Breaking Point
This story was really fun to write because I drew heavily from my own experiences, as I spent much of 2020 in front of a screen playing video games with friends (as many people did), as this was our only way to "hang out". It was a bit difficult writing some of the scenes, particularly ones where the scenery changed. I tried my best to describe the visuals using several images from the games as references, such as those below.
This story was really fun to write because I drew heavily from my own experiences, as I spent much of 2020 in front of a screen playing video games with friends (as many people did), as this was our only way to "hang out". It was a bit difficult writing some of the scenes, particularly ones where the scenery changed. I tried my best to describe the visuals using several images from the games as references, such as those below.
I feel that I was able to accurately portray the emotions and thought processes of each of the characters as they progressed through the unfamiliar and uncomfortable situation. I used the same characters as in my other screenplay, "A Fateful Encounter", as I felt it would be fitting to keep the same theme, and to catch up with the characters months later as they began to experience the pandemic that was discussed within that story. The story was originally going to be several pages longer: I had included a part at the beginning where Robin mentioned that he had gone into public without a mask and went on to profess his general disregard for the rest of the population in relation to the pandemic, as well as his friends' reactions to that. I felt that this was distracting from the main focus of the story and added unnecessary extra content. Honestly, one of the only negatives that I see in this experiment is actually surface-level: the formatting. I penned the entire piece in Google Docs, and in order to achieve an accurate screenplay dialogue format in a doc as such, I needed to maintain proper spacing rules, so the spacing of the dialogue is different from the non-dialogue parts. The same goes for "A Fateful Encounter". This is not a huge deal to me, and it is definitely still readable in this state. I am quite happy with the final product.
The Circle of Consciousness
I drew heavily from personal experiences with depression, anxiety, and OCD when crafting this. Writing has always served as a cathartic release when it seems I have nowhere else to turn. I’ve always felt a strong connection to the outdoors… I find peace in the serene bliss of wildlife. Around age 16, I began to endure quite extreme feelings. I had assumed that they were normal, as every teenager experiences unfamiliar hormone fluctuations. However, I soon realized that some of my feelings were magnified compared to those of my peers. I was changing for the worse. This astronomical shift in my mental state has been affecting me ever since, but I have grown much better at managing my intrusive thoughts and gripping anxieties. Something that I really enjoyed about this assignment in particular is that it stemmed from an idea that I had a few years back when I was in high school. I had written some lines that became the backbone of “The Circle of Consciousness,” and I wasn’t sure what to do with the work at the time. Thanks to this class, I was able to expand on my thoughts and bring them into the light. Also, the title came to me fairly late in the process. At first, I was thinking “Complex Consciousness,” but that seemed too simple, and I wanted something that was nature-inspired (due to the content of the piece), so I decided to use a play on the phrase “the circle of life,” as that in itself is a reference to nature as well as the fluctuations that occur naturally throughout one’s life. More than anything, I want to help others who feel similarly. I struggle with finding a good way to do this for a multitude of reasons, one being that some people are reluctant to discuss their mental health.
If there is anyone out there who could relate to this in some way, I sincerely hope that they can find solace knowing that it is possible to come back, even from the lowest of lows. I have found some great light-and-darkness quotes--following in the same vein as my piece’s visual theming--that perfectly put my feelings into words on the topic of mental health-related struggles:
“You cannot defeat darkness by running from it, nor can you conquer your inner demons by hiding them from the world. In order to defeat the darkness, you must bring it into the light.”
“The most precious light is the one that visits you in your darkest hour!”
“What would be the significance of the candlelight, if there were no darkness? What would be the power of the stars over our minds, if there were no night?”
“Maybe you have to know the darkness before you can appreciate the light.”
I feel that the last quote is particularly applicable to the state of the world in this day and age with the current coronavirus situation: Personally, I feel that I had taken so much for granted before the pandemic began several months ago, which sent me into the darkest moments of my life thus far. However, I have definitely gained strength after enduring increased anxieties and feelings of hopelessness during these times, and I feel more ready than ever to take on the world as soon as it is safely possible to do so.
I intend my main takeaway from this piece to be..
No matter how difficult and insurmountable an issue may seem,
you can always be your own ray of hope.
I drew heavily from personal experiences with depression, anxiety, and OCD when crafting this. Writing has always served as a cathartic release when it seems I have nowhere else to turn. I’ve always felt a strong connection to the outdoors… I find peace in the serene bliss of wildlife. Around age 16, I began to endure quite extreme feelings. I had assumed that they were normal, as every teenager experiences unfamiliar hormone fluctuations. However, I soon realized that some of my feelings were magnified compared to those of my peers. I was changing for the worse. This astronomical shift in my mental state has been affecting me ever since, but I have grown much better at managing my intrusive thoughts and gripping anxieties. Something that I really enjoyed about this assignment in particular is that it stemmed from an idea that I had a few years back when I was in high school. I had written some lines that became the backbone of “The Circle of Consciousness,” and I wasn’t sure what to do with the work at the time. Thanks to this class, I was able to expand on my thoughts and bring them into the light. Also, the title came to me fairly late in the process. At first, I was thinking “Complex Consciousness,” but that seemed too simple, and I wanted something that was nature-inspired (due to the content of the piece), so I decided to use a play on the phrase “the circle of life,” as that in itself is a reference to nature as well as the fluctuations that occur naturally throughout one’s life. More than anything, I want to help others who feel similarly. I struggle with finding a good way to do this for a multitude of reasons, one being that some people are reluctant to discuss their mental health.
