January 25, 2010

My First Attempt’s structure

Posted in Progress tagged First Attempt: Grandfather, Step Four: The Storylining, This American Life at 11:14 am by Kyle Kratky

Now that I have decided upon the subject matter of my First Attempt, I really need to get to work structuring this baby. I’ve been thinking that I might lunge at my First Attempt as one might approach a film or a novel: I’m going to try plotting out the story and characters in a scene-to-scene structure.

If I could draw better than a six year-old, I might attempt a storyboard.  Ha.

More after the jump…

I started doing some research, and I discovered that the folks over at This American Life suggest doing just this!  Their internship page advises:

explain each story as a whole, along with specific characters and scenes. This probably sounds harder than it actually is. We’re not looking for Pulitzer Prize war stories or anything like that, but rather stories that you find genuinely interesting, no matter how small they are. And the more detailed you can get the better. Don’t forget to include why these stories would work on the show.

Huzzah!  My own natural process mirrors what This American Life advises!  I must be on the right track.  Or maybe, thirty years from now, I’ll go back in time and be the founder of This American Life!  Maybe I am Ira Glass!

…

I kid.  Clearly.  Right?

…

So, there has been some stormin’ in my brain, and I’ve come up with this loose story flow for my First Attempt:

1. Spliced together snippets of my aunts and uncles telling Xmas Day story about waking up to presents when they thought they would get none due to flood.  Cut in my own voice offering little setting details (“It is 19XX / Flood of 19XX / California” etc.).  Semi-comedic to show variations
2. My brief comment on hearing this story over the years.  Tell about my mom getting it published in a newspaper.  Mention tall tales and talk briefly about my grandfather’s larger-than-life way of doing things.  Bit of his life to eventual death.
3. Brief snippet of my grandmother telling how she remembers Xmas Day.
4. From here, story of his life, lots of audio from my aunts, uncles and grandmother.  Living in California, moving around, owning golf course (?), coaching boxing (?), priceless violin in the attic (?), Hugh Hefner (?), other wild stories.
5. Research facts of “tall tales” using interview and calls, internet.
6. Talk to sisters about how they remember grandfather.  Mix with my own relationship with grandfather.
7. Move into grandfather’s older age.  I tell about this going from mythical grandfather (I didn’t know him when he was young, so that is unreal to me) to real grandfather (the grandfather I knew).
8. Give time to grandfather building house.  Use interview with grandmother to explore.  Get aunts’ and uncles’ reactions to house (built well? made to last? impressed with his skill?).
9. Cover him playing piano all the time.  Use some of his ragtime in piece.  Ragtime spine of story?
10. Grandfather’s illness and slow death.  Use interview material from mother and grandmother – esp grandmother (if it works out)!  Allow room to breathe.  Should feel spaced out?
11. Grandfather passing, family breaking apart a bit; use some material from siblings and cousins (talk to cousin Tori!).  Should feel a bit rushed? Like air rushing to fill a void or vacuum?
12. Cover memorial service and mention my own absence to go on friends’ float trip.  Moment of silence on river.  Talk to a friend who remembers?
13. Return to Flood story.  Finish with pastor/preacher showing up because they were assumed dead.  Supplies brought, all rescued and alive.  Family remains intact.  Use grandfather’s ragtime throughout?  Use interview from aunts and uncles.  Close interview material with grandmother.
14. End of life, I have grandfather’s piano. Close with some of my own piano music, rough audio, nothing perfect.

I worry that this story may feel a little too Rafiki-holding-up-Simba-THE-CIRCLE-OF-LIIIIFE.  I don’t like to create stories with morals that can be easily stitched into pillows (do people still do that?), but I’m feeling good about this.

Also, today is Monday.  Here’s a little thing to keep me (you, us, everyone, really!) pumped through this winter week.

Permalink