[et_pb_section bb_built=”1″][et_pb_row][et_pb_column type=”4_4″][et_pb_image _builder_version=”3.6″ src=”https:\/\/austin2018.nextgenradio.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2018\/08\/5J1A6149.jpg” \/][et_pb_text _builder_version=”3.6″]<\/p>\n
When I stumbled into the KUT community room bright and early on Monday morning, I had no idea exactly what I had gotten myself into. Considering that I\u2019ve been rolling out of bed around noon every day for the last three months, 9am felt painfully early to me. I had written and reported before (a lot.) But, I had never tackled a multimedia project of this magnitude, let alone in a week\u2019s time. It was gonna be a tough week. <\/span><\/p>\n I\u2019ll save the NextGen survival guide for a dramatic monologue to be seen and heard in my biopic, but if I had to choose one key takeaway here\u2019s what I\u2019ll offer. <\/span><\/p>\n This week, more than ever, I\u2019ve learned to trust the process. I\u2019ve realized that many talented writers love to throw the idea of an ominous \u201cprocess\u201d around when discussing their work and how they\u2019ve grown to be the esteemed wordsmiths that they are. But, NextGen really gave me a small glimpse of what the \u201cprocess\u201d really is. <\/span><\/p>\n I hit points in the week where I thought \u201cWell, this story just might not happen,\u201d and other times where I thought \u201cFinally, I can breathe for a few minutes, I\u2019m ahead of schedule.\u201d (Spoiler alert; I wasn\u2019t.) Each up and down comes with the process. It\u2019s not about avoiding bumps in the road, but being able to bounce back and change your approach alongside the story as it progresses. <\/span><\/p>\n Traci\u2019s focus statements may haunt me for a while, but as painful as they may be, they\u2019re a necessary evil in accomplishing everything you want out of a story. The process never ends since storytelling itself never actually stops. Much like our lives, any story you work on, whether it be audio, video, or written, your approach should be constantly evolving so as to capture the constantly developing essence of your subject. Pro tip: take it all in strides. If an interview falls through or your story takes another direction, it isn\u2019t the end of the world. It\u2019s all just a part of the process. <\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"