Lucy-Jo Finnighan
Lucy-Jo Finnighan is a writer located in the North of England. She has written plays and pantomimes for the Pen Theatre, Cast, the York Theatre Royal, TheSpaceUK, the Customs House, the Haywire Theatre company, Hive South Yorkshire, Papatango, and the Darlington Hippodrome. For prose, Lucy-Jo has gained recognition within multiple short story and flash fiction competitions. As a journalist, she has had over 1,100 pieces published in Dexerto, Screen Rant, LADbible, Giddy, Girls on Tops, Music Geeks UK, Unknown Magazine, York Vision, Shoreline of Infinity, and The Lemon Press, of which she was the Co-Editor.
Lucy-Jo specialises in lifestyle and entertainment articles for journalism, and the comedy and horror genres for fiction and scripts, but she can work outside of these interests if needed. As she is also a freelance editor, she can provide work of high quality, and can collaborate with other creatives towards an end product.
CV
Writing Work
Consulting Writer & Editor • Freelance • May 2021 - Present
- Collaborated with multiple clients to develop their written ideas
- Wrote and edited a short film script for the first client
- Wrote a TV mini-series treatment for the second client, and gained that second client through the first client’s recommendations
- Wrote a TV pilot screenplay with a third client, based on a book that they had previously written
- Wrote and consulted on another client’s short film
- Edited a children’s book with a client, and provided advice on future works
- Ensured that each client was getting their desired results by keeping notes of all edits made and organising meetings to discuss those changes
Script Writer • Freelance • October 2019 - Present
- Wrote a play extract, titled Lads Lads Lads, which performed at The Customs House for their 2023 Play 3 event
- Showcased a play, titled Is It Them, at the Darlington Hippodrome for a 2023 course with Papatango
- Workshopped a play, titled Reach Out, with The Pen Theatre’s 2022 Queer Up event
- Wrote and recorded a podcast episode, titled The Time Travel Logs, for Hive South Yorkshire’s 2021 “Our Streets Unmasked” project
- Developed a monologue, titled The Story of the Lighthouse, for Cast’s 2021 showcase
- Wrote and directed a play, titled Over on Grim Street, for a 2021 online fringe festival, Online@TheSpaceUK
- Wrote a soliloquy, titled There’s a Bird in the Garden, for the Haywire Theatre Company’s 2020 online event, The Pocketful Project
- Wrote and produced a play, titled Everything Is Fine! which performed at the York Theatre Royal for their 2019 Takeover Festival
Journalist • Freelance • April 2021 - March 2024
- Wrote three articles for LADbible about trending topics
- Wrote over 100 articles for Screen Rant about entertainment and fashion
- Wrote two articles for Giddy about sexual health and history
- Wrote one essay for Girls on Tops about film, literature, and feminism
- Wrote four articles for Music Geeks UK about music and politics
- Researched and pitched each piece, and interviewed significant experts and organisations for numerous articles
- Maintained consistent, friendly, and professional communication with each publication through email
TV & Movies Journalist • Dexerto • May 2022 - January 2024
- Joined a newly-created sector of Dexerto, helping build their TV & Movies SEO authority from the ground up
- Wrote and edited over 1,000 articles for the website, including breaking news, evergreen guides, and reviews
- Travelled to attend press screenings and conference events with companies such as Crunchyroll, Warner Bros., and Paramount
- Interviewed stars of hit Netflix shows and directors of popular franchises, such as The Hunger Games and Scream films
education
Degrees • The University of York • October 2016 - January 2021
- MA in Film & Literature: Pass with Merit
- BA in English & Related Literature: Upper Second-Class Honours
Training
Playwriting Workshops • Papatango • March 2022 - September 2022
- Took part in workshops run by Papatango's Executive Director, Chris Foxon
- Studied writing techniques, along with how to get work researched and performed
- These workshops resulted in a theatrical showcase that was produced by the Darlington Hippodrome, where Is It Them was performed
Playwriting Mentorship • Cast Writers’ Club • February 2021 - March 2021
- Mentored by established playwright Alexander Millington through a writers’ club that occurred weekly
- Millington provided feedback on submitted work, along with advice on navigating the creative industry
- This club resulted in a commissioned showcase that was produced by Cast, where The Story of the Lighthouse was performed
Writing Awards
- Shortlisted in the Hive 2020 Young Writers’ Competition
- Received “Highly Commended” in the Hive 2019 Young Writers’ Competition
- Shortlisted in the Mind 2019 Short Story Competition
- Longlisted in the Shoreline of Infinity 2019 Flash Fiction Competition