Visual writing: Thicken time, transform and dissolve text

This article maps the development of visual writing as a fusion of creative writing, script writing and story visualization to assist in the process of translating thought into animated moving images and sound. The article is based on two keynote lectures I have given in Taipai, Taiwan at the Fermentation in Design conference, December 2011, Shih Chien University and at the CICAF Education Forum, Hangzhou, China 2012 and draws together findings and observations so far. The article describes workshops and ideas on visual writing developed in the Animation Programme at the Royal College of Art with the writing expertise of Booker nominated Deborah Levy and writer/illustrator/musician Peter Blegvad. The paper draws on the work of a number of artists and film-makers who naturally use these processes in their practice. Artists included are William Kentridge, Grayson Perry, Michaela Pavlatova and Jan Svankmajer.