The Narrative Essay

This project was so much different than our last. After the last assignment, I realized that it would be very beneficial to take advantage of the Audio room in the library. I prepared my script and rented a microphone as well. The quality of my recording was so much better, I didn’t cringe (as much) at the sound of my own voice.

I chose to tell a very personal story for this assignment. It was difficult choosing to be that vulnerable, and I felt like there was a lot more on the line for me. If my project was a mess, then the story I was trying to tell would be lost. So I did my best to piece together a cohesive script, with all three acts, and delicate music.

The musical aspect of the assignment was pretty enjoyable. I listened to hundreds of songs before I chose the one I used. In the end, I think the music was a little bit too loud during the last half of the second act. During the recording process, however, I didn’t notice this. I’m wondering if converting the file from AUDX (Adobe Audition) to MP3 altered the original formatting that I had edited in with the music layer. If I were to revise this piece, I would turn down the music and take better advantage of silence as a form of punctuation.

All in all I enjoyed creating this piece. The feedback that I received in class was very helpful and I was appreciative of both the constructive criticism and the compliments. The assignment wasn't as difficult as I had anticipated it to be, which was a nice surprise. For the next assignment, I will be sure to reserve the Audio Room again, because that sound quality is worth the trouble!

Comments

  1. MEGAN B.March 2, 2018 at 2:02 PM

    I will keep that in mind for my piece...reserving time in the audio room. Thanks for the reminder. Best of luck with the final revision!

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  2. UnknownMarch 3, 2018 at 11:02 AM

    I was very grateful for your choice to choose to be vulnerable. I think that fun stories have their place; I know from my own workshops and hearing other people's that some much prefer them. But I'm always more attentive when a writer takes a chance and opens themselves up and shares pain. To me the greatest gift of writing is the ability to make people feel something, and "amused" is part of that, but I think relating on a deep emotional level about something that hurts us or is truly, desperately important, that's the ultimate gift.

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  3. UnknownMarch 4, 2018 at 8:34 PM

    I was also surprised at how much more satisfying a piece is with some really high production values. I used this class as an excuse (along with a couple other things) to buy a high-quality microphone, and I really don't regret it. Hearing a product that comes out sounding good instead of okay makes a big difference when it comes to confidence in how it all comes together.

    It's tough to be vulnerable in writing, but it's something that I think that we as writers need to do. If we're going to write good essays or books or even letters about our own lives, we need to be honest about them, and creating any kind of art is an inherently vulnerable act in and of itself.

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