To be, or not to be (verbs, vocation, and overcoming self-doubts)

The story inside you

I'll admit it: I'm wiped out! But I wanted to leave you all with a final bit of encouragement before I break for the summer, so after some introductory remarks, here's the rough script to another trailer idea I worked on. Can you hear the difference in the sound? The "sonic ID" I recorded with the Shurt SM7b, and had Katie's help making me sound my best. The middle bit I recorded with the Shure MV88+ in my car, in my parking garage at work. It sounds OK. Then the actual "story inside you" script I think I recorded on my phone in the closet — just for workshopping purposes, didn't have time to re-record. Also, I did this episode in an hour and a half at the hotel in Mexico for our friends' wedding! Here's to hitting deadlines, letting good enough be good enough, and having time to really take a break. See you in September for season two.

Everyone should make a narrative podcast (music)

What is it that gives narrative podcasting its unique power for intimate connection with listeners? In previous episodes, we talked about two key elements: words (scriptwriting and editing), and the voice (recording and narration). In this episode, we talk about the third key element: music. .......... Show notes: * I ran out of time to list these in the episode, but had a whole thread on Voxer with two of my friends about musical memories. Two other standouts for me were my sister bringing pop music into the Davis household for the first time, the Beatles' '62-66 greatest hits on those red cassette tapes. Then hearing Paul Simon's Graceland on my friend's record player under a blanket fort. And third, banging on the dashboard of my friend's old VW GTI to the opening tom-tom hits of the Eagles' Hotel California. * using famous songs in your podcast: blog post [https://www.thepodcasthost.com/editing-production/music-copyright-can-i-use-song-podcast/] ("no, but..."), fair use, creative commons [https://callforcontent.com/how-to-use-copyrighted-music-in-podcast/], etc. * What makes us human [https://www.thoughtco.com/what-makes-us-human-4150529]?

Beige, gray, and off-white words

How do you explain your job to a kid? How do our career choices affect who we become as people? And how do our day jobs shape our approach to personal creative projects? If you've ever faced these questions yourself — or were just dying to hear about working in corporate marketing — this one's for you. .......... Show notes: * Thanks to the generous contributors to Freesound.org for two key sounds for this episode: office [https://freesound.org/people/Chelly01/sounds/541117/] ambience, and Lego bricks [https://freesound.org/people/C_Sander/sounds/721044/]. * And thanks also to the musicians of Blue Dot Sessions for this quirky song [https://app.sessions.blue/browse/track/326258]. Other music from Storyblocks [https://www.storyblocks.com/]. * As I was audio editing this piece, I realized that one of the ingredients in the creative stewpot had been the lovelorn caveman persona from the short story "I love girl [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YpMttmHMsnk]," by Simon Rich. Enjoy!

Functioning toward the goal

Are you working on your narrative podcast with the hope that winning an Ambie or hitting a million downloads will make you happy? Let's take a few minutes to think about it. I'm inspired by a very successful friend to mull over why we do creative work, how we deal with critics, and what creative living can look like. ……………. Show notes: * Sometimes you have to let idea rest and then come back to it: I started this draft a year ago after "Sam" first told me about interviewing for this other position, but in that initial draft, I just introduced the general theme and summarized Sam's accomplishments. That draft was OK, but a bit weak on the characterization. But then opening it again last week, the college anecdotes came out, which makes it a more interesting and effective piece. Then, after recording version 7 of the script, I was still about 30 seconds over, so I went in and listened and reread and cut some more. * Hunter S. Thompson's letter to his friend [https://www.bosshunting.com.au/lifestyle/relationships/hunter-s-thompson-finding-your-purpose-in-life/#:~:text=In%20doing%20this%2C%20he%20is%20fulfilling%20a%20need,to%20conform%20to%20his%20own%20abilities%20and%20desires%29.] about vocation * Laura's interview [https://shelterinplacepodcast.org/episode-archive/season-three-episode-25-cloud-cuckoo-land] with acclaimed author Anthony Doerr for Shelter in Place. * How do you find ways of functioning that fulfill you regardless of outcome? Simply reflecting on the times you've been happiest at work (or pursuing hobbies or volunteering) can help. I'd also recommend a work-oriented personality test like Strengths Finder, or more broadly, general personality tests [https://www.truity.com] such as the Enneagram, Myers-Briggs, or Big Five. P.S. Truity, the leader in online personality testing, was one of my freelance clients a little while back — a very fulfilling client to work with!

To be, or not to be (verbs, vocation, and overcoming self-doubts)

What happens when you try to write an entire ten-minute podcast script without using is, am, are, and were? What happens when you follow a rule (and a profession) that encourages brevity above all else? What happens when you're afraid you don't have any big ideas? Listen and find out. .......... Show notes: * This script started as an early-morning creative constraint free write (avoiding forms of the verb "to be," but took seven more drafts to discover a satisfying conclusion. (Does that make you feel better? Stick with it!) * The Elements of Style, rule 17 [https://genius.com/William-strunk-jr-the-elements-of-style-rule-17-annotated] (Note, I updated pronouns because it's 2025.) * Longinus, On the Sublime [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/On_the_Sublime] (the power of great conceptions) * Oops, I misquoted — Dr. Seuss only used 50 words [https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/green-eggs-and-ham/] to write Green Eggs and Ham! * And thanks to a few musicians from Blue Dot Sessions (supplementing my usual music source of Storyblocks): "Picnic March [https://app.sessions.blue/browse/track/324020]," and "Temperance [https://app.sessions.blue/browse/track/324021]."