Working on this ad-hoc writing staff this month has been a great experience. Writing for this team has given me the ability to challenge myself in a new area. I have never had to do peer review on this level before, so it taught me how to take criticism and make adjustments. This, however, has been different from my other writing experiences, because I have been writing for either my own characters, on specific topics that I chose, or in a field that I was in interested or passionate about. I come from a background of novel writing, so jumping into script writing this month has been an interesting, yet challenging experience.
Working on something that was not my own creative property was very challenging honestly. I have known my characters for about 20 years so I know them like the back of my hand and can write them like they were my own kids. I know their emotions, their reactions, and what they would do in certain situations so when I was told to write about characters I did not know it defeated me at first. I had to create a further world for a character that was already created and had a back story already. Talk about challenging.
I could definitely see myself doing this for a living, though. It would be a dream turned into reality for me. At first, I thought I could only write for characters that I created but now I know that I can write also for characters that others have created as well. That is a part of being a team. When I think of some of the writers that influence me they have a team and the team works together to create greatness. I am not saying that it wouldn’t be challenging but with this experience, I have proven that I can do it.
As I continue my quest in this program not only do I intend to learn more but to practice more on my writing. In my spare time and on my off days from work I attempt to get jobs on as many TV/Movie sets as possible. With me residing in Atlanta there are lots of opportunities for learning and growth. While on these sets it is a great way for networking and meeting new people that have the same interests and to make other connections.
All in all, this has been an amazing experience and I while it was challenging it has given me the tough skin and the skills that I need to make it in this business.
