Got a problem? Ask Lindsey…

Courtesy of Lindsey Dawson.

I’ve done lots of media jobs in my life but never hosted a TV show. But now I
am. I figure I’m the oldest trout on the telly! Well, in this country anyway, as
opposed to the United States where it seems possible to carry on forever if
you’re Barbara Walters (of The View), who is 80. So at 65 I’m a mere chicken.

Tell you what, though – seeing yourself on high-def TV complete with wrinkles and
saggy bits is a bit alarming. Still, I see it as standing up for the older woman. Yay for
us!

Anyhow, the show is Letters to Lindsey. Think of it as an agony aunt show that’s
short on aunties. Instead we pull in experts, who may be ‘uncles’ as well as ‘aunties’,
to sit at our table and answer problems sent in by viewers. It’s on weekly on Triangle
TV in Auckland, 7pm Fridays, and on Stratos (on Sky and Freeview) across the
country, 8pm Saturdays. Here’s a very brief video promo:

We’d welcome any emails you want to write about some problem that’s getting
you down. We’ve been running for only three weeks but have already canvassed
a range of dilemmas – from drug addiction probs through teen pregnancy woes
and employment, to migrant issues and questions around sex and intimacy.

If you’d care to share a burning issue (treated anonymously, of course!) my producer
Deb Faith would love to hear from you. The address is info@tritv.co.nz

Speaking of experts, I went to a very excellent workshop last week run by Hollywood
development executive Christopher Vogler. What a fabulous roadmap he gave
aspiring writers for creating great plots for movies or books. More about this on my
blog , including a link to a site that summarises Vogler’s pointers. His work is based
on the theories of that great scholar of myth and legend, Joseph Campbell. Any of
you who’ve been to my own writing workshops, or just anyone who thinks they have
a novel or play inside them, will get a lot out of it.

And in general his analysis is fun to read because he’s been around a while and so
talks about movies from the past that we’re all familiar with – such as Star Wars
and Jaws – and what it was about those stories that made them such great hits.
Only trouble is, once you know the theory you can’t help analysing every movie
you see or book you read to see how well they match up to the magic formula!

www.lindseydawson.com

By Lindsey Dawson