If there is anyone out there who could relate to this in some way, I sincerely hope that they can find solace knowing that it is possible to come back, even from the lowest of lows. I have found some great light-and-darkness quotes--following in the same vein as my piece’s visual theming--that perfectly put my feelings into words on the topic of mental health-related struggles:
“You cannot defeat darkness by running from it, nor can you conquer your inner demons by hiding them from the world. In order to defeat the darkness, you must bring it into the light.”
- Seth Adam Smith, Rip Van Winkle and the Pumpkin Lantern
“The most precious light is the one that visits you in your darkest hour!”
- Mehmet Murat Ildan
“What would be the significance of the candlelight, if there were no darkness? What would be the power of the stars over our minds, if there were no night?”
- C. JoyBell C.
“Maybe you have to know the darkness before you can appreciate the light.”
- Madeleine L’Engle
I feel that the last quote is particularly applicable to the state of the world in this day and age with the current coronavirus situation: Personally, I feel that I had taken so much for granted before the pandemic began several months ago, which sent me into the darkest moments of my life thus far. However, I have definitely gained strength after enduring increased anxieties and feelings of hopelessness during these times, and I feel more ready than ever to take on the world as soon as it is safely possible to do so.
I intend my main takeaway from this piece to be..
No matter how difficult and insurmountable an issue may seem,
you can always be your own ray of hope.
A Fateful Encounter
I had this idea to write a screenplay for a short skit about the chaos that is 2020. My hope is that readers can enjoy this bit of satire while relating to one or more of the differing characters and dissecting the hidden meanings (character names, costumes, etc.). This was definitely worth pursuing for me because I had never really written anything satirical, and I had also never experimented with the medium of screenwriting. This may sound strange, but I feel some inspiration from those obscure Adult Swim skits that play in the middle of the night. They are short and to-the-point, slightly satirical, and packed with deeper meaning.
I gave meaning to each of the characters’ names: Mara - like Moira, meaning “the will of the gods; fate.” Robin - meaning “bright; new beginnings.” Tristan - meaning “sorrowful.” Veronica - meaning “truth.” Each of the three teens represents one of the following: optimist, pessimist, and realist, which I believe are generally seen as the three main perspectives. Their ages are respectively representative of maturity: the youngest is bright-eyed and carefree like an innocent child, the middle is sad and helpless like a teen who is learning the dark truths of the world, and the eldest has stabilized herself, balancing the truths of life with realistic, thought-out reactions. The story takes place on Friday, October 13th, 2019 in Michigan. I had a lot of fun with this as I was able to incorporate some humor into the overall serious, weird story, and I always like experimenting with new media with which I do not have much experience.
I had this idea to write a screenplay for a short skit about the chaos that is 2020. My hope is that readers can enjoy this bit of satire while relating to one or more of the differing characters and dissecting the hidden meanings (character names, costumes, etc.). This was definitely worth pursuing for me because I had never really written anything satirical, and I had also never experimented with the medium of screenwriting. This may sound strange, but I feel some inspiration from those obscure Adult Swim skits that play in the middle of the night. They are short and to-the-point, slightly satirical, and packed with deeper meaning.
I gave meaning to each of the characters’ names: Mara - like Moira, meaning “the will of the gods; fate.” Robin - meaning “bright; new beginnings.” Tristan - meaning “sorrowful.” Veronica - meaning “truth.” Each of the three teens represents one of the following: optimist, pessimist, and realist, which I believe are generally seen as the three main perspectives. Their ages are respectively representative of maturity: the youngest is bright-eyed and carefree like an innocent child, the middle is sad and helpless like a teen who is learning the dark truths of the world, and the eldest has stabilized herself, balancing the truths of life with realistic, thought-out reactions. The story takes place on Friday, October 13th, 2019 in Michigan. I had a lot of fun with this as I was able to incorporate some humor into the overall serious, weird story, and I always like experimenting with new media with which I do not have much experience.
Socializing in the Midst of a Pandemic
I really enjoyed my experience in creating my first podcast! In terms of challenges, I suppose the main one I faced was maintaining a semi-professional tone of voice, because I tend to talk far more casually with my friends, and I also feel a bit...stiff, almost, when conducting interviews. I noticed this when typing the transcription and hearing all of the “likes” and “ums,” which my friends also said a lot of as well. I feel like my anxiety has subsided ever so slightly after completing this experiment because speaking about my worries always helps me deal with them, and I was happy to speak to my friends after so long, as my friendships had become quiet these past few months. After finishing with this experience, I thought more about the target audience, which I think would be the general population/anyone who is worried about coronavirus/young adults who can relate to our experiences, though our off-track anecdotes probably make this more appealing to people I know personally. If I were to continue with this experiment, I would conduct several more interviews, perhaps with people from different age groups/locations, etc. to gather a wider range of perspectives.
I really enjoyed my experience in creating my first podcast! In terms of challenges, I suppose the main one I faced was maintaining a semi-professional tone of voice, because I tend to talk far more casually with my friends, and I also feel a bit...stiff, almost, when conducting interviews. I noticed this when typing the transcription and hearing all of the “likes” and “ums,” which my friends also said a lot of as well. I feel like my anxiety has subsided ever so slightly after completing this experiment because speaking about my worries always helps me deal with them, and I was happy to speak to my friends after so long, as my friendships had become quiet these past few months. After finishing with this experience, I thought more about the target audience, which I think would be the general population/anyone who is worried about coronavirus/young adults who can relate to our experiences, though our off-track anecdotes probably make this more appealing to people I know personally. If I were to continue with this experiment, I would conduct several more interviews, perhaps with people from different age groups/locations, etc. to gather a wider range of perspectives.