Writer Spotlight: Carly Mills
Date Posted: May 22, 2025
Carly Mills’ journey as a screenwriter took off through Northern Ireland Screen’s New Writer Focus scheme, where she developed her debut feature Can’t Abride It. In this spotlight, Carly reflects on the process of turning an idea into a script, the support she received, and how the scheme helped her take her writing more seriously.
For anyone wondering what it takes to get started in screenwriting or looking for a bit of inspiration, discover more about Carly’s story and her candid look at the journey from passion project to professional opportunity.
How did the NWF shape or support your journey as a writer?
NWF was the start for me; it was the first feature I’d written, the first time I’d been given the time, space and feedback to really scrutinise a script, and to examine what I was trying to say with it. It provided such a firm foundation to my writing practice – I learned about working to a deadline, being held accountable to deliveries, and was treated seriously as a writer.
What inspired you to apply for the scheme, and what would you say to someone hesitant to apply?
It was Spring 2020, and I had been taking advantage both of having time off my day job and the many screenwriting workshops and classes that had moved online due to the pandemic. I’d had a nugget of an idea for a film, so when the New Writer Focus Opportunity came up it seemed like a goal I could really focus on and challenge myself to get the words on the page.
To someone hesitant to apply, I say – do it! You have nothing to lose, and writing a feature in itself is an incredible learning curve and a huge achievement. Putting your writing out there can be terrifying, but NWF is a great place to start.
What kind of support and guidance did you receive from Northern Ireland Screen?
Stacks! Apart from regular check-ins with Ursula Devine (Scripted Content Manager at NI Screen), we had talks from agents, producers, development execs and professional writers to tell us more about the craft of screenwriting, the wider industry, and what a career as a working writer would look like.
It was great to be given space to make mistakes, to try different things with the script and know that it was part of the process and could always be undone. Across the nine-ish months the scheme ran for, we would meet every few weeks to share our latest drafts, and having that ‘safe space’ for discussion and feedback with Ursula and the other writers in the cohort was so helpful.
Did participating in the scheme open any unexpected opportunities for you?
Absolutely. Thanks to New Writer Focus, I developed a Daytime TV Romantic Comedy script, was invited to be part of a BBC Hothouse Development Programme, and have written for children’s television. It opened so many doors for me, and really rocketed my writing career from ‘noodling about with a notepad and a few lines of dialogue’ to taking myself seriously as a writer.
What’s one piece of advice you wish you had known before starting the scheme?
Be prepared to work, and even if you’ve redrafted your script a hundred times, be ready to view it as ‘draft zero’. It’s going to change, and that’s a good thing.
Could you share any details about the project you developed or upcoming projects you’re excited about?
The script I developed was a coming-of-age comedy about a girl planning her wedding and dealing with her emotions about moving on to the next stage of her life. It explored the contradiction of how traditional weddings infantilise women but ‘marriage’ suggests a degree of competent adulting, both of which my messy, chaotic protagonist struggled with.
In terms of upcoming projects, off the back of New Writer Focus and the introduction to a Producer, I have had two short films developed through NI Screen. The first, Polished, is set in a nail bar and is about an unlikely friendship between the school bully and her bookish classmate, while the second, Post Partum Sex is about couple trying to reconnect after the birth of their first baby. Polished has been entered into a few festivals and Post Partum Sex is finishing up in the edit, I’m really excited for both.
Would you recommend Northern Ireland Screen’s New Writer Focus Scheme?
Big Fat Yes. I loved it, learned so much from it, and it has been such a major turning point in my writing career.
Thinking about taking your own first step as a writer? Discover more about Northern Ireland Screen’s New Writer Focus scheme and how it could help bring your story to life.
