I hope you’ve been enjoying Writing Advice Wednesday for the last few months, but I’m trying something different for the rest of the year’s posts. As well as a relevant video essay I’ve found, I’ll be giving you writing exercises to stimulate your imagination.<\/p>\n
It’s exercises like this that form part of my One Hour Screenwriter<\/a> course, which will help you write an entire feature film script in 22 weeks. You can purchase it at the shop here<\/a>. You can also read testimonies here<\/a>\u00a0that show my methods have worked for other people.<\/p>\n This week, you’ll be writing description:<\/p>\n Sit back and remember your first \u201csolo flight\u201d. The first vehicle under your exclusive control might have been your first car, your first bicycle, your first skateboard or your first boat. It might have been a first trip on public transportation all by Describe as completely as you can your first means of independent travel. If this journey was in your own personal vehicle, when did you get your first mode of transportation? Who gave it to you? Did you pay for it yourself? What did you do to earn the money? Whether it was your own vehicle or other means of transportation (or public conveyance), what did it look like? What did it feel like?<\/p>\n Where did you first ride, drive or sail? Who or what did you see along the way?<\/p>\n<\/div>\n What other sense memories do you have of those first \u201csolo flights\u201d? What about your experiences were particularly memorable? How did it make you feel?<\/p>\n If you can\u2019t remember a first- time experience, describe in detail any other memorable journey, trip or excursion in a vehicle. Where did you travel? How did it make you feel? What made that jaunt unforgettable for you?<\/p>\n Take 10 to 15 minutes to complete this exercise. Do not censor yourself; write what ever comes to mind.<\/p>\n Don\u2019t be worried about being articulate, artistic or interesting. Just write.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Don\u2019t worry about style, tone or form. Just keep writing.<\/p>\n Let your memories flow. Make your descriptions as detailed, vivid and personal as possible. If these memories spark something else write about that as well.<\/p>\n How was your first journey alone similar to and different than writing this new story? Are the feelings similar? How have you changed since that \u201cfirst solo flight\u201d? How are you the same?<\/p>\n Write as much as you can in the time allowed or keep going until you want to stop.<\/p>\n Next, do the exercise from your character\u2019s perspective. What was your character\u2019s \u201cfirst solo flight\u201d like? How did it feel? How has your character changed since those early days? How is your character the same?<\/p>\n Did this exercise spark any ideas or insights into your story or character?<\/p>\n This week’s video essay from Tony Zhou proves the importance of an object – chairs. Just as your first vehicle meant a lot to you in some way, chairs can tell us as much as about a person as their car, or first journey alone somewhere.<\/p>\nDescribe your first vehicle<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n
\nyourself, or it might have been some other means of transportation that enabled you to \u201cfly solo\u201d and travel on your own.<\/p>\nVideo Essay of the Week<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n