Writing TV is my favourite thing. Movies are great to practice structure and focussing on one theme, but they lack the time that allows for truly moving character arcs or world building. Video games are liberating to write, but the story always has to keep mechanics in mind and has to have an element of interactivity that stops every detail being perfect. TV though? TV is the best.

Every episode can have its own self-contained story, like a mini-movie, but combined with the others can tell an even grander story. Every character can start the series one way and become completely unrecognizable by the end of it. Every season can have new villains and threats or expand the world of the story further and further. I love writing TV.

I’m writing a TV show at the moment and it’s the most fun I’ve had in a while. The characters are all so distinct and interact so well. The plot’s central theme is one that is near and dear to my own heart, but lends itself to allegory enough to create a fun concept. And the episodic plots keep me guessing what happens next in my own freakin’ story!

It can be hard trying to make each episode have its own unique moral, or motif - sometimes you just gotta advance all the plots you got going on without trying to tie them all together under some profound parable. And sometimes you just wanna have an episode where things go boom and bullets go dudududududud. Action is a genre, don’t be afraid of it.

I feel like comparing my stuff to popular TV at the moment, every now and then. I look at shows and I’m like - ooh, clever dialogue - my characters just make puns. Or, wow those shots are so artsy and metaphorical - whilst my show’s tone isn’t really taking itself so seriously. Or the worst one is when you’re watching something with a thousand characters all with their own plot twist or a complex world full of rules and you’re sitting there like… my imagination could never.

But comparisons are dumb. Especially if you’re comparing to the wrong things. My story isn’t trying to be this tightly plotted mystery novel with red herrings and revelations. It’s not a sitcom designed to be sidesplittingly funnier than anything I could ever write. It’s most definitely not a fantasy story with 16,342 protagonists and a million locations. I know what my story is, and what it’s inspirations are - and when I look at those inspirations I see the truth: my story is just as good - and will be loved just as much.

To all my fellow writers out there, if you’re a fan of character arcs, dialogue-heavy scripts and exploring varying plots with your characters - try writing TV. I highly recommend.

2019 has been a year of transition. 2018 was the year of new experiences that changed who I was: I studied abroad for the first time; I drank for the first time; I fell in love for the first time. And let me tell you, as fun as the year was, it was also a whole lot for my brain to deal with. I started this year kind of depressed, extremely anxious, and dealing with the aftermath of 2018. 2019 was the transition between the aftermath and recovery for me.

Reeling from a bad breakup, I had to remember what it was like to be happy without somebody else’s affirmation. So I threw myself into work - luckily it happened to coincide with my final year of university where work is pretty important. I stayed up until 6 am every night working on this animated trailer, I agonized over every line of my final movie script. You know, healthy stuff.

But it worked, because that wasn’t all I did. I also acknowledged that this is my last chance to hang out with these people I’ve known for the last 4 years… so hang out I did. Even people I’d never really spoke to became like family in the weeks leading up to the end. And teachers and students hung out like friends, since come graduation we’re all really in the same boat. Screenwriters just trying to make our mark.

I worked so hard, and graduated with great results from Regent’s University. This milestone I had been working towards for 4 years finally happened! I was sad that it was over, but so proud of myself for doing it - 2 years younger than most people do. Being surrounded by loving friends, proud of the hard work I had achieved, and being praised by my family - it all reminded me of who the fuck I am. It undid all the identity crisising of 2018 just like that.

So if 2018 was a year of change, 2019 was a year of transitioning back to who I was before that - just with a bit more wisdom this time.

Today is a day of firsts. First blog post, first day of my 20's and first award!

Regent’s University had an end of semester film screening that just so happened to be on the same day as my 20th birthday. I had kind of hijacked the event as a birthday party of my own, which my friends were all lovely enough to agree to. However, days before the event my teacher texted me that they would also be having a competition where the winner would earn the title of Rob McKee’s Best Film 2019. I loved my film, but due to some footage loss that had to be covered in editing, and the fact that I hadn’t yet gone back to it to polish - I declined his invitation to submit my film, believing that there’s no way it would win…

Finally arriving at the event, I find my friends and family, enjoy some conversations and beverages, sit down to start the viewing. Some of my classmates films were awesome, some were clearly low effort. But the audience is mostly pretty dead. I wait excitedly for mine… It comes on.

Everyone loves it. They laughed at the right moments, they “aww”d at the right moments, they even cried when I wanted them to! It was the first time in my life I’d seen a live reaction to my work and it warmed my heart more than words could ever say.

Then, time for the Rob McKee award to be handed out. The runner-ups get their awards, all well deserved. I cheer. And then my teacher starts giving a speech about how the winner of the award is special, and his film was the only one that truly tried to tell a story with heart and emotion and who’s screenplay was the most impressive… Something in my heart makes me suspicious. But then it’s confirmed.

He calls out my name. WHAT? I DIDN’T EVEN SUBMIT MY FILM FOR THE AWARD. Turns out my teacher did it for me, because he believed in me that much. When I say I cried… I really mean it. I go on stage and accept my award. But that’s not all. This sly bastard also gives me a chocolate cake in front of everyone. IS HE TRYING TO KILL ME WITH GRATITUDE? I accept, tears staining my cheeks, and a smile on my face.

This whole experience taught me to never doubt myself ever again. My work is not only adequate, but great - and beloved. Hopefully, I can have the opportunity to make stuff one day that the whole world loves too!