Eleanor Mallinson - Creative Writer
I am a Midlands based writer, director, composer and teacher of the performing arts.
When I was a child I loved to write poetry and stories and this love is something I never grew out of. I think my love of stories is what attracted me to the performing arts and this became my main hobby. When I left school I went to a professional theatre college and trained in acting, singing and dancing and for a few years, worked as a professional performer.
Sadly, things don't always work out the way we would like and due to the impact on my family from the recession, I had to give up the unpredictable income and find something a little more stable.
I began teaching singing and then, eleven years ago, teaching musical theatre for the Nottingham Academy of Performing Arts.
In this job I was able not only to continue my love of theatre, but also once again return to writing. The students wanted a chance to perform on stage, but the school was very new and didn't have the finances to afford to pay for a published production so I took the opportunity to write scripts for the different age groups that would not only be free for them to perform, but also give every member of the class a chance to play a role. I was amazed how popular these scripts became with the students and how much fun they had performing my stories on stage. By specially writing productions I gave them original works and the audiences loved the shows.
With a new found confidence in my own writing I began the labour of love which was my first book trilogy, 'A Prophet's Quest'. Working on the books alongside my other jobs and script writing meant they often had to take a back seat and it wasn't until 2017 when I decided to self-publish the first book - 'Dreams of Darkness' - on Amazon and Kindle.
Having trained in theatre but not attended university, I found I was limited in the places and jobs I could work because my CV lacked the word 'degree' on it. I had always felt this disadvantaged me and in 2018 I began a distance learning degree, studying Creative Writing and Music, with the intention to create a final piece which will tie the two subjects together in a new an unique to the market way. Although I haven't yet completed my degree I am over half way through and excited about the possibilities which may be found when I finally complete the course.
Of course, studying a degree part time, teaching, writing scripts and delivering workshops in other jobs delayed my writing and my trilogy, but in 2020 the pandemic forced us all inside and I suddenly had the time to focus on my writing and consider the potential to work as a writer.
The final book in the trilogy was released in August 2020 and entered into the Storytellersuk2020 competition on Amazon.
I also have two plays which are published by Scripts on Stage and is available for performance by amateurs, schools and youth groups and I am currently editing other scripts with the possible potential for publication.
Samples of my writing can be found on this website, along with articles and thoughts I have had. I will be taking on freelance writing and I'm always happy to receive enquiries about my work. I hope you enjoy what you read!