Where could writing take me?
Writing has and always will be a key part of my life, it’s a mechanism to not only express myself but release mental pileups that can occasionally work against us. Writing is an art, whilst at the same time subtly therapeutic. I’m fascinated by words and the impact they can have in how we use, say, and write them. Our true power radiates from our verbal and written communication. We’re all writers unconsciously, some of us just don’t know it yet.
I remember entering a school speaking contest
As someone who struggled to be academically confident throughout large parts of school, it was only in my teenage years and on receiving feedback from my English teachers, that I realised my skill was I could write. Their praise caught me by surprise, and the last thing I expected was to be told I held a literary presence, I had a voice. So, I entered a school speaking contest at 13 and placed 2nd. The sensations from people connecting with my words lit a passion that has continued to grow.
Though it must be said, even after receiving this success, it still took a while for me to believe I was actually any good at it. Now praise for articles and essays are one thing. But on reading my GCSE results and seeing two A’s for English, the imposter syndrome crept in and convinced me it had to be a ‘fluke’.
I never gave much thought to a writing career; I didn’t really know the options available to me or what I wanted to write about. But instinctively, I knew it was a direction I was destined to travel in. I enjoy it. Beyond college I went onto Solent University to study Television and Video Production. We tend to applaud and take for granted the final cut of a programme or series on TV, but what goes unseen and opened my eyes, is it all starts from pages of fantastic writing.
Whilst scripting anything and everything
Going to Solent University helped reiterate just how much I enjoyed writing in its various forms. My course was primarily practical, spent learning how to efficiently use industry standard equipment, yet it was the theoretical and written side I found myself most drawn to. Getting to grips with essay topics, whilst scripting anything and everything I could on the side.
In my spare time I’d be scribbling down poetry or quotes I came across and was left fascinated by. One of my first assignments was to write a script for a pilot episode of a TV show, my lecturer compared it to Fresh Meat and said I’d be good at writing a sitcom. It took me straight back to English at school, and although it spurred me on, I again found myself held back questioning could I really do this?
So, in my final year I just went for it! rather than force interest in areas that would land me a career in Television operations, I became script supervisor on the studio series unit. It took me to the forefront of production and at the core of its writing. Having to keep up with the constant changes, finding the right tone and keeping a team of producers happy was challenging, but in these moments of adversity I stuck at it. By the end of the module, I received one of my highest grades for my contribution to the production, with my lecturer commenting in my feedback that I should think about pursuing a career in scripting.
Heading towards the end of my MA in Film Production
I have since gone on to the MA Film Production course, again at Solent University. I guess the lessons grasped across both degrees in terms of writing, is to always keep doing it. Whether it’s journaling down your thoughts or writing a 12-page story that you never look at again, the best side of it is you never really regret what you’ve penned down, it’s only what you haven’t.
I used to be so embarrassed at the prospect of starting a blog or writing a story, and I kick myself all the time for the stuff I threw away or never did anything with because I didn’t think it was any good. That’s the beauty and power of words though, each individual person interprets them differently, so you never truly know if something is ‘worth writing’ or not. If you feel like it should be written, the chances are someone out there is waiting to read that very thing. I now find myself heading towards the end of my MA in Film Production, irritated with myself at certain opportunities missed, but aware it's not too late to create more in the present and my future.
With that said I’m producing a documentary titled Conversations of Covid due to be released in September 2022, combining my love for production and words together. In this project, I’ll be highlighting the importance of human interaction, the conversations that kept us going throughout this pandemic, and how life has changed for anyone willing to chat to me. I will be tying this all together with poetic exerts to be able to convey a range of emotions. Again, this may be a documentary project, but without the powerful words spoken it would be pretty much meaningless.
WriteSeen has given me a sense of hope and optimism
Graduation is creeping up on me and if I’m honest it’s intimidating. I’m still unsure what career I want to have, though now I’m sure I want it to include writing. Stumbling across WriteSeen has given me a sense of hope and optimism that this could soon be a reality, I just need to find the right industry that fits.
I need to start putting my writing out there for industry professionals to read and discovering this platform has made me realise how accessible this now is. Being on show to industry executives worldwide, whatever writing I put out there, is a powerful tool. Wherever I end up in writing I’m confident that with this platform it’ll be in a good place.
Nadia is a graduate in TV & Film Production, a Screenwriter & Documentary Maker.
Check Nadia out through her social media below.
