So ya wanna be an Indie AudioFiction creative? Here’s a few recipes to try…to get writing…7/27/2022 Ok you yearning-for-success creative soul you You’ve got that brilliant story idea burning a hole in your head You can’t stop thinking about it You’re in the shower alone or with friends 🌞 and can’t STOP thinking about a new plot point that came to you as you washed you hair whilst singing a medley of Rocky Horror show songs You started to write it. Then your mojo went/you got distracted / real life kicked in and you DIDNT FINISH/ EVEN START it properly but for a scene that you think actually will be a flashback in episode 7. Random? Yes. woah I got some news for you. if that story floated your boat, only you could tell it, and it excited you… THE WORLD NEEDS THAT STORY So. Get organised to the rhythm of your own working circumstance, Do a PAUL SATING Get up at 530 am and write EVERY DAY until it is DONE and you have your FIRST DRAFT. For. Tomorrow, doit, set that alarm you legend. Do a SARAH GOLDING Set your hard and soft deadlines And bash it out between the school runs, cooking, cleaning, doing your pt teaching job, being mum, wife, pal and famalam member and voice acting, dialogue editing, and producing and let it mould itself over time to something groovy. Do a LINDSAY HARRIS-FRIEL Let it percolate, plan it out meticulously and in those concentrated moments of time you do have free (in between fam commitments and groovy job), WRITE WRITE WRITE. Work N FAM a bit more and then WRITE WRITE WRITE. Seriously. THE ONLY WAY IT WILL GET DONE IS IF YOU …GET IT DONE. SO. Stop reading this and get to it. Instead of Doom scrolling for 30 mins after/before breakfast, write a scene! Instead of watching a streaming service thing you don’t really like. Stop it. Get your writing implements/ devices of choice and …WRITE YOU OWE IT TO THE WORLD TO TELL YOUR STORY PEOPLE. YEAH. YOU KNOW IT💙 So. Format. Folks have oft asked…. WHAT DO I DO HOW DO I DO IT WHAT’S BEST? To be honest, a lot of it is what floats your boat, there is no true one format answer and…do what works for you …but! Here are some examples of scripts I’ve utilised / voice acted /edited with and let’s talk about how they’re useful. First. OZ9 THIS IS EPISODE 74 of Oz 9 in season 4. Most recently aired. Firstly, best practice here - LINE NUMBERS. OMG. PUT LINE NUMBERS ON YOUR SCRIPTS TO HELP FOLKS NAVIGATE THE SCRIPT…. For table reads It is useful so the director/showrunner can easily navigate to the line to start from / redo / discuss. So say you disused characters and wanted to get the build of tension right, a director might say…Groovy (ok, ay E I just say that) Let’s go from LINE 29 on Page 3 and we really want to get that shock sound when Olivia appears for that crescendo and keep that momentum /pace of shock going til LINE 37 when the build pays off once more. Pace pace pace. For recording Some folks state the line they are recording before recording it as it allegedly helps their style of editing. Others (like me) HATE THIS. For editing A director can highlight a section they really want snappy/ full of tension I.e. please make the cue bite from 29-31 sharp Or you can convey some sound design direction that isn’t in the Actor script. Please pop a shower curtain pulling at the top of line 25. For missing lines Hello Sarah I’m afraid you missed a line - can you please record line 67 on page 13 As soon as is convenient / by tomorrow / let me know when you can get it to me…etc. The lines I think are easy enough to spot for your character actors if doing the record 3 versions of each line - scenario and I would truly encourage (if not actually shout wild encouragement at you in a THIS IS A GOOD THING TO DO) you to get your VAs to highlight their lines and mark up their scripts with extraneous sounds, thoughts on pace, and any ad libs they’re allowed to utilise. On to another example of a live Audio Fic Script. This is an excerpt from Dashingly Quirky Live 2021….Delivery of an alarm clock by Fiona Thraille. This was used for live performance so there are highlights in the following colours
BLUE DEPICTS LIVE FOLEY TO BE PERFORMED GREEN DEPICTS ACTIAL SOUND CUES RED DEPICTS MUSIC CUES You can see there are also stage directions in CAPITAL LETTERS in this instance. The author - Fiona Thraille - has signposted suggested beats, intentions and attitudes to add to the storytelling, humour and actor signposting. Loved doing this one. Great fun. So these are a few examples. Use what works for you. Some competitions like the BBC FORMAT which you can find on the BBC WRITERS ROOM SITE…. I love to browse this now and then and read examples of their radio plays as well as look up my fave INDIE AF shows and look at their transcripts. Check out Amelia Project Seen and not Heard Someone Dies in this elevator So. Yeah. Some fodder for through right? I feel very much that the ingredients needed for a decent writing session is A clean and comfortable space to work in Snacks A drink or two of choice The occasional masseur if you need one 1000g of time and space 500g of tenacity, excitement and creative flow A dirty dozen litres of determination and YOU’D BETTER FINISH THIS A mug of sprinklings of ideas and plot builds and highs and lows, light and shade, conflict, energies, denouement and some tied ends…and sometimes…some EPIC! One Tablespoon of keep-em-coming-back-for-more episode ending 3 large eggs of the playing with the passage of time in whichever order works for your story 600g of driven unique intriguing/scary/fun/inspiring/crazy/wonderful n full characters A whole list of ingredients to make the work sublime in audio form, easy for actors, editors and sound designers to gain their creative freedom and spark but just enough guidance to be useful and YOU So WHAT’S YOUR RECIPE? Do share on @QuirkyVoices So folks. What you put into the content and how may be some journal content for another day…but otherwise. GET RACKING. SET THAT TIMER. SET THAT AMALRM CLOCK. ADD SOME WRITING TIME TO YOUR FAMILY CALENDAR AND…. GET IT DONE GOod luck in there snd HAVE THE BEST FUN! Sarahx This week check out Chaika From THE ANAZING Karin Heimdahl and a groovy cast of audio fun folk…story, poetry and learning new languages…BRILLIANT! Goblet Wire from Ester Ellis a super intriguing new micro fiction anthology series somehow linked to itself …#havealistendooo And I had a great time on HOW I DIED from AudioOhm Vincent Dajani and pals. A really fun thrill ride of an adventure horror….not to be missed….ENJOY!
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