EndemolShine Netherlands This is where the story begins Home News About us formats Work at Contact GTST writer Linda: "She must have a secret" Director Jop Joris recently wrote about what is involved in a wintercliff recording of GTST. This time GTST writer Linda Kasander tells where the writing team gets their inspiration from after all these seasons for new characters or exciting storylines. In this case, Linda explains the creation of the new character Shanti… “She must have a secret…” It is July 2018 and I am sitting on a terrace with my laptop and a cup of tea, thinking about our new character Shanti. Last week we came up with a small group of writers to find out who Shanti is basically, but Pia (the main writer of GTST) has asked me to come up with a secret for her. As I stare at the people passing by and want to take a sip of my still too hot tea, I think about what people are keeping secret and why. In my head I go through the secrets of my friends, but I realize that they have all already been processed in GTST. oops. Never befriend a screenwriter, folks. “What would I personally hate to have, to be or not to be able to?” I look at my screen and suddenly I know: Shanti can barely write and read. Dozens of situations pop up in my head where she is conflicted by this secret and I realize we can do something with this! Driven, I type her biography in one go, only to notice that my tea is cold. My colleagues are just as enthusiastic as I am and in the weeks that follow we make up stories in which we make it difficult for Shanti to keep her secret. We brainstorm, read online about low-literate people and contact the Reading and Writing Foundation, which helps us tell this story as truthfully as possible. We use Shanti's secret to sharpen her newly acquired relationships in Meerdijk. Because what happens when Shanti allows Anton to help her? Or if other people find out about her low literacy? I'll keep that a secret, you guessed it... Share this message Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on LinkedIn Also watch... The week of Stijn Ouwehand April 24, 2020 Breaking the rules September 2, 2019 Influencers of the Netherlands: well done! July 17, 2019 With GTST Director Jop Joris on location… January 9, 2019 Follow EndemolShine Netherlands on Instagram too! Here you will find exclusive backstage material, news about our content and the latest vacancies and internships. Follow on Instagram Search: © 2020 EndemolShine Nederland BV | A Banijay Company | All rights reserved. Privacy Policy Cookie Policy Terms of Use