“Think internationally”
Great Scott it’s already week 4! And probably one of the most insightful and enlightening Wednesday classes I’ve had in a while.
Internationally renowned film critics Simran Hans and Philippa Hawker graced us with their presence on Wednesday. On a side note, little did I know, until during the Q&A session that one of my favourite articles on Frank Ocean and about the film references in his songs was actually written by Simran herself! Philippa’s “Teen movies: familiar tropes of school, detention, love and growing up” review was not only a trip down memory lane, but also a thoroughly researched review that supports how Spider-Man: Homecoming embraces the teen movie tropes and executes as a highly regarded teen movie, like the ones we’ve grown up to love.
One particular nuisance I face with writing is writer’s block. Both Philippa and Simran openly discussed their way of dealing with such an affliction. Essentially, the way to overcome it is by distracting your brain and taking a break from staring at a blank page. More specifically, they advise us to:
- Try switching to pen and paper. Writing things down tend to stick or flow more
- Take a short break, get some fresh air like walking around the block
- Strict deadlines help in the process
- Remember that sometimes, in reality, done is better than good
- Just write the first thing that comes to your mind. Doesn’t matter if it is gibberish, it’s a start and anything is better than a blank page
They shared with us their life as freelance writers. Simran and Philippa both iterated to “think internationally” in terms of what we write about as we may never know who it’ll attract at any given moment. As a freelancer, it’s about targeting the large media companies to earn what you deserve in that piece you write about, and it’s as simple as contacting them with a short email of your pitch once you’ve obtained their contact details (of course it’s not that simple at first, but it’s all in the language and your approach). Remember, it’s not necessarily all about networking and at times commercial imperative can get in the way of your writing. Yes, and sometimes it gets to a point where you find yourself writing for the sake of earning an income, like for “trashy” lifestyle / celebrity fixated media outlets.
In terms of finding our persona, it’s all about writing heaps and trusting in our own taste. Simran mentioned that even though you do write about a diverse range of content for different audiences, you actual writing persona is rarely affected. Philippa and Simran told us it’s all a matter of faking it ‘til you make it as long as you know that you’re doing what you love and it’s what your passionate about (as cheesy and as cliché as it sounds, it’s true!)