Kamala Santos is a scriptwriter living and working in Edinburgh. Her script for the Easter Play was performed in Princes Street Gardens in 2005 and 2006. She is currently working on a film script based on her writing and research for Scottish Bafta nominated documentary "Tree Fellers". She has also worked as a sound assistant on tv shows including The Royle Family and Holby City.

What does a typical day of work look like for you?

I work in a language school in the mornings as an administrator, come home, have some lunch and then write from 2-6pm. Some people do a full-time job and write in the morning before they leave the house, or stay up and write all night, but I prefer to try and keep a normal working day.

When did you first start to take an interest in scriptwriting?

I used to work as a sound assistant in London on various TV productions - the Royle Family, Holby City, Red Dwarf. I also worked on a few feature films. As a sound assistant you get to know the scripts very well, and I started to learn how a film screenplay should be constructed. After a few years of working in sound, I decided to write a screenplay myself. I showed it to a couple of producers and an agent and they told me to apply for funding from Scottish Screen. I did and I was awarded a grant to rewrite it. This encouraged me to continue working as writer.

Was it what you originally set out to do?

I always wanted to work as a writer but I thought the only way I could make money doing this would be as a journalist. So I tried to get a traineeship as a journalist but there were no positions available. Then I started looking at jobs in the media in general and discovered a fantastic apprentice training scheme to train as a film and TV sound assistant. I loved working in sound, but I couldn't forget my writing dream and eventually moved back to Scotland to start work on my first screenplay.

Is there anyone who has really influenced or inspired you?

I think I've learned more from people at my own level than those who have already 'succeeded'. When I lived in London I met a lot of actors and musicians who were determined to succeed. I learned from them that you have to be extremely committed to being an artist in order to live your dream - even if it means taking a job as a cleaner so that you have the time to work on your art. One of my friends worked as a TV presenter, but when his contracted ended he got a job selling paintings door-to-door because it was the only way he could make any money. Little kids would answer the door and nearly wet themselves with excitement because it was the presenter from their favourite TV show on their doorstep. You need support from your artist friends or else you'll give up very quickly.

What training have you done?

I've been fortunate to receive support from Scottish Screen who are the Scottish Government's film funding and promotion council. They gave me a scholarship through a scheme called the Writer's Factory to study a certificate course in Screenwriting in Boston, USA, and they recommended me to go on a Screenwriting Residential Course where professional actors performed your script.

What are the challenges and joys of your work?

The big challenge is that it is very very tough to be successful as a screenwriter. I've been asked to write screenplays or proposals by numerous directors, but having written the scripts, something usually goes wrong with the funding and the project is shelved, never to be seen on the screen. In fact, even though I'm committed to writing feature films, so far I've only seen my work performed as theatre, and as a TV documentary, rather than a film drama. The joys of writing are when you see your work come alive in other people's hands - writing something for film and theatre is only the first step in a chain and it's exciting to see what a director and actor can bring out of the piece that you never even thought about when you were writing!

How does it feel to see your work performed on stage or screen?

Very satisfying. As a writer you spend a long time on your own in a room thinking about how to write this bit or that bit. To see people performing the words and actions, and to see the audience responding to them, makes the time and effort worthwhile.

Would you recommend it to others? Why?

Only if you're seriously patient. I heard that the average time in Hollywood for a screenplay to go from an initial idea, to a movie on-screen is ten years. However, most people who write do it because it's in their blood - it's something they have to do, and if you're committed to being a writer then screenwriting is the writing of the future!

What advice would you give to young people interested in pursuing a career in writing for film, TV or theatre?

There are plenty of ways to 'go for it' as a writer, and in our country we are fortunate that we have many opportunities to be supported in our writing careers. There are excellent creative writing courses and the government have their own training schemes for people working in the Arts. I was surprised when I studied in the USA to discover that there was very little support for writers. In Scotland we have Creative Scotland (formally Scottish Screen) who offer many different grants for aspiring writers. They also offer advice and feedback on scripts, so they're a good place to contact if you've already written a script. They also have schemes for under-18's to get involved - check out their website for more info.