325: The one story every writer needs to stop avoiding (with Amelia O'Loughlin)

Season 3, episode 25 is here!

Amelia O’Loughlin joined me to talk about her journey from dance to screenwriting, how a chance encounter on South Bank led to representation, and why she’s building Table, a live event and podcast that surfaces exceptional scripts stuck in the graveyard.

She shared her approach to character-led writing, why AI concerns her but the offline renaissance gives her hope, and the one story every writer needs to stop avoiding.

We covered:

- How Amelia chased her literary hero down South Bank with Bill Nighy, convinced him to give her an email address through sheer determination

- Why she believes character always comes first in her writing process

- The kitchen table origin story of Table, a live event and podcast where actors perform excerpts from unproduced screenplays

- Her prediction that consumers will become as concerned about their digital diet as their food intake, and why she thinks the pendulum will swing back toward offline experiences and human-made art once the AI fascination fades

- Why hearing your dialogue performed by actors is both gratifying and requires letting go completely

- Her concern that the interim period before the pendulum swings could make it even harder for creators without trust funds to break into the arts

- Why procrastination for writers often means avoiding the story that’s really a thorn in your side, and why that uncomfortable script is actually your true gift

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