Molly Naylor
Molly Naylor is a poet, playwright and theatre-maker. Her first solo show, Whenever I Get Blown Up I Think Of You debuted at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 2010 to critical acclaim which proceeded an international tour. She was commissioned to write an audio adaptation of the show for BBC Radio 4, which The Guardian described as ‘a brave, funny, tough and brilliant piece of writing’.
Here, she talks about how she got into writing.
Did you always want to be a writer?
Yes, I think I did. In some capacity. I sort of wanted to act as well, but that never happened. I’m a bit weird-looking and awkward-acting. And I couldn’t be doing with the whole “I’ve got you an audition…for Hollyoaks” thing. Now I perform the things I write (sometimes), which is like acting, but I get to be myself and feel marginally less like a numpty. I’m working at being myself and finding some sort of truth on stage. That’s what I’m interested in at the moment. Less drama.
When did you start writing?
When I was five. I wrote some poems. One was about the environment. It was p r e t t y intense.
What/who are your favorite books/writers?
Dylan Thomas. Ross Sutherland. Jarvis Cocker, Morrissey. Nico. Miranda July. Primo Levi. Maurice Sendack. Jonathan Safran Foer. Francoise Sagan.
What kind of thing do you write?
I write poems, theater & radio plays and live storytelling shows. I’m also working on a sitcom. I’ve written a few screenplays but more as practice than with the intention of them being made. Having a screenplay made is on my dream list though. It’s for later, when I’m a grown up.
If you write in different mediums, which is your favourite? Why?
They all have a place. Poetry is for brevity – trains, transitions and moments. Plays are for falling for characters and having them surprise you. The live shows are about expressing ideas without much of a filter; making people laugh and sharing something with them in that one moment.
Can we read any of your work online? Can we see you perform anywhere anytime soon?
I’m performing my new live show soon. It’s called My Robot Heart. It’s a collaboration with a band, The Middle Ones. You can find performance dates on my website: www.mollynaylor.com
How did you get your book deal?
The publishers approached me and asked if I wanted to make a book of my first show, Whenever I Get Blown Up I Think Of You. I said I did as it goes. I’d been thinking of making one with my brother Max, who’s an artist. So we put together a book which is an illustrated text of the live show. He’s brilliant.
Do you have any advice for young writers?
Keep writing. Because as people get older, they tend to get the fear and stop writing. Sooner or later you’re one of the only ones still doing it, and what’s more – you’ve been doing it for ages. So you’re not bad.
This interview first appeared on First Story’s private network
