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Saturday 8 July 2017

How Does Reality TV Help Writers?


There’s been a lot of talk in the press and on social media about the latest reality TV hit, Love Island (which seems to be continually trending on Twitter #LoveIsland) and how not everyone would admit to being a fan. Here’s one of many articles on the subject, written by Tim Jonze, via The Guardian.

I am generally a reality TV fan, but I find some shows more addictive than others-my favourites being The Only Way is Essex (TOWIE), Made in Chelsea and Celebrity Big Brother (CBB). Sometimes I watch I’m a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!, but it varies each year, depending on who is taking part. The problem with watching reality TV is that it’s a time-consuming occupation. In the past, I’ve added up the hours spent watching CBB, and thought-I could have spent all of that time writing. But then I told myself I was doing research...I have to say, when episodes have become very negative with nothing but arguing or ganging up on someone (even if they’re being unreasonable, I can’t bear to watch it), I’ve skipped them as I watch reality TV to feel happy rather than miserable.

But, what can reality TV offer to writers? A great deal.

If you’re writing about characters in their 20s, and it’s been a while since you were in your 20s (ha!), this is the perfect way to find out more about how the life of a twentysomething has changed. Some programmes, such as CBB don’t allow phones, but with TOWIE and Made in Chelsea, (and even a little bit in Love Island), phones are used constantly to communicate-to arrange dates or to invite people to parties with messaging, FaceTime, Voice Memos, and occasionally good old-fashioned phone calls. There's a lot of talk on TOWIE about what's been seen on Snapchat too re photos from nights out of boyfriends with other girls etc. In TOWIE, they keep showing people paying for drinks at the bar using their phone as well. All of these details, although small can be used to make the life of a twentysomething character more real. And I certainly need this info for the main present day character in my WIP (#amwriting a dual timeline also set in the eighteenth century).

Many reality TV programmes, most of those mentioned above anyway, are about dating or relationships-helpful if you’re writing romantic fiction about twentysomethings. 

These programmes tend to include people with a range of personalities, which can fuel ideas on how to develop a character. There are those who keep their cool at all times and never truly reveal themselves; those who play games and who are there to win; those who enjoy winding others up or playing people off against each other. Then there are those who fly off the handle-but sometimes this can be the result of someone continually pushing their buttons. There are the alpha males and alpha females who naturally take the lead in a situation, or play the diplomats when others argue. When the programme is a competition, often those who are most liked by the other contestants win.

I avoided Love Island initially this year because I couldn't get into it last year. But after all the fuss in the press and on social media, I thought I’d give it a go. And yes, now I’m a bit addicted and disappointed that it doesn’t seem to be on on Saturday nights-my husband is out and for once I wouldn’t have to watch it on catch-up (there is some kind of round-up of the week episode on)-which is why I’m writing this post instead.

And who are my favourite characters in Love Island? I can’t help liking Kem and Amber. Wouldn’t everyone love a Kem in their life to do their hair (he's a hairdresser) and to talk to about their problems? But after last night's episode, where they were split up during a recoupling, who knows if they’ll be there at the end?

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