Shadowing Practice: How Does A Writer Find The Right Idea? - Byron Q. - Learn English Speaking with Video
Creating lesson...
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Film Courage, How do you know you have a good concept for a movie?
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I asked my manager I don't know I think I do have to kind of bounce
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that idea off of people I always think I have a great concept
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but from what I've learned is I have to let
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that settle a little bit and then really kind of just keep thinking about
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that idea and now I have a manager so he will tell me
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if he's seen like a thousand of these ideas already or not
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but yeah so do you think
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that you also have to know for yourself though I mean what
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if your manager says oh this is great
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but you don't feel committed to the work yeah I mean first
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and foremost you have to believe in it right
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but for me I always believe in my concept
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so my problem is more like I always believe in it
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so I need somebody else to tell me if it's actually not
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that great and not everything my manager would say I agree with
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so and there are some well one film
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that I want to do where I know it's a great story and concept
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so that's the one I'm going to do not as a
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live action oh with unreal engine yeah you're going to do it with
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like using real people in real time okay yeah interesting do writers come up with ideas
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or are ideas just revealed to them I think the ideas are revealed
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because and that goes into like creativity right like where does imagination come from
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and I don't think it'll be very egotistical to say
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that oh I'm the one that comes up with an idea because if you think about thought
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thoughts thoughts just pop into your head
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and sometimes just random thoughts would come from out of nowhere
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so it's like where do those thoughts come from it's coming
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from the same source where your imagination your creativity will come from so it's really just about you
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capturing that and being open to it
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when it arrives yeah I think there's a book thoughts are things
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and so yeah just that it's thoughts or energy of course
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and yeah that we could be you know you know
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when they they we pick up things that are in the zeitgeist
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or whatever it's it's you know this energy
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that we're tapping into yeah why do you have a hard time coming up with ideas
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so I think I I don't have a hard time coming up with ideas
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because I get a bunch of ideas all the time
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but it's really about me choosing the right idea that I'm interested in and
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a lot of times I just have to let it marinate
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a little bit until I it's the ideas I keep going back to those are the ones
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that ultimately I'll write a script for do you think in
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some ways you might be stopping yourself from coming up with ideas or or maybe too critical judging them too
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I think a lot of times I come up with an idea that is really just
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there's not enough substance to it it's just like a gimmick idea like oh what
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if one day you wake up
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and the world is upside down say okay then what like what is your actual story like who's your character
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because there has to be more than just like the concept
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and a lot of times I get stuck on that
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which is like I have like maybe a gimmicky kind of idea or interesting idea but it's like
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what is the actual story so that's usually where I get stuck like I need that story
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to fit into that idea
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so it's it's one thing to have like a cool movie idea we talked about one
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that I had off camera but it's another to actually flush it out
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and spend time on yeah like what is the actual story like what is it really about the character
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and the journey of this character so a lot of times like
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that takes a lot of time to really bring out
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and for me it takes like multiple rewrites before I actually see what the story is about oh
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so you may not even have an idea of the ending
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or the whole character arc until you actually start the writing
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process I might have kind of an idea of what the ending is going to be like
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but sometimes I have to just start writing
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and then more of it will come to me like in the middle of typing
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as I'm typing a scene out it'll start going in a different direction
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and I'll just okay I'll go in that direction and then later
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when I look back on that scene I'm like oh wow
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this is like what the movie is about like it kind
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of just came out you know as I was typing it Film Courage, How do you know an idea is yours that you were the one to bring it to life?
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I don't think I'm the one to…I don't think any ideas are mine.
