STORYMIX

Ayesha Serena Purcell, Balliol College, Second Year MPhil, MPhil Classical Archaeology, Remote Working

Work Projects

I worked for Storymix, an inclusive children’s fiction studio founded by Jasmine Richards, and my internship involved working directly with Jasmine to research and create outlines for a new fiction project.

I spent my first week doing background research for the project which involved market research of other media in the same frame, synthesising academic research and finding ways to present the research for a non-specialist audience. In the second week I focused on producing a detailed outline for one of the projects that specified every stage of plot and character development.

The internship began with a conference call to discuss the aims for the internship, projects to complete, and first steps. This was excellent as it gave me a really clear idea of what my main goals were and how this fit into the broader organisation of the company. Halfway through the internship Jasmine and I met for a socially distanced brainstorming session which was invaluable in terms of talking through ideas and bouncing concepts off eachother. In addition, during this meeting we were able to discuss my aspirations and career goals beyond the internship and how Jasmine might be able to support and advise me on those.

Daily Life

Throughout the internship my supervisor and I spoke every morning at about 10am to establish where I was up to, how work was progressing and when I expected to finish. This helped to provide structure and support even though the internship was remote and there were reduced opportunities for meeting in person. Working remotely, I was able to organise my day around my own routines which meant I was able to fit my work into my own schedule, working 8am-4pm most days and occasionally doing longer hours on days when I felt in the flow and wanted to capitalise on that. During the abnormal times of COVID-19 it was really lovely to have the regularity of a routine with clear set goals to achieve every day. Jasmine was also very understanding about times and days when I had to change plans or routines due to external COVID-19 factors such as needing to help family members.

Lasting Impressions

This internship was a fantastic opportunity and has given me insight into an industry that, in many ways, I previously thought was inaccessible to someone like myself without the resources to do unpaid internships or take time off work to write and create. Jasmine not only provided information about how she got into the industry but also the way the industry works and the best way in which to pitch projects and concepts. This information will be invaluable moving forward and will make a real difference to the way in which I approach my future career. Jasmine was supportive, professional, and encouraging and I finished the

internship feeling as though I had gained an incredibly valuable contact within the industry who was interested in supporting my own goals and aims. Overall, it felt as though the internship was an incredibly rewarding experience in which I made a genuine contribution towards the progress of the company’s projects as well as receiving invaluable feedback and support.