Stephen Merchant Interviewed by BBC Writers

Writer and performer Stephen Merchant was kind enough to sit down with us to talk about his writing journey and share some of his wonderful advice on writing character, place, and writing economically. Questions and timestamps: 00:06 - How did your writing journey begin? 00:41 - What advice would you have for writers facing rejections? 03:00 - When did you feel that you could start calling yourself a writer? 03:53 - How do you avoid writer's block? 05:30 - Any tips on creating compelling TV characters? 08:43 - What are some top tips you've picked up over the years? 11:48 - What are the challenges of writing in a partnership compared to writing solo? 13:40 - Does being a performer help with your writing? 14:48 - How do you find balancing performing and writing? 15:50 - Did setting The Outlaws in Bristol impact the writing? 18:52 - What are your three desert island box sets? Watch more interviews on the Be Inspired Section of our website here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/writers/resourc... Follow us on X: @bbcwritersroom Follow us on Instagram: @bbcwriters