, can Julia and Frankie catch the culprit before the murder weekend becomes their last.

With witty and charming characters and a plot with more twists and turns than a country road, More Than Murder is a delightful blend of humour, mystery and the classic country house crime, perfect for fans of Richard Osman, M.C. Beaton and Benjamin Stevenson.

More Than Murder is the first book in this cosy crime series.

Jayne Chard’s debut novel More Than Murder is available from all good book retailers  https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0F381RKHS/ https://jaynechard.com/ 

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