Alexander John Brown

I was inspired to bring Hit Me to the screen during one of the most difficult periods of my life. Years earlier, I’d lost my boxing career because of a life-threatening illness. After four years of treatment, I was fortunate enough to recover, but some years later, my youngest brother, Stephen, became terminally ill.

We had always promised each other that we would never treat one another as if we were dying. Instead, we used humour. We found that if we could laugh,  even for a moment, the physical pain and the emotional weight would disappear, just briefly, and those moments meant everything.

While visiting him in the hospital near the end, I remember how much he’d changed physically. I said to him that if I were in that much pain for that long, I might have ended it myself. He told me he had actually tried, but couldn’t go through with it. I jokingly said maybe I’d just hire a hitman to make it quick. He paused and said, “But what if you did, and then found out you weren’t dying? And you couldn’t stop it?”

That single sentence stayed with me. I promised Stephen I would one day turn that idea into a film or television series. Two days later, he passed away at the young age of 27.

It took time, as I had a very young family, but in 2018, I began keeping that promise by completing and publishing my first novel, Hit Me, a darkly comic crime thriller. Since then, I’ve continued expanding the world with four Hit Me novels, and bringing the story to the screen is really the final part of fulfilling that promise to my brother. I have also written Niddrie Boys, a work of creative non-fiction.

So, although the novels and TV series are crime stories and often funny, at their heart, they’re really about love, mortality, and how humour can help us survive the hardest moments of our lives.

I taught myself screenwriting during the COVID lockdowns. I did this mostly to stave off boredom, but I never thought I would become a screenwriter, as I believed the best way to bring Hit Me to the screen was to continue with the novels. But when I pitched the story to a television producer, it became clear what I had always known: that the world and characters were really suited to a TV series, and I was encouraged to write the scripts myself.

My process begins with the books. I break each novel down, select chapters and characters, and build an episode outline from that. I then translate the material into script font and format, which gives me a structural template for the episode. After that, the real work starts with shaping dialogue, pacing, and visual storytelling. I rewrite constantly, sometimes for many weeks, until the episode feels like it flows naturally on screen. I then print my first copy, mark it with issues and take notes for edits, and repeat this again and again. I have at least 10 hard copies of the TV pilot episode that show the changes until I get to a point where I’m ready to share it for feedback from a novel editor, proofreader, and my production consultant, who give me feedback that helps me complete the episode to a level we are happy with.

I think my visual approach comes from owning video rental shops in the late 80s and early 90s. I spent years surrounded by films and customers talking about movies, so when I write, I tend to see the scenes play out in my head, almost like I’m watching them.

I’ve continued learning through YouTube tutorials, industry feedback, and by submitting the scripts as proof-of-concept exercises. Using the fast-track feedback option has been incredibly valuable, helping me refine my screenwriting even further.

I also place notes in my phone as they come to me, then add them to a long-running notebook of comic situations and character moments I’ve imagined over the years. Those ideas feed into the scripts and help balance the darker crime elements with humour. My hope is that the mix of crime, character, and dark comedy makes Hit Me the kind of series audiences return to again and again.

For me, the characters always come first. The plot actually grows out of who the people are rather than the other way around.

All of my characters are fictional, but they’re inspired by real personalities I’ve encountered throughout my life, growing up in Niddrie, a very tough area, working in bookmakers, running businesses, boxing, coaching, and spending years around very different kinds of people. I’ve met funny people, dangerous people, kind people, and people who were all three at the same time. I draw from those observations rather than copying any one individual.

I also give each character a very clear contradiction. For example, someone who might appear intimidating can be insecure, or a violent character can be surprisingly witty. Hatchet the Halfwit is a loyal gangster’s sidekick but has an innocent, almost childlike way of looking at the world, which creates humour and humanity simultaneously. Damien Rock is genuinely dangerous yet sharp and funny, making him unpredictable. Barnabas Wild, who shares my perspective, is an ordinary man caught in extraordinary circumstances, someone just trying to navigate a criminal world without being involved in crime. The name Barnabas Wild comes from a memorial stone in an old church I purchased, which was my boxing gym for 10 years before it moved to the town hall. The Reverend Barnabas Wild served in the Methodist church for 43 years, including the last 18 years of his life in the church I still own. This memorial, with the name, instantly gave me goosebumps and a sort of spiritual feeling, and I knew there, and then this was the name of the main character in Hit Me.

