Meryl Margaux Bunyi is a creative at heart. She juggles her time between her TV production work and her budding writing career. She spends long days behind the camera, creating content for some of the big television networks in the Philippines. Look at what goes on during her day.

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Just by my name, Meryl Margaux, you can tell that I was born to be in show business like my namesakes, Meryl Streep—the greatest actor of this generation, and Margaux Hemingway—a supermodel and film actress. However, unlike them, I work behind the camera as a TV writer and film/TV producer.

When my teacher asked us to write a play, I discovered that I can write good stories. From there I kept on writing. I wrote alternate endings for the mangas (Japanese comics) I read if I didn’t like the ending. After I graduated with a degree in Mass Communication major in Broadcast, I joined a film and TV production workshop at a big local TV network. I got my first real job there, too. Luckily and with lots of hard work, I was able to become a TV producer.

My heart, though, was in writing. So, when a screenwriting workshop conducted by renowned international writer-director Jun Lana opened, I jumped at the opportunity to join. It was after that workshop that I was able to get a writer role for one of the longest-running morning dramas in the Philippines. Today, I’m juggling my writing and TV production career. I also write some passion projects on the side. In my free time, I enjoy watching movies, traveling, and talking with various kinds of people.

As a writer and producer, my hours are erratic at best. But this is more or less a typical day for me.

5:00 A.M. – I usually wake up early (but go back to sleep again). I pray and read the bible and some spiritual reading plans.

5:30 A.M. – I answer some e-mails or text.

6:00 A.M. – I go back to sleep if I’m sleepy or if I have free time, which rarely happens, or I continue sending emails.

7:00 A.M. – 9:00 A.M. – I spend time on social media. This is when I keep up to speed with news and trends, usually pop culture news. This also serves as my me-time, so I also just do things that I like, such as play music and write in my journal.

10:00 A.M. – 12:00 P.M. – I usually have pre-production meetings for some of my shoots. Pre-production is the planning of the shoot.

12:00 P.M. – Lunchtime. I’m avoiding fast food as much as I can, so I eat at home. But I don’t have so much time to eat so I end up eating at fast food joints anyway.

1:00 P.M. – I go to the office or go to a coffee shop to write.

4:00 P.M. – Our creative team usually meet at this time because most of us are awake at night to write. We brainstorm, present our ideas, and have chit-chats.

6:00 P.M. – We write story treatments as a team while having dinner.

9:00 P.M. – I go home and bond with my mom and sisters. We make sure to talk every time we the chance.

11:00 P.M. – I write until I can. Usually, I go to bed around 2:00 – 3:00 A.M. But there are times when I don’t write and just go straight to bed.

What is the most challenging part of your job or day?
The most challenging part of my job is that you must be both creative and logical. It’s really a work of balance between reality and the ideal. It’s not just expressing your thoughts and making stories, but also thinking about what the audience wants and what the audience can learn from these stories. I must make sure that my stories will give them entertainment, impact their lives, and impart information. Entertainment is like food for the soul, you must take it for you to live.

Now, we have readily available content from different media especially the internet. It’s a challenge to make content that people will watch and like, so we keep on working to write and produce groundbreaking stories. As a writer, you should become the moral compass for the audience too. They should pick up lessons and moral values. It’s a responsibility I always keep in mind.

Also, it might seem easy, but I think it’s hard to get into the business. My mentors said to that to be able to write, you must have talent. But you must keep writing to improve. It’s an endless cycle of training and learning.

What do you like most about your job or business?
The best thing about my job is that it is an art of expressing yourself. You can convey your messages through your stories. For example, I have this personal transition to becoming an eco-friendly gal. I’m trying to influence my friends to become eco-friendly too, but I want it on a bigger scale, so I created an eco-friendly character, which became a subtle way to influence other people. I love it when I read tweets or posts wherein they quote the dialogue I wrote, or when they say that they feel something about it. I love how stories both make an impact and connection with people.

Also, I love that I can write at home, so I can skip the stress of traffic and commute. My time is flexible, so I can do the things I do.

But the best thing about writing is that I have the power to experience things without experiencing it. My imagination makes me feel what the characters feel. It brings you to places you’ve never been to.

What is your advice for women considering your industry?
Find your own voice as a writer. If you tell stories with your voice it will differ from other stories. Your biases, tone, morality, design, or input in any story will make it new and refreshing. Watch films and TV shows. Be observant. Use your five senses and instinct to discover new things. Travel, explore, and experience. If you are broken-hearted, feel it, relish it, and make art out of that vulnerable moment. If you are happy, keep it in your heart. Basically, it’s opening yourself up to the world. Let things get inside of your heart, let your mind process it, and let your hands write it.

The most practical advice is to just start writing, keep on writing, and market yourself as a writer.

 

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