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I think they come from this other realm,
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this other place and I'm just the one that's
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interpreting that idea and bringing it out, expressing it
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and that's why a lot of times they say there's no
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original idea anymore like every story has been told already
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but it's like how you tell that same story
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because everything really comes from just like a human nature aspect
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but we retell it in the context of like a modern society
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or retell it in the context of a science fiction world so yeah if an idea comes too easy
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do you trust it yeah I think I think if it's a good idea it doesn't matter how this idea comes because
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if it pops in your head and it's and you'll know
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when it's like oh wow there's there's something to this like it speaks to you
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but it doesn't matter how it came about
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and a lot of times for me I have to put myself in an environment where the ideas can come
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so for me it's like
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as I'm writing ideas will come to me
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so that's like a meditative state as I'm writing
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or I go for a walk or if I travel somewhere
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or if I go to a park
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and just sit there surfing like just gotta find a place where your thoughts can move freely
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and you're able to really be in tune with
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that do you think there's a correlation between sort of like navigating waves
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and and thoughts
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and writing is there like a hmm I mean I've always thought of surfing as a great analogy for life
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so I think there's something to what you just said
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because the waves will keep coming right but you kind of have to be ready first of all for the wave
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and second of all you have to pick the right wave like if you try to paddle for every wave
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you'll just eat it maybe on a few of them
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but you got to pick the right wave the right shape
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and you have to be in the right position to get
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that wave and then you'll ride like a really nice wave
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because you said that some of these ideas were just gimmicks
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so is that almost like you're also picking the wave you're trying to decide what's what's a gimmick
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and what's actually a good
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yeah that's it right
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so idea is too glassy you can't I don't know I don't know the surfing metaphor okay
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but is that something that you really took partake is
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that something you did lot
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when you were in san diego you were surfing in san diego
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but also out here yeah I live pretty close to the beach
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so I can surf I'm like 10 minutes from the beach
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is there a difference in the in the san diego surf
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community versus la yeah I think la they're a little bit more aggressive
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oh really in terms of like getting their little spot in
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the water yeah yeah oh wow okay san diego it's more
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like hey man yeah it's all good okay yeah I think
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that's sort of a metaphor for the area too yeah
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but do you prefer being around an energy where you kind of have to fight for your spot
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or do you like to be more in a harmonious I
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I tend to stay away from the other surfers I mean I really don't care
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if the waves are good in one spot I'll be where those waves are
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but generally like
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and I think for most surfers you kind of want to
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have your space yeah most people probably don't go into the water just to you know be social it's more about
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finding something in them some kind of interesting
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but do you do you see that same analogy in in the film world
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because you know there's a lot of judgment on oh well this film
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and these credentials from this festival do you think you take
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that same like I just want to find my little spot
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in the film world
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and just make my movies yeah I mean I really don't like going out to the film events
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and doing that whole thing and I do think there is a lot of like judgment and
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this idea of like oh they got an award and this film didn't get an award
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like with the oscars and all that so for me now
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I just want to focus on why I initially got into filmmaking
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which is like to be creative to tell stories
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and that's the part that I like I don't like the aspect of like outside validation
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and having festivals or like critics approve your film as like a good film
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or not you know you can put it out to the audience
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and the audience can tell you if like they like it
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or not I guess that goes back to the original question
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when we first asked you when we first started rolling
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which was why do you stop or or why did you stop chasing success
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which sort of ties into
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that maybe yeah yeah festivals are great for watching other films sorry yeah I love festivals
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but you gotta recognize them for what they are
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which is it's just a celebration of films it's not like a place where you get validated although it's become
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that in the industry for sure especially with places like Sundance or Cannes
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but yeah you kind of have to I mean at least
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for me maybe some other filmmakers are really gunning for that
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but for me like I'm just really focused on creating something
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that is interesting for me and something that I think a specific audience might like
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what's fascinating about the surfing the nature of the mindset in one area versus another
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yeah there's a lot of analogy with surfing
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and life have you ever been told to like you're in my little area I'm trying to catch this wave
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or I'm trying to do no mostly most times people will just
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if you drop in on someone when they're surfing
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or they'll drop in on you that's usually when there's some conflict that happens but I've definitely had some
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run -ins with surfers but I think after a few experiences like
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that it's like hey I'm just trying to go out
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and surf I don't want to go out surf
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and then come back feeling like I just had argument with someone
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because then both people don't feel great for the rest of the day
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I'll rather just like ignore you
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if you drop in I'll be like okay I'll just paddle away I don't care what does
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that mean to drop in like if somebody's on the wave already
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and then you paddle for the wave
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and kind of like dropping in front of them like cut them off ah okay I drop in
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gotcha okay interesting how common is it for you to work
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on a movie idea only to abandon it months later you
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said sometimes you you get it out of your system when you write a script
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yeah I've definitely done
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that a lot I would say I've had few scripts where I wrote maybe a draft
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or two and then kind of just left it
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yeah I would say a lot of projects kind of go through a few drafts and then get left aside so
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yeah but that's kind of like my process like I have to write
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that story for me to realize oh this is like wasn't really it
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and and for me like it's the process of discovery
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like what was I interested in with
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that story once I write it then maybe there wasn't something
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that was that interesting anymore
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so I go to the next thing how long does it
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take you to write the first draft it could be like well
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because it takes some time for me to get to
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that first draft like I first have to like write a treatment
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or an outline and that process would take a
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while it could take like two months maybe
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but to write the actual draft once I have my outline it could just be like maybe a couple weeks
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so it's worth it to you to spend that much time
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and decide okay I've gone through a couple drafts I'm actually not sure about this story
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it's okay yeah yeah for me I like the process of writing
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so I don't mind doing that and And I am getting better as a writer when I do that.
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It's like practicing, it's like you're going to the gym.
