Welcome to What Are You Reading? Today we check in with scriptwriter Tiarna Armstrong.
Tell us about yourself?
I’m a recent graduate from Edinburgh Napier University’s renowned MA in Screenwriting degree course. I hold a first-class honours degree in French & Creative Writing from Bangor University, Wales. I was born in Botswana to an African father and an Irish Mother, and was mainly raised in Northern Ireland. I write screenplays and compose my own music. You can follow me on Instagram @tiarnaarmstrong.
What are you reading right now?
My mum gave me her copy of The Covenant by James A. Michener - a 1000+ page behemoth about the history of South Africa. I'm only 30 pages in, but I don't think I can do it - it's not for me.
What’s the best book you’ve read recently?
My Dad Wrote a Porno (off of the renowned podcast) by Jamie Morton, Alice Levine and James Cooper - the annotated version of Belinda Blinked by Rocky Flinstone. It's nothing short of pure, comedic genius.
I am obsessed with MDWAP and Rocky Flinstone - he's equal parts genius and madman and Belinda Blinked is even more hilarious on paper.
When they eventually make it into a film (which they will, given its unbelievable success), I want to make it known that I have to be the one to write the screenplay because I am MDWAP's biggest fan. Jamie/ Rocky - please get in touch.
What’s your advice for aspiring writers?
Be open - open to learning, open to listening, to taking criticism, to rejection, to failure. It's all part of the unique journey that makes a writer - or a creator of any kind.
What’s the most interesting fact you’ve learned recently?
I'm an avid listener of the No Such Thing As A Fish podcast (hosted by the researchers of BBC programme QI) so I have a million amazing random/ useless facts stored in my brain, but my current favourite is that the Albanian language has 27 words for different kinds of moustache and 30 for eyebrows. Incredible.
What film or tv do you never tire of?
TV show: Brooklyn Nine Nine - it's my home, my ultimate comfort. Film? Disaster films of any kind - old school classics like Dante's Peak and Volcano (I wanted to be a volcanologist until I was about 15), to more recent ones (with better special effects) such as 2012 and World War Z - I am not a zombie person at all, but World War Z is genuinely one of my favourite films for some reason.
News from Ki:
We welcome two new clients this week: the terrifyingly impressive Prof Matthew Feldman and web/comics guru extraordinaire John Allison.
Claire North's e-novella Sweet Harmony is published this month.
Kate Charlesworth's Sensible Footwear was shortlisted for the Polari Prize this week . Congratulations to the winners, Life as a Unicorn and In At the Deep End!
Kate is also up for Diva Wordsmith of the Year today (Friday Oct 16th)
Anne Perry's A Christmas Resolution is published this month.
Tom Boyle's movie The Ledge is shooting in Serbia.
Thanks, Tiarna! And thanks so much to all of you for subscribing to WAYR. We’re on Twitter @thekiagency Interested in our submissions guidelines? Find everything you need to know here.