THE WHY FILES NEW WRITER ASSIGNMENT
If you’re not familiar with the show, watch it. At least watch the first 5 and last 5 minutes of a few episodes. Especially the most recent episodes.
You are going to write a mini-spec script. Choose ONE of the topics below. For assignments, you'll always be provided research and guidance, but you are encouraged to seek out more information if necessary. But remember to fact check. Dramatic license is OK, but we don't lie.
Write SCENE 1 - THE HOOK. 60 words min - 100 words max. (to be read in 30-45 seconds)
This is the first chapter of the episode. It should be fun and mysterious. The goal is to entice the viewer into wanting to learn more. But we do not clickbait. We always keep our promises.
Write SCENE 2. 300 words min - 600 words max. (to be read in 2-3 minutes, 4 minutes max)
SCENE 2 introduces us to the story and sets the foundation for what’s to come. The chapter should end on a cliffhanger or intriguing thought that will connect to SCENE 3.
Write the first paragraph of SCENE 3. Pay off the cliffhanger and set up the rest of the scene.
YOU CAN STOP THERE. But if you want to keep writing, go for it. It would help your chances, but we don't want anyone to put in too much work for free.
WRITING NOTES:
- The text should be Courier 12pt double-spaced.
- You are writing a spec script. This means you are not writing in your own voice. You are writing in AJ’s voice. Watch the episodes. AJ is sometimes slightly sarcastic, but grounded - never snarky, never condescending. He treats the stories with respect, no matter how outlandish. He is dramatic without being over-the-top. Writers who can accurately write in this voice will have plenty of work. (AJ's style guide below)
- Don’t write Hecklefish jokes. If you have ideas for jokes, great. Put them at the bottom of your script. The script should flow seamlessly without jokes.
- Scripts are performed/spoken. So favor shorter sentences, though varying sentence length makes an interesting rhythm. The writing might look simplistic, but it gives the performer a cue when to take a breath.
- Write the way people speak. For example:
- “On that fateful evening, the heavens themselves conspired to unleash torrents of rain and jagged bolts of celestial fury, painting the earthly realm in shades of Stygian blackness. The populace, ensconced within their humble abodes, dared not tempt the wrath of the tempestuous elements; but ah, it was not merely the meteorological malevolence that instilled in their souls an ineffable dread. Nay, it was the unspeakable terror of a lycanthropic monstrosity prowling the benighted landscape—far more horrifying than mere atmospheric turmoil—that held the town's denizens captive in an almost palpable web of trepidation.”
- NOBODY SPEAKS LIKE THIS. Try:
- "It was dark that night, and the storms were more intense than usual. The entire town was indoors. It's one thing to risk the rain, but risking an encounter with a werewolf? That's something WAYYY different."
Email your script to writeforus@thewhyfiles.com. In the Subject line, put "SPEC SCRIPT" so we know it's you. We get a lot of emails. Yours is important. We want to make sure we see it. If you don't hear back, don't take it personally. Maybe we got busy. Maybe we didn't see your email. Maybe it wasn't what we were looking for. Don't email to remind us. Wait a month or two and try again. If you still haven't heard back, we probably passed. Again, don't take it personally: it is VERY difficult to write for The Why Files.
Good Luck!
TOPICS:
Humans Are Not From Earth
https://www.revimage.org/ellis-silver-humans-are-not-from-earth-pdf/
https://mysteriousfacts.com/do-we-really-belong-to-planet-earth-scientists-say-no-we-dont/
https://whatculture.com/offbeat/10-reasons-why-humans-may-not-have-come-from-earth
https://www.learning-mind.com/controversial-theory-suggests-humans-do-not-come-from-earth/
https://sciexaminer.com/news/space/humans-not-earth-claims-scientists-4511.html
–
The Phobos Incident
https://web.archive.org/web/20210928070157/https://quantumorigin.org/the-phobos-incident/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pfwricI6nQc&ab_channel=PhobosMedia
https://bibliotecapleyades.net/marte/marte_phobos05.htm
–
The Black Pyramid of Alaska
https://duckduckgo.com/?q=black+pyramid+in+alaska&atb=v345-1&ia=web
https://www.jasoncolavito.com/blog/alaskas-underground-pyramid-a-case-of-faulty-memory
https://mysteriesrunsolved.com/underground-pyramid-of-alaska/
https://newearth.media/worlds-oldest-pyramids-found-alaska-shocks-scientific-community/
–
Charles Hall Alien Encounter (Tall Whites)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vL7_VV18CRU
https://www.bibliotecapleyades.net/exopolitica/esp_exopolitics_ZZD.htm
https://www.inquisitr.com/3885130/government-is-considering-disclosure-about-tall-white-aliens-whistleblower-claims-u-s-signed-technology-transfer-treaty-with-et-species-after-world-war-ii
http://www.viewzone.com/event33.html
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Tesla’s Time Machine
https://www.ancient-code.com/teslas-time-travel-experiment-i-could-see-the-past-present-and-future-all-at-the-same-time/
https://eraoflight.com/2021/04/11/nikola-teslas-time-travel-experiment-i-could-see-the-past-present-and-future-all-at-the-same-time/
https://teslatelegraph.com/2022/07/25/nikola-tesla-worked-on-a-time-machine-i-could-see-the-past-present-and-future-all-at-the-same-time/
Extra Credit: Choose your own topic that would appeal to The Why Files audience
- Look for the "narrative". What's the story? Anyone can read an essay or watch a generic video on a topic. What makes The Why Files interesting is the story.
