Where do you write?
As a parent with three kids, I write wherever and whenever I can. I have one day a week to write on my personal projects, so that’s often at my kitchen table looking out over the garden, or my local library which has a cafe. Having said that, some of my most productive writing has been while travelling to a new town or commuting on a train. New experiences and a range of stimuli can be distracting, but they can also be inspiring.
What’s your proudest moment as a writer?
I was a gag writer for a long time, and I’d live in pride or shame after every punchline, depending on how it was received. The shows I worked on won a few awards, and that was nice. But I think my proudest moment was when I finished my first feature script - a dumb comedy about a white supremacist cell that winds up transporting a boatload of refugees.
What are you working on at the moment?
I recently drew up a spreadsheet and realised I had 11 projects at different stages of development, including one for Triality called ‘The Notice’ which I’m really excited about. One I think I can talk about is an Australian-Irish co-production called Drop Dead Weird, about an Australian family in Ireland with zombie parents. It’s already had two seasons and we’re seeing if we’re renewed for a third.
What made you want to write in the first place?
Writing is just something I’ve always done, and always felt a need to do, in the same way some people (pfft!) feel the need to go to the gym. If I don’t write, my brain feels flabby. If I write a lot, it feels sleek and mercurial.
What do you do when you’re not writing?
Parent and play games. I love games: computer games, board games, role-playing games, theoretical writing about games, design games and design boxes for games. My oldest daughter doesn’t like games, so I can’t parent and play games at the same time. My wife does, though, so when the kids are occupied, we’ll sometimes ride to a cafe and play something.
What sort of characters interest you?
I like internal logic, whether that’s in the narrative world, the science a story is grounded in, or the characters themselves. Getting inside the head of a character who has made bad decisions for reasons that seem perfectly logical for them (whether they are or not) is my favourite kind of writing.
What’s your favourite place in the world?
My sense of home is pretty mobile. It’s wherever my wife is, to be honest. We recently travelled through Italy for a wedding, and I fell in love with Napoli. Similarly, we went on a road trip through Japan and I couldn’t imagine ever seeing everything that country has to offer, culturally, geographically or gastronomically. I’ve never lived in London or Manchester, but I have a lot of family there. They are both full of personality and instantly feel like home. But I would miss the Eastern Australian beaches. There’s nothing like throwing yourself at the mercy of the cool surf on a 40º day.
Where can we see your work?
Best place to start might be my website: bloustien.com.
What would you be doing if you weren’t a writer?
I honestly don’t know. I was a comedian and an academic. I currently work in learning design. I love teaching, but can’t imagine what I would do without that outlet. I’m going to say “sitting on the couch, wishing I was a writer”!