* Overview... * CV & Educational Background * Film, Television, and Theatre Writing * Awards and Nominations * Novel - Looking For The Zee * Non-Fiction - Modelling and Acting for Kids * Website Design and Internet Marketing * Article Writing * Teaching and Lecturing

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Overview...

Janice Hally's first play, Ready or Not, written while she was still at university, won the 1980 World Student Drama Trust Award, an international competition judged by Alan Ayckbourn. It was produced by the Tron Theatre, Glasgow, and subsequently adapted for television in 1982, leading to her nomination - at the age of 23 - in the category of Best New Writer to Television in the PYE Television Awards.

From then until the late 1990s, she was continuously in demand as a television dramatist, writing single screenplays, children's drama, and serial drama, accruing more than 650 professional credits as writer, creator, storyliner, and script editor; and establishing herself as one of Scotland's most versatile and entertaining television writers. Her works include some of Scotland's most popular prime-time television dramas, regularly placed in the Top Ten by viewers' ratings. Take The High Road was at the peak of its success, enjoying record audience figures when she was storylining and writing scripts for it, during the mid-to-late 80's.  While writing for Take The High Road she met and formed a writing partnership with Peter May, whom she went on to marry.

In the 1990s, May and Hally co-created the ground-breaking 99-episode drama serial Machair set in the Outer Hebrides. Hally storylined and scripted, and May went on to become the producer, leading a 70-strong cast and crew to the Isle of Lewis where they spent six months out of every year, for 4 years making the drama serial.

In the new millenium, after creating 300 broadcast hours of drama, she quit television and moved to France, turning her talents to writing books.  Her romantic comedy, Looking for the Zee, was published in the USA by Miramont Media; and her non-fiction book Modelling and Acting for Kids was published by A&C Black. Her latest book is Distant Echo published by Editions Didier of Hachette Publishers.

She has managed the promotion of Peter May's books through website creation, worldwide press coverage and organisation of tours and public appearances both in the US and in Europe.  Her interest in internet marketing and website design led to her designing and creating websites for several authors and artists.  She is also responsible for the Author Interviews Channel on YouTube for Poisoned Pen Press - creating online versions of the Criminal Calendar TV show where Barbara Peters interviews the world's best crime and mystery authors.

She was recently commissioned to adapt Peter May's novel, The Firemaker - the first of his China Thrillers series - and to wrote the treatment for a full-length feature film for French production company KUIV.  She is at present working on the feature film script for May's The Killing Room for the French production company The French Connection.

She has been sought after to pass her skills on to others: Scottish Television approached Janice Hally and Peter May to devise and run a course on Creating and Writing Television Drama. The European Film College in Denmark recently invited them to lead a practical project on Creating Serial Drama for Television, subsequently broadcast on Danish Television. She has been a guest lecturer at her Alma Mater, Glasgow University and has run an adult education course in Writing for Television, for Strathclyde Regional Council. She has also tutored a Course entitled Starting to Write Drama for the Arvon Foundation at Lumb Bank in England.

Janice Hally is currently the online magazine Suite101's Feature Writer for the Freelance Writing section providing a resource of useful information and quality articles for freelance writers.

Janice Hally and Peter May now live in South West France and for a couple of weeks each year they take a break from their writing to run 7-day residential writing Courses in the beautiful French market town of St Cere. Back to Top

Writing Credits
for Film, Television, and Theatre

The Killing Room
(2010/11)
Feature Film
Writer
Screenplay for full-length feature production.
Adaptation of the novel of Peter May's The Killing Room (Les Disparues de Shanghai) commissioned by French Film Production company, The French Connection.

The Firemaker
(2008)
Feature Film
Writer
Screenplay treatment for full-length feature production.
Adaptation of the novel of Peter May's The Firemaker (Meurtres à Pékin) commissioned by French Film Production company, KUIV.

Machair
(1990 - 1996)
Television Drama Serial
Co-Creator, and Executive Story/Script Editor
Along with Peter May, created the series and the characters. Storylined and script edited the first 99 episodes, and wrote the scripts for more than 50 episodes. The series was produced by Scottish Television and broadcast in Scotland and Ireland.
click here to find out more Take The High Road
(1983-1989)
Television Drama Serial
Scriptwriter, and Story Editor
Wrote more than 50 episodes; was Associate Script Editor on 208 episodes, and storyliner of 240 episodes between 1983 and 1988. Produced by Scottish Television and broadcast on network television across Britain. Private Eye
(1985)
Single Television Screenplay
Writer
Produced by Scottish Television and broadcast on network television across Britain as part of the children's series, Dramarama. My Mum's A Courgette
(1984)
Single Television Screenplay
Writer
Produced by Scottish Television and broadcast on network television across Britain as part of the children's series, Dramarama. D'You Get Paid For Doing This?
(1983)
Single Television Screenplay
Writer
Produced by Scottish Television as part of the Preview series of plays. Broadcast in the Scottish and other British television regions.  Ladies First
(1983)
Single Television Screenplay
Writer
Produced by Scottish Television as part of the Preview series of plays. Broadcast in the Scottish and other British television regions. Subsequently sold on to and broadcast on network television across Britain by Channel Four.
"there are some writers who can hit it off perfectly Janice Hally has done it before and last night she did it again."
Helen Graham, The Herald.

Ready Or Not
(1982)
Single Television Screenplay
Writer
Produced by Scottish Television as part of the Preview series of plays. Broadcast in the Scottish and other British television regions
  Ready Or Not
(1982)
Theatre Play
Writer
Tron Theatre, Glasgow
"Janice Hally has all the wit, flair and tenacity required I like the way she turns a phrase and twists a knife."
Tom Kinninmont, The Sunday Standard.

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Awards and Nominations

Novels

DISTANT ECHO

Janice Hally's novella Distant Echo (June 2010) published by the French publisher Hachette in France in the English language is aimed at learners of the English language, but is also an ideal length for English-speaking tourists looking for a short entertainment to see them through their train trip or flight.

French psychologist Alexandre LeLong is called upon to help American tourist Marilyn Jensen  after she is involved in a hiking accident in the Lot Valley.  Her head injuries have resulted in amnesia; however her case is not as straightforward as it seems.  On regaining consciousness she begins speaking fluent French, and the enigma deepens when the memories which return to her seem to belong to a woman who has been dead for thirty years.

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LOOKING FOR THE ZEE

Click here to read synopsis, extracts & reviews
Looking for the Zee
(published by Miramont Media, USA)

Non-Fiction Book

Modelling and Acting for Kids

- a step-by-step guide to the
child modelling and acting business

A & C Black, famous for its reference books and non-fiction titles commissioned Janice to write a guide to the child modelling and acting business.

Published in 2004, the book is a handbook for young hopefuls entering the world of advertising and entertainment.

The book combines an easy to follow, step-by-step approach to building a career, with expert advice from professionals revealing behind-the-scenes secrets and tips for success.

Click here to find out more about Janice Hally's Guide to Child Modelling and Acting

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to find out more about Janice Hally and her work
click on any of the links below...

writing credits and CV writing courses agent and contact details Looking for the Zee Machair reviews of Janice Hally's writing