- Hollywood Three-Act Structure. Assuming a 22-minute (ish) video:
- MINUTE 1: Teaser / Intro: What are we going to learn and why is it fun/interesting/scary/important?
- MINUTES 2 - 8, ACT ONE, THE SETUP
- What is the world like now? (Current state of affairs)
- What has happened in the past that relates to the story?
- Going into act two is a PLOT POINT (things are about to change)
- MINUTES 9-16, ACT TWO, CONFLICT
- The confrontation, the conflict, the problem.
- Going into act three is a PLOT POINT (crisis or twist)
- MINUTES 17-22, ACT THREE, RESOLUTION
- How have we/they changed?
- What did we learn?
- Why was this important?
- Why should I care? How does this affect ME?
- CHAPTERS: TWF videos are broken into chapters that are ideally 2-3 minutes long, 4 min max.
- Each chapter is its own mini-story with a beginning, middle, and end.
- Try to end chapters with cliffhangers, wow moments, and reasons to keep watching: "Bob opened the box, and in all his years, he never came across *anything* like this." SLAM CUT: to LOGO Doesn't have to be super dramatic. Sometimes can just be fun. "But they tell us this is just a conspiracy. And those never turn out to be true... Right?" LOGO
- HECKLEFISH JOKE suggestions go at the bottom of the script. The script should flow without Hecklefish.
- We set up the mystery in the beginning, giving background.
- For the first 2/3 of the script (acts 1 & 2), the story is told as if the mystery is true.
- We are as amazed as the viewer.
- We emphasize the drama.
- We do not question.
- Act 3 is debunking, presenting other arguments.
- Multiple arguments are ideal. Gives different perspectives.
- Try to answer the questions that the viewer has been asking. They've been poking holes in the mystery. Let's acknowledge those.
- Debunking is done with compassion. We never condescend.
- Mysteries are heavily covered by other channels. What can we bring that's new? Even if it's a new debunking. Why should they watch our video and not the hundred others.
- How is the mystery relatable to whoever is watching? How does this affect their lives? Note: It always does.
- Example: The Spirit Radio video is way out there. But I ended that video with the message: "People building ghost radios may sound crazy, but what would you do for one more chance to talk to a loved one who's passed?" Suddenly it sounds less crazy.
- Is there a lesson? Advice?
- Example: Derinkuyu, it was "push yourself to explore new things".
- Ancient Levitation was "be open to new ideas".
- Multiverse, the message is: "There may be infinite realities out there, but only this one is affected by your choices. Make them count." (I usually don't know what this message is until I'm a good way into the script.)
- Assume the viewers know nothing and that this is their first TWF video. Define terms that might be unknown, ie: "PGP stands for Pretty Good Privacy. It uses a pair of keys: a public key, known to everyone, for encrypting messages, and a private key, kept secret, for decrypting those messages... etc."
- You will be provided research for topics, though you're free to research on your own but be sure to check your facts.
When AI analyzed AJ's writing, this is how it explains his writing style and voice:
AJ's writing style for The Why Files is strikingly distinctive, blending authority with accessibility. He presents extraordinary phenomena matter-of-factly, letting the content's inherent strangeness speak for itself rather than relying on melodramatic language. His approach favors direct, conversational delivery with strategically varied sentence structures that create a compelling rhythm. AJ builds tension through accumulation of facts rather than sensationalism, grounding even the most bizarre claims in concrete, observable details.
The style balances skepticism with openness, presenting unexplained mysteries as factual narratives before transitioning to objective analysis. This creates a unique dialectical experience that respects the audience's intelligence while maintaining engagement through masterful storytelling techniques.
Key Style Elements:
- Matter-of-fact delivery of extraordinary claims
- "The hair on the back of the cook's neck stood up. It felt like he was being watched. He turned around. Nothing."
- Short, declarative sentences with strategic rhythm variation
- "Three creatures floated out, also hovering above the ground. They were about 5 feet tall with pale, wrinkled skin. Their heads connected directly to their shoulders."
- Segmented information flow breaking complex ideas into digestible pieces
- "The craft had a brushed aluminum exterior and was about 30 feet wide. Inside were swivel seats, instruments, and display panels."
- Statements of intrigue instead of rhetorical questions
- Instead of: "What could have made those marks?" Write: "The marks didn't match any known animal."
- Strategic repetition for emphasis and rhythm
- "They conquered fire. They created art. They created music. They created tools."
- Precise detail selection grounding extraordinary claims in reality
- "Calvin woke up on a flat, metallic surface inside the alien craft. He was in a round room filled with harsh, white light, which seemed to come from the walls themselves."
- Understated observations acknowledging strangeness without melodrama
- "This shouldn't have happened. The ability to survive in minus 450-degree cold was not driven by natural selection."
- Favoring simple, direct vocabulary over formal/academic language
- Instead of: "The phenomenon manifested unexpectedly." Write: "It just happened. No warning."
- Scene reconstruction in present tense with humanizing details
- "The artifact sits in the museum director's office. Two American men enter with a briefcase. The curator opens a dusty box on his desk."
- Dialectical presentation moving from extraordinary claims to balanced analysis
- "The hair on the back of the cook's neck stood up. He turned. Nothing. It was Nellis Air Force Base. Middle of the night." (Earlier scene)
- "I have experienced the terror that can occur in that sliver of time between wakefulness and sleep. Maybe it was just imagination. It doesn't matter. The trauma is real." (Final scene)