Chicken Wrangling
I have to say, I was surprised by the jump of complexity in getting this second project completed. After all, wasn't it just the same project, but more?
I continued to fight my own personal demons, those of brevity (or the lack thereof). I really struggled to get this down towards the expected word count. Even after removing a third of the piece, I was still a hundred words over.
I have to say, if I was going to critique the structure of this class, I think we spent too long working on drafts before we transitioned to recording. After writing two different sketches, the step of revising one sketch (before revising that sketch again, into a script) felt extraneous, as it was really in the conversion from sketch to script that most of the editing happened, and it was at the end that I felt I needed more time.
Partly because it was harder to get a handle on the music than I'd expected, although I've learned something: I need to work on my project with speakers, not headphones. Things sound a lot better on headphones, and I've noticed in both of my projects now audio issues that I am learning about for the first time in class. So that's something I can be more on top of and try to fix.
But the other issue is, you can be looking at words on a page and have no idea where to cut, but then you hear the same material out loud and it becomes glaring. Having more time to listen to the audio tracks and make decisions at this phase seems like it would've been helpful.
Overall, though, I felt stronger working on this project. Yeah, I stumbled on the music. But I don't think anyone could tell that I stitched together eight vocal tracks. Maybe my inflection could have been better. (After further reflection--was it because I was laying on my stomach, rather than sitting in the chair I used the first time, the latter stolen from me by a curious feline?) But I think the story was recorded well, and the tweaks needed are small.
I'm curious to take on the next project, as that will push us into even more challenging territory.
I continued to fight my own personal demons, those of brevity (or the lack thereof). I really struggled to get this down towards the expected word count. Even after removing a third of the piece, I was still a hundred words over.
I have to say, if I was going to critique the structure of this class, I think we spent too long working on drafts before we transitioned to recording. After writing two different sketches, the step of revising one sketch (before revising that sketch again, into a script) felt extraneous, as it was really in the conversion from sketch to script that most of the editing happened, and it was at the end that I felt I needed more time.
Partly because it was harder to get a handle on the music than I'd expected, although I've learned something: I need to work on my project with speakers, not headphones. Things sound a lot better on headphones, and I've noticed in both of my projects now audio issues that I am learning about for the first time in class. So that's something I can be more on top of and try to fix.
But the other issue is, you can be looking at words on a page and have no idea where to cut, but then you hear the same material out loud and it becomes glaring. Having more time to listen to the audio tracks and make decisions at this phase seems like it would've been helpful.
Overall, though, I felt stronger working on this project. Yeah, I stumbled on the music. But I don't think anyone could tell that I stitched together eight vocal tracks. Maybe my inflection could have been better. (After further reflection--was it because I was laying on my stomach, rather than sitting in the chair I used the first time, the latter stolen from me by a curious feline?) But I think the story was recorded well, and the tweaks needed are small.
I'm curious to take on the next project, as that will push us into even more challenging territory.
Hi John,
ReplyDeleteGood to know that you felt it would have been more helpful to move more quickly to recording rather than focusing on the drafts. We did that based on my conviction that writers need to spend considerably more time generating ideas before they choose subjects. I think that process gets short-changed, especially in school where you veer from one writing assignment to the next. I'm really interested in your point that just "looking at words on the page" doesn't help you know where to cut, while hearing the work really does. This transition from text to sound is powerful, and in many ways is the theoretical heart of the course. I think there are some obvious answers to this question, but why, exactly, does hearing the work provide more guidance in revision than merely looking at it?
Regarding time spent, I think part of that is personal preference. I think as an "older person," at least compared to most of the students in class, I have been self-studying writing for at least an extra decade, but I am just as or even less familiar with the technical aspects. I guess it isn't even a class structure thing; I feel like I should have had the initiative to just start working on the next step when I felt ready.
DeleteAs for the second question, it has to do with the speed of the eye versus the speed of the mouth and ear. The part I'm talking about is the section where I was at the first camp; it feels like important contextual information, and when I had it written down I knew it wasn't contributing directly to the SOFT, but I still thought it should stay.
It was only in hearing it that I realized how much it bogged things down. When I read it on paper, it only takes seconds for me to take in and process all of that information, but in my voice it took more like 15-30 seconds, or an eternity in a five minute work. I still want the listeners to have some context, but it doesn't deserve that amount of space, even if it looks innocuous in writing.
John,
ReplyDeleteIt was interesting to hear you talk about your struggles with the length of this piece. I had to do a little cutting on my own piece to get it down to size, but I felt like this length was way more comfortable to me personally than the first piece. The pieces that were over (your's and Cat's maybe some others?) were actually really pleasant to listen to. The extra length helped me get comfortable with the narrator and the characters in a way that's hard with shorter pieces. But I guess that's what this last project is for!
I'm a little nervous about filling out this next longer piece, but I'm really excited to get to hear everyone's longer stories.
Thanks Ben; I think it is a delicate balancing act, because if you're telling a story and it is working, nobody is going to care if it is over. I had the privilege of reading Cat's story through multiple drafts, and I have to say it was just as strong when it was even longer. I'm not sure, but I think that while it is the story element that compels us to tell a long tale, it is the SOFT, the quality of reflection, that allows longer stories to work.
DeleteI am also nervous about the final project; I have struggled enough getting myself to be interesting; now we have to get others to say things worth hearing? Yikes.