There are a few hats that I currently wear but Iím a mum first and foremost and I couldnít imagine my life without my lovely boy. I still canít quite believe Iíve got him and the idea of anything happening to him is just too awfulÖ And so, incomplete families and lost children have dominated my recent work. I donít know whether, by writing about them, I subconciously think Iíll be able to rid myself of all these fears but there it is and so there was always going to be this tangent to my 'Tributeí.

I wanted to layer the script a bit though and to make sure the deceased got a rounded tribute that paid testament to her character. I hit on the device of reading out a statement / email, not meant for a funeral, which allowed me to present a deeper insight into the narrator, as well as into Marcie. I also liked the idea that there had been an argument and, through the recounting of it, we got to learn more about the two characters and their relationship.

Finally, I wanted the reveal to be poignant and to strike a real chord. A few years ago, I read an interview with a woman who had lost her only child. In the piece she said that youíre an orphan if you lose your parents and a widow or widower if you lose a husband or wife. There isnít a name for those who lose a child. Perhaps because itís too awful to put into words.