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I don't go to the gym, I hate going to the gym but it's kind of like
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that idea you're just exercising your muscles so
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that you can write the next script that will be a great script that you're really passionate about.
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This B2 speaking lesson is built on the video “How Does A Writer Find The Right Idea? - Byron Q”. This video has 195 sentences and 2394 words to shadow. The speech runs for 14:49. The speaker talks at a natural 162 words per minute, close to everyday conversation. 87% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English, so the vocabulary is easy to follow.
Key vocabulary in this video
The 15 most advanced words in the video, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| surf verb | /sɝf/ | To ride a wave on a surfboard; to pursue or take part in the sport of surfing. |
| gimmick noun | /ˈɡɪm.ɪk/ | A trick or device used to attain some end. |
| paddle noun | /ˈpædl̩/ | A single-bladed version is typically used on canoes and some other small boats. |
| surfer noun | /ˈsɜː(ɹ)fə(ɹ)/ | A person who rides a surfboard. |
| analogy noun | /əˈnæləd͡ʒi/ | A relationship of resemblance or equivalence between two situations, people, or objects, especially when used as a basis for explanation or extrapolation. |
| retell verb | /ɹiˈtɛl/ | To tell again, often differently, what one has read or heard; to paraphrase. |
| metaphor noun | /ˈmɛt.ə.fɚ/ | The use of a word, phrase, concept, or set of concepts to refer to something other than its literal meaning, invoking an implicit similarity between the thing… |
| outline noun | /ˈaʊtlaɪn/ | A line marking the boundary of an object figure. |
| creativity noun | /kri.eɪˈtɪv.ᵻ.ti/ | The ability to use imagination to produce a novel idea or product. |
| credential noun | /kɹɪˈdɛnʃəl/ | documentary or electronic evidence that a person has certain status or privileges |
| egotistical adjective | /ˌi.ɡoʊˈtɪs.tɪk.(ə)l/ | Tending to talk excessively about oneself. |
| fascinate verb | /ˈfæsɪneɪt/ | To evoke an intense interest or attraction in someone. |
| filmmaking noun | The activity of preparing edited video works, formerly principally films, whether for entertainment or other purposes. | |
| gimmicky adjective | /ˈɡɪmɪki/ | Resembling, or characteristic of a gimmick. |
| glassy adjective | /ˈɡlæsi/ | Of or like glass, especially in being smooth and somewhat reflective. |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| come up with verb | To manage to produce, deliver, or present (something) by inventing, creating, thinking of, or obtaining it. | |
| go back to verb | To stem from; to originate in. | |
| go out verb | To leave, especially a building. | |
| go through verb | To travel from one end of something to the other. | |
| bring out verb | To elicit, evoke, or emphasize (a particular quality). | |
| come back verb | To return to a place. | |
| come out verb | /ˌkʌm ˈaʊt/ | To be discovered; to be revealed. |
| leave aside verb | To not talk about a topic so as to allow full consideration to something else. |
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| Conditional sentences if + clause, will/would + verb — a condition and its result | if you drop in I'll be |
| Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now | I've learned · has been told · I've always thought |
| Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it | are revealed · has been told · been told |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 70 contractions and reduced forms, such as don't, I'm, you're. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: credential /kɹɪˈdɛnʃəl/, validation /ˌvæl.əˈdeɪ.ʃən/, flush /ˈflʌʃ/, correlation /ˌkɔɹ.əˈleɪ.ʃən/, passionate /ˈpæʃənɪt/
- Long words — get the stress right: analogy /əˈnæləd͡ʒi/, creativity /kri.eɪˈtɪv.ᵻ.ti/, egotistical /ˌi.ɡoʊˈtɪs.tɪk.(ə)l/, harmonious /hɑɹˈmoʊni.əs/, meditative /ˈmɛdɪˌteɪtɪv/
How to practise with this video
- Listen to the whole video once without speaking and note the words you do not know.
- Start at 0.75× speed, shadow it sentence by sentence, then go back to normal speed once it feels easy.
- Record yourself and compare with the original, paying attention to words like surf, gimmick, paddle.
What is the Shadowing Technique?
Shadowing is a science-backed language learning technique originally developed for professional interpreter training and popularized by polyglot Dr. Alexander Arguelles. The method is simple but powerful: you listen to native English audio and immediately repeat it out loud — like a shadow following the speaker with just a 1–2 second delay. Unlike passive listening or grammar drills, shadowing forces your brain and mouth muscles to simultaneously process and reproduce real speech patterns. Research shows it significantly improves pronunciation accuracy, intonation, rhythm, connected speech, listening comprehension, and speaking fluency — making it one of the most effective methods for IELTS Speaking preparation and real-world English communication.