INTERVIEW WITH CHARLIE- DAWN SADLER

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Charlie-Dawn Sadler is a poet, actor, playwright and director from Nottingham

When did your creative journey begin? 

I think I’ve always been creative. I remember before I learned to write, I used to pretend to write stories in the back of my Winnie the Pooh book. It was basically shapes and squiggles but I loved it.

Do you remember the first creative  thing you wrote and were proud of?

When I was 10 I read a book called Scarlett by Cathy Cassidy, I was absolutely obsessed with it, so I wrote a poem based on the main character. I was so proud of myself, I had all my friends and family read it. I used to call my friends on the landline and ask if their parents wanted to read it too haha

What is your favourite book?

Fiction and poetry 

How could I ever pick?! Daisy Jones and the Six by Taylor Jenkins-Reid is probably one of my favourites. I read it at least once a year, it’s just such a unique style of story telling.

What are your favourite genres to write?

I love to write stories that can make you laugh on the first page and cry on the second. Comedy and drama I’d say.

I have seen that you were recently part of a show, can you tell me how you found the process as an actress and creative? 

As an actress it was particularly challenging because it was immersive, I had to constantly think on my feet and expect things to go wrong or change. As a creative it was like a playground. I got to assist with the script which was interesting because I’d be given a brief and I had to follow it completely. Assistant directing was my favourite part, it’s like carving the scene out of marble. 

I am also aware you have written your own work in the past, how does the process differ when you are the writer and when you are the actress?

In some ways they’re similar because you want to showcase someone else’s work as well as your own. There’s definitely more freedom as the writer, as you’re the one creating the story, rather than portraying the story. 

Is there a certain creative role you prefer and are there any other creative “hats” you would like to wear one day? 

I really love doing it all for different reasons. Acting gives you so much energy and the rehearsal process is always so much fun. Whereas, the writing process can be quite lonely and draining at times. I’d like to try more directing as my next challenge!

Do you have any ongoing writing projects that you have been working on for a long time, or do you write one thing at a time?

I have so many projects on the back burner right now! I’m never working on just one thing, although I wish I could be that disciplined haha. My best friend and fellow creative have been working together on projects since uni, we’ve had tonnes of ideas that never went anywhere. Sometimes we drop an idea and pick it back up again years later. 

How do you get ideas for poems?

I’ve always written poems as a way of processing emotions. It’s not often that I search for an idea, it’s more that I feel something really strongly and getting it down on paper helps me.

Can you tell me about some important milestones or events in your writing journey?

Winning the UNESCO Nottingham City of Lit ‘My Voice’ competition in 2020 was a big deal. Before then, I’d never really shared my poetry publicly, then suddenly people are reviewing it and all my friends and family are reading my work. It was bizarre but it gave me so much confidence to carry on sharing

Who are the writers you particularly admire? And what do you learn from them, or how do they inspire you?

 Phoebe Waller-Bridge said that you have to start writing about what you know and then add the drama from there. I really like that because there’s so much inspiration you can find from mundane, everyday scenarios. She also says to disarm them with comedy and punch them in the gut with drama, I definitely think of that when I’m writing a scene. 

Do you think of yourself as ‘a writer’ or ‘a poet’ as a profession?  If so, has that taken time to get used to?

I think of myself as a writer but I don’t think I’ve gotten to a place where I can say its my profession… yet

What do you do if you get stuck with a piece?

I leave it for a few days so I’m not so familiar with it, then read it back with fresh eyes. I’ll send it to friends too and ask where they think it’s going

What are you working on at the moment? And how’s it going?

I’m looking at starting a new project with a friend of mine, so that’s very much in the beginning stages. I’m also trying to get a play up on its feet, gaging interest from actor friends, producer friends etc. On top of that I’m always working on an ongoing poetry project that will probably never end haha

Have you got an aspiration or hope for the next 5 years? 

In the next 5 years I hope to have had a few plays produced, performed, and published. In an ideal world I’d also have starred in an episode of Charity Shop Sue. 

What advice would you give to a young or emerging writer?

The most boring advice but it’s so true, you must keep writing. Write even when its terrible, because you’ve got to write if you want to be a writer. I know, it was a shock to me too.