Using TV to Improve My Writing Craft
In the past I have written about resources that have helped me write my novels. My line up of recommended resources has included books, movies, and even YouTube.
Movies: Cracking the Conflict Code (using the movie Passengers)
YouTube: Traveling Close to Home - Using YouTube as a Research Tool
Today I’m going to add to this series of resources and talk about TV. Yep, you read that right… as a writer I’m going to share the ways in which watching TV has helped me become a better writer.
In one of the slides from a school visit presentations, I share this statement when I talk about how I got to where I am as a writer.
See that part about not watching TV? I meant it at the time that I wrote it, but the pandemic has… changed things. With more time at home, I actually do watch some TV now. Most days I work from home and take my lunch with a side of HGTV. My husband and I go in streaks of streaming the complete season of a show (usually a dramedy, here’s looking at you Ted Lasso and Friday Night Lights.) I now watch the news while I do Pilates rather than listen to audiobooks at a gym I no longer attend.
Even though our ever changing world has brought these TV habits into my life, I’d still say I watch less than the average American.
“According to the A.C. Nielsen Co., the average American watches more than 4 hours of TV each day (or 28 hours/week, or 2 months of nonstop TV-watching per year). In a 65-year life, that person will have spent 9 years glued to the tube. ”
The point of this article is not how much TV we watch, but what we watch and how we can use it to improve our writing craft.
** Quick side note. Please do not use this post as permission to binge hours of TV and count it as writing time, because at the end of the day, the number one, most important thing you can do to get better at writing, is to write. If you don’t make time for it, your literary goals and dreams are never going to happen. That’s just the cold hard truth. **
That being said, here are a few channels and shows that I have watched and how I have used their content to improve my writing.
HGTV - Home Improvement Shows
In addition to being highly entertaining and helpful when you need to remodel your house, home improvement shows are a great place to learn how to describe a room. While watching Fixer Upper and Home Town and my absolute favorite Rock the Block, I learned how to describe styles of flooring, point out details like vaulted ceilings and notice complimentary color combinations. I also learned the lingo (aka: the correct vocabulary) to use when talking about interior design, furnishings and styles. These content specific details have seeped into my stories and improved the way in which I describe the the settings of my stories.
I took this one step further and actually wrote about an interior design contest (Destiny by Design) using all the fun tidbits and creativity I witnessed on these shows. I also borrowed the host of My Lottery Dream Home (David Bromstad) and used him as an actual character in this book!
Cooking Shows
The exact same thing that can be said of home improvement shows can be said of cooking shows. Thanks to my friend Jen Barney, three time champion of the Holiday Baking Championship, I am totally hooked on the Food Network. (Did you know Jen’s appearance on these shows inspired my book Reality Bites?!?!)
As a storyteller, food can be an important element in taking your story to the next level. People love food. They connect meals and their sensory experiences they create to events, places, memories and people. Adding in a delicious description to the food being served or eaten in a scene can help bring a story to life. Whether food is an integral part of your plot or not, consider using your time watching the Great British Bake Off (or your own personal favorite cooking competition) wisely. Have a notebook next to you. Write down flavors, the scents and textures the competitors and hosts describe, the food and wine pairings and anything else that grabs your attention. Keep your collection in your project folder or story notebook to reference later on. Then, when faced with writing a foody scene - a dinner party, a picnic lunch, a bridal brunch or a line up of bakery case offerings - whip out your notes and pull your reader in, one tasty description and accurate depiction at a time.
National Geographic
My kids are history buffs. Ancient civilizations and the American Revolution + US presidents top their list of favorite time periods and topics. Occasionally on family movie night, one of them chooses a documentary or show to watch from National Geographic’s line up (available to us through Disney+). Again, we are entertained while we learn new things. If you are writing a historical fiction story, watching a show on a targeted topic might just be the best (and most fun) research tool at your disposal. Travel shows and animal documentaries are also within National Geographic’s repertoire and could provide all sorts of valuable facts and information.
I’m not sure if I mentioned it before, but I have a middle grade novel idea (think magical realism meets kid Indiana Jones) locked away in my brain. I am certain a few episodes from Nat Geo would be just the thing to set my imagination running free with possibilities. I’m confident that on the channel I’d find fascinating facts and historical background and so much more of what I’d need to get this story out of my head and down on to paper. If only there were more hours in the day! Maybe next year!
What about you? What TV shows inspire you? What kind of content do you consume in the name of research and craft development? I’ve only scratched the surface here and would love to hear what other writers do. Tell me in the comments below and then, get writing!
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