Ira Glass on storytelling: Part 3

Here is Ira Glass (“This American Life”) talking about storytelling. Today Part 3 (note: slightly distorted audio):

Some quotes:

“The thing I’d like to say to you with all my heart is that most everybody I know who does interesting creative work went through a phase of years where with their good taste, they could tell what they were doing wasn’t as good as they wanted it to be… it didn’t have that special thing they wanted it to have… Everybody goes through that phase… and the most important thing you can do is do a lot of work.”

Screenwriting takeaway: Write pages. A lot of pages. Then write some more. And more. And more…

“I took longer to figure out how to do this than anybody I’ve ever met… It takes awhile, it’s normal to take awhile, and you just have to fight your way through that.”

Screenwriting takeaway: One of my favorite mantras: “The only way out is through.”

Tomorrow Part 4 on storytelling with Ira Glass.

The “This American Life” website here.