Another important thing for me is memorability. I give characters strong identities and distinctive nicknames because I want audiences to talk about them the way people talk about real personalities, in pubs, at work, or with friends. I always write them as if they could carry their own spin-off story, because if a character feels big enough to exist beyond the plot, the audience believes in them.

I also have a background in music and stand-up comedy, and that helps with dialogue and rhythm. Even in very dark situations, I look for humour, because humour makes characters human. If the audience laughs with a character, they emotionally connect to them, and once they care about them, the stakes of the story become real.

My current project is the next instalment in the Hit Me series, a novel titled Hit Me: The Niddrie Mafia. All of the stories are set in Niddrie, Craigmillar, and the surrounding areas of Edinburgh, and together they form what I think of as a shared world: the same characters, locations, and consequences carry across multiple stories.

Each new instalment expands that world. I introduce new characters and storylines that can run alongside the main narrative. For example, one storyline follows the child of the hitman from the first book, who enters the same criminal world but has gender dysphoria, and with the hitman being killed in the first book, Chris, who becomes Christine, comes to Edinburgh in search of her missing parent. Another follows Archie, who runs an organised shoplifting network that operates almost like an underground delivery service via messaging groups, bringing humour and social commentary to the crime setting.

What I’m really building is a continuing universe rather than a single story. Every character has their own journey and potential to grow into future plots or even spin-offs. That’s why I believe Hit Me naturally fits a television series format; the world keeps expanding, and the audience can keep returning to it.

For me now, this isn’t just one project; it’s become a long-term creative journey. I feel the experiences I’ve had throughout my life have given me the voice and perspective to tell these stories, and I intend to keep developing this world for many years to come.

I think what sets my writing apart is that it’s very character-led and very local. The stories are rooted in a real place and a recognisable community, but the emotions and relationships are universal.

I focus heavily on dialogue and personality. The plot matters, but I’m most interested in how people interact with the humour, arguments, loyalty, and grudges. Many of my characters operate almost like double acts: opposites who somehow need each other. You might have a dangerous person paired with someone naive, or a serious character constantly dealing with someone chaotic. That tension creates both comedy and drama at the same time.

I also deliberately write characters to be memorable. I give them strong identities and distinctive names because I want audiences to talk about them as if they’re real people. If viewers leave an episode quoting a character or debating their decisions, then I know they’ve connected with the story.

My perspective comes from the range of experiences I’ve had in life and the people I’ve encountered along the way. I’ve seen humour and kindness exist alongside hardship, and that balance naturally appears in my writing. Even when the story is dark, there’s always humour and humanity underneath it. For me, entertainment and emotion should sit side by side; the audience should laugh, but they should also care.

Television is completely collaborative, and I approach it that way from the beginning. I was fortunate to meet a television producer in 2019 who responded strongly to Hit Me. We talked about adapting it at the time, but I felt I still had more to build creatively, so we agreed I would continue developing the world and reconnect when it was ready. After completing the third novel, we began the journey together with a plan and started taking practical steps to bring the project to the screen.

I see my role as creating the characters, tone and story world, but I also understand that directors, producers, actors and designers bring perspectives that improve the material. I’m very open to ideas as long as they serve the characters and the emotional truth of the story. I don’t see collaboration as losing control; I see it as strengthening the final result.

 I also have another creative project: a children’s series I created originally for my grandkids that involves working with a graphic designer, an illustrator, voice artists, a sound designer, and a video production team, as I don’t have a clue about this side of the industry. This team also create any visual images, promotional videos and book covers etc. The experience of working with them have taught me how important communication, organisation, and trust are in a creative team. Everyone needs to feel ownership of the work. I write the stories with the help of my grandkids, who give me the ideas of what they want in a story, but everything else is created by professionals whom I pay for their services. (I have attached links to Snoozlewhoosh)

Ultimately, I want the best version of the story, not just my version of it. If someone brings an idea that makes a scene stronger, I embrace it. I believe that Film and television succeed when everyone is pulling in the same direction.

