I was excited to get this particular guest on the podcast because for a while I've had him on my list of people to have on from when we started last September. It was even better to hear that he is a regular listener. In episode four, the team welcomes the Liverpool born writer, Ian Salmon.

I have to say this episode was a real eye-opener to who Ian salmon is as a writer and as a person. Ian for me is one of the most well-known writers in Liverpool with his brilliant plays; ‘Venus Rising’, ‘The Comeback Special’ and ‘Those Two Weeks’- which is one of the best plays I've seen in a long while. He recently penned the hit play; ‘Girls don't play guitars’. This was performed to a packed out audience at the Royal Court. I've only seen one of his plays and was taken back at how easy, and natural his dialogue was. His writing works brilliantly with Mikee Dickinson's direction and Catherine Ainsworth skills behind the scenes. It created a powerful and outstanding play. These creatives make an excellent team. ‘These Two Weeks’ is a brilliant theatre piece, especially the very last scene performed by local actress, Sam Walton. The delivery of powerful words written gave me goosebumps and was very emotional. I'm hoping that he will bring this play back in the future.

I love Ian's writing because he incorporates his love for music and football within his body of work. He touches on how he got into writing and what inspired the path that he is on. I've said this before about Ashley and myself: we didn't have any qualifications just like Ian, but we didn't let that stop us from doing what we love. It's essential to encourage upcoming writers to go and network within these writing groups available, such as Lantern Writers. Ian touches on how substantial these groups are. Liz Redwood - our newest writer, is currently on the Royal Court playwrights course, which is fantastic. In a recent chat with her, I've said that It's so important to get the correct feedback and network as a writer within these groups. The more eyes that see your work, the better it is to improve the project that you're working on.

Overall this episode has got to be the most informative from a writers point. I say this because I've always been criticised over my writing not having a back story for individual characters. It was brilliant to hear that Ian does the same as Ashley and me, you don't need a back story. The only thing that matters is what's happening now. I took some great things out of this episode. I love how honest Ian is throughout this interview, and you'll understand what I mean when you listen to the episode this Sunday. There is no ego with Ian, and it was a pleasure to hear him speak and share his stories. We hope that writers who listen to this episode will learn a lot from it.

I'm looking forward to having a pint with Ian soon and talk about all things creative. Thanks to Ian and the team for another fantastic episode of the podcast.

Words by Christopher Woodward
Images by Andrew Smith