Wednesday’s Work-in-Progress: How to Make an Audio Recording

I’m immensely grateful to Qarrtsiluni magazine, not only for accepting and presenting my brief piece, “With or Without,” as part of its current “Fragments” issue, but also for encouraging me to acquire a new skill: how to make an audio recording.

Following Qarrtsiluni‘s guidelines–and with the benefit of a little time, patience, and experimentation–I’ve become semi-comfortable with the iTalk application (I upgraded for a nominal fee). Hence, last week’s post and its incorporation of brief audio excerpts from “Homecomings,” one of the stories in Quiet Americans.

I’m reminded, again, of the importance of adding new skills to my writing practice. What are some of the new items in your writing-practice toolbox? I’d like to know.

4 thoughts on “Wednesday’s Work-in-Progress: How to Make an Audio Recording

  1. Great idea, Erika. Keep moving forward. You’ve made a great blog only better.

  2. Mihku Paul says:

    Hi Erika,

    This year Stonecoast had its first ever alumni reunion, and one of the items in my presentation
    was the value of panel discussions, and how to write a successful panel proposal. AWP typically has a seminar on this topic to support new proposals. Since this type of writing requires the writer to be concise and have excellent clarity of purpose, it can be challenging. After my very first panel proposal passed, I was elated. Now, having served on a number of panels and written other proposals, I realize I have acquired a new skill that will only improve with continued practice.
    Panels are a wonderful way to stay involved with the literary community, raise one’s professional profile and further hone public presentation skills, to say nothing of the confidence-building that such practice provides.
    And it is a wonderful way to interact with one’s fellow writers, especially those whom you admire and would like to know better.
    I still feel like I’m getting free professional education by reading your blog. Thanks for all you do . . .

  3. I would like to learn to make videos to accompany my poetry.
    Here’s one of my most favorite examples of poet/singer/songwriter Tanya Davis reading her piece, How To Be Alone (filmed by Andrea Dorfman).

  4. Erika Dreifus says:

    @John–thank you!

    @Mihku–yes, you’re absolutely right. The art and craft of the panel proposal definitely needs to be learned. I’m sure that your colleagues appreciated your presentation. (And thanks for the kind words about the blog, too.)

    @Monica–I’m with you. I would love to get some video skills, too. I happened to catch this item (http://www.publetariat.com/sell/15-steps-create-great-blog-videos) via @90DaysofPromo on Twitter, but at first glance, I was too intimidated to keep reading. I’ll try it again at some point, when I have a chunk of time to really study it, and probably look for some other guides as well.

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