Yes, I think every writer faces two big challenges: self-doubt and creative blocks. I experienced that many times while writing the novels. There are times when you question whether the work is good enough or whether the story is working at all.

What I’ve learned is not to fight it. When I hit a block, I step away for a while and let the ideas settle. I’ll take a break, focus on other parts of life, and eventually, the story starts solving itself in my head. When I come back, I can usually see the problems much more clearly. For me, persistence is more important than speed.

Confidence has also grown over time. Early on, I would second-guess myself a lot, but feedback from readers and audiences helped me realise that the characters and stories were connecting with people. That reminded me of why I started, not just to fulfil a promise to my brother, but because I’ve always been a storyteller and I really enjoy it.

I also try to keep a balance. I can write with intensity when inspiration strikes, but I make sure to step away and recharge. New ideas often appear when you’re not at the desk. The key lesson I’ve learned is that writing isn’t about waiting for inspiration; it’s about staying committed to the story even on the difficult days. I have a built-in mental stamina that allowed me to complete five marathons and many half marathons in my 40s, along with skydives and full marathon-length Kilt Walks, all physically demanding but mentally invigorating for when I write for long periods.

I’m still relatively new to the industry, but what I’ve noticed very quickly is how central the writer has become for long-form storytelling, especially in television. Audiences now follow characters and worlds over multiple seasons, so the writer isn’t just creating a script; they’re creating a continuing narrative and tone that everything else builds around.

With streaming platforms and global audiences, stories also travel much further than they used to. A local story can now reach viewers anywhere in the world, which means authentic voices matter more. Viewers can tell when characters feel real, and that puts more responsibility on writers to create believable people rather than just a plot.

I also think the path into the industry is changing. There are now more ways for new writers to be discovered through festivals, script competitions and online platforms. That’s encouraging because there’s a huge amount of talent out there, and I feel audiences always respond to fresh perspectives.

For me, the writer’s role is becoming both creative and foundational. Directors and actors bring the story to life, but the writer creates the world they’re stepping into. As audiences become more invested in characters and long-form stories, strong writing becomes even more important to a project’s success.

The first thing I would say is don’t give up too quickly. Writing takes time, and improvement comes through doing it consistently. You have to believe in the story you want to tell and stay with it long enough to develop your voice.

I also think learning happens as you go. Research is incredibly important. If your story touches on a subject, take the time to understand it properly. Authentic details make characters and situations feel real.

One practical habit that has helped me more than anything is recording ideas. Inspiration doesn’t arrive on a schedule, so I keep notes on my phone and write down thoughts, lines of dialogue, or character ideas whenever they come to me. Over time, those small notes grow into scenes and eventually into stories. I back them up, so nothing is lost.

And finally, try to enjoy the process. Writing can be challenging, but it’s also a privilege to create something that may outlive you and be experienced by people you’ll never meet. If you enjoy the storytelling, the work never really feels wasted.

My original goal was simply to fulfil a promise to my brother and one day see Hit Me on screen. For a long time, I believed that would come from the novels being adapted by someone else, so I never imagined I would eventually be writing the scripts myself. That has really changed my ambitions.

Long term, I want to continue developing as a screenwriter and learn the craft properly so I can bring the world and characters to life in the strongest possible way. I’m very open to collaboration, I feel television is a team medium, and I would welcome working alongside other writers, producers and directors if it benefits the story. My priority is always the quality of the final production.

I’d love to remain involved with Hit Me across multiple seasons in whatever capacity is most useful, whether that’s writing, consulting or helping guide the tone and characters. Beyond that, I hope to keep creating new stories and building projects that audiences can return to over time. If I were lucky enough to be involved in the production, I would love to find a young local person and give them a chance to change their life by becoming an actor. This would mean the world to me, and I know my brother would love this.

The impact I hope to make is simple: to create memorable characters and stories that people connect with emotionally, that make them laugh as well as care, and that stay with them long after they’ve finished watching.

I am only just getting used to being called a screenwriter. I would describe myself as a storyteller who became an author and is now a new screenwriter, and now hoping to become a successful, seasoned screenwriter one day.