Results tagged “Ira Glass” from :: ( CRIT ) :: DESIGN BLOG ::
It's officially February, and we’re seventy some days away from the final thesis forum. Stories, narratives, and storytelling are central aspects of thesis. Below are concise and well articulated overviews of storytelling by Ira Glass, the host of This American Life. Glass discusses the building blocks of storytelling and gives profound pieces of wisdom for storytellers of all kinds. If you’re looking to develop your sense of narrative, take a few minutes to watch these. I included some notes I jotted down about each video.
Part 1: On the Basics
The building blocks of stories:
Part 2: On Finding Great Stories
The amount of time finding a decent story is more than the time to produce the story. Set as much time looking for stories as producing them.
"Not enough gets said about the importance of abandoning crap."
If you’re not failing all the time you’re not giving yourself opportunities to get good.
Part 3: On Good Taste
If you're doing creative work, you will go through years of producing work that falls short of your ambition. "The most important possible thing you can do is do a lot of work. Do a huge volume of work." Only by doing a huge volume of work will you be able to catch up and close the gap between the work you make and your ambition.
Part 4: On Two Common Pitfalls
Don’t imitate: Be yourself.
"Everything is more compelling when you talk like a human being, when you talk like yourself."
Don’t leave out interaction: What’s interesting isn’t just your take on things, but seeing the interaction with other people.
More Ira Glass:
This American Life Radio
This American Life TV
Part 1: On the Basics
The building blocks of stories:
1. Anecdote – a sequence of actions. The story in its purest form.Be ruthless. "Have the perseverance to get an interesting anecdote with a supporting moment of reflection. The two interwoven will make something larger than the sum of its parts."
2. Bait – raise question from the beginning. Constantly ask and answer questions.
3. Moment of Reflection – the point of the story. Why am I listening/watching this?
Part 2: On Finding Great Stories
The amount of time finding a decent story is more than the time to produce the story. Set as much time looking for stories as producing them.
"Not enough gets said about the importance of abandoning crap."
If you’re not failing all the time you’re not giving yourself opportunities to get good.
Part 3: On Good Taste
If you're doing creative work, you will go through years of producing work that falls short of your ambition. "The most important possible thing you can do is do a lot of work. Do a huge volume of work." Only by doing a huge volume of work will you be able to catch up and close the gap between the work you make and your ambition.
Part 4: On Two Common Pitfalls
Don’t imitate: Be yourself.
"Everything is more compelling when you talk like a human being, when you talk like yourself."
Don’t leave out interaction: What’s interesting isn’t just your take on things, but seeing the interaction with other people.
More Ira Glass:
This American Life Radio
This American Life TV
