Ira Glass on Storytelling
Penguin May 30th, 2008
Current TV has a great interview with Ira Glass from This American Life.
The two main points that I took away was the anecdote as a form of storytelling and having good taste.
The Anecdote. When you listen to good story tellers share their stories in the form of anecdotes, there’s progression to the story. I did this, and then this happened, and then… etc. There’s a momentum to the story that draws you in and creates tension. But what separates the good stories from the bad is that it takes you some where. There is a sense of revelation at the end of the journey. Most stories lack this crucial element. Likewise, revelation w/o the journey of the anecdote is not nearly as powerful.
Good Taste. For 8 years, Glass struggled with producing material that he liked, but just didn’t feel was good enough. He was struck by this dissonance between what he had created and what his own evaluation of his material. I know when I look back at Love Angle there are plenty of things that I would change or have done differently. Even though it holds a special place in my heart, I know it’s nowhere close to where I want it to be.
Even looking back at my more current work: Cupid’s Chokehold or Interview with an INS Agent, they aren’t where I would like them to be.
Part of it has to do with my lack of experience and skill. But there is a part where I’m not sure what I could do to make it better. So I really take Glass’s insight to heart. To persevere through and keep working on my body of work and knowing that it may be a long journey.
-Penguin
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