Writing Advice Wednesday
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 perform, if you’re keen to either get some practise, or need some motivations to start a new script or novel. It’s exercises like this that form part of my One Hour Screenwriter course, which will help you write an entire feature film script in 22 weeks. You can purchase it at the shop here. You can also read testimonies here that show my methods have worked for plenty of other people.
This week, get to work!
Describe your first job
Remember the first paying job you ever had. Write down as much as you can remember about your first work experience. Write as quickly as possible and don’t worry about style, tone or form. Just write.
Describe how you obtained your first employment. How did you find the job? Did someone tell you about the opportunity or recommend you for the position? Who was it? Why did they help you? Did you ask for help? Did someone refuse to help you? How did the job search make you feel?
What prompted you to go to work in the first place? How old were you when you got the job? Was this first work experience something you enjoyed or dreaded? Why? Why not?
How much money did you take home in your first paycheck? How did you spend the money? Or did you save it? What were you saving for? Why?
Describe the sights and sounds of your first job. What did your first workplace look like? Was it a small space or a large one? What was in it? What kind of tools, equipment, items or merchandise did you work with?
Where was it located? How did you get to work? Was it close by your home or a long distance away? Did you travel with anyone? Who?
Describe the people you worked with. Who were the most memorable personalities on the job? Who did you become friendly with and whom did you avoid? Why?
Did you get into any clashes, conflicts or arguments on the job? Why? What happened?
Was anyone particularly kind to you or unusually nasty? Describe a memorable incident (good or bad) on the job. Who, if anyone, do you still see? Who would you like to see again? Why? Or why not?
How did you leave that employment? Did you quit or were you fired? Why? Did you get another job or have another offer? What was it?
Did you move up in the same company? What was your next position?
How did you feel about leaving your first job? What did you learn from this experience? What made the experience most memorable?
Now write this exercise from your character’s point of view. Did you learn anything interesting about your character?
Video Essay of the Week
Sometimes you make your own work before you need a first job, like Mark Zuckerburg and Eduardo Saverin did in The Social Network:
Let me know how you found your media fast by emailing me at [email protected]. I’d love to hear from you as we go forward with more of these writing exercises. Next week, we’ll be talking trash…
Until then, remember- all you need to do is Get Started and Keep Going!
– Laurie
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