thestorytellingstudy-blog

[thestorytellingstudy-blog]

Thursday 22nd August - 9.01am

Did another lesson from the Malclom Gladwell course this morning. This one all about worldbuiling and how that ties into character, annd how the descriptions of surroundings can tell you a lot about a character.

Relating that to film, it says an awful lot about the importance of good art direction. If we see a character’s bedroom and have the chance to learn about them as a person, then that should not be missed. We can probably learn as much about a character as they walk dejected to their room as we can from a load of dialogue. I think that’s something that I’m going to bring all the way into my writing. If those kind of cues can be present early on, then it will help the reader of the script understand the world, as well as help to build out the characters and who they are.

On a music video I directed last year I filled a notebook full of character notes on who certain characters were. Maybe a way of building up even more on that is to describe those thing analogous to their lives - their friends, their bedrooms, their favourite places to go on holiday, that kind of thing. Make them feel real.

[thestorytellingstudy-blog]

The Two Types of Pacing

Pacing is a tricky, tricky thing. Hopefully, by breaking it down into two schools of thought, we can better our understanding of maintaining effective pacing. 

as requested by @whisperinghallwaysofmirrors

First, Some Definitions

According to Writer’s Digest, narrative pacing is “a tool that controls the speed and rhythm at which a story is told… [H]ow fast or slow events in a piece unfold and how much time elapses in a scene or story.“

Pacing can be a lot of things. Slow, fast, suspenseful, meandering, boring, exciting, et cetera et cetera. While we don’t want meandering or boring, getting it to be the other things can be a feat. 

As I go through all of this, I would like to say that the number one thing you should be keeping in mind with the pacing of your story is the purpose.

What is the purpose of this story, scene, dialogue, action, arc, plot point, chapter, et al? This and only this will keep you on track the whole way through. 

Without further ado, here are the two types of pacing…

Micro Pacing

This, to me, is the harder of the two. Macro pacing usually comes naturally with our understanding of overall story structure that we see in books and movies. Micro is much more subjective and labor-intensive.

The first step of every scene you write is to identify what kind of pacing it needs to be effective. Is a slower pace going to nail in the emotional tone? Is a faster pace going to convey how urgent the scene is? Is choppy going to show how chaotic it is? How much attention to detail is needed? Et cetera. And even with the scene’s tone, there are also tones within with action, dialogue, and narrator perception.

There is no one-size-fits-all trick to mastering pacing. All you can do is try to keep it in mind as you draft. Don’t let it consume you, though. Just get it down. After drafting, look at the pacing with a critical eye. Do important scenes go too fast? Are unnecessary things being dragged out? Is this scene too detailed to be suspenseful?

A lot of errors in pacing are quick fixes. The adding or removal of details, shortening or lengthening of sentences, changing descriptions. However, these quick fixes do take a while when you have to look at every single scene in a story.

Macro Pacing

Rather than the contents of a scene, this deals with everything larger. Scenes, chapters, plot points, storylines, subplots, and arcs. This is taking a look at how they all work for each other when pieced together.

One of the biggest resources when it comes to analyzing macro pacing is story structure philosophy. The common examples are Freytag’s Pyramid, the 3-Act Structure, Hero’s Journey, and Blake Snyder’s 15 Beats. They follow the traditional story structure. Exposition, catalyst, rising action, climax, and resolution (albeit each in different terms and specificity). Though some see it as “cookie-cutter”, 99% of effective stories follow these formats at a considerable capacity. It’s not always about how the story is told, but rather who tells it. But I digress.

Looking at these structures, we can begin to see how the tried-and-true set-up is centered around effective pacing.

The beginning, where everything is set up, is slower but short and sweet. The catalyst happens early and our MC is sent out on a journey or quest whether they like it or not. The trek to a climax is a tricky stage for maintaining effective pacing. Good stories fluctuate between fast and slow. There is enough to keep it exciting, but we’re given breaks to stop and examine the finer details like theme, characterization, and arcs.

The edge before the climax is typically when the action keeps coming and we’re no longer given breaks. The suspense grabs us and doesn’t let go. This is the suspense that effectively amounts to the crescendo and leads to the emotional payoff and release that follows in the resolution. The resolution is nothing BUT a break, or a breather if you will. Though it is slower like the exposition, it is longer than that because this is where we wrap everything up for total closure. This is what the reader needs, rather than what they want. So you can take your time.

Not every story has to follow this recipe step-by-step. Critically acclaimed movies such as Pulp Fiction, Frances Ha, and Inside Llewyn Davis* break the traditional structure. However, they still keep certain ingredients in it. Whether it be the concept of a climax, the idea of a journey, or the overall balance of tension and release.

If you’re struggling with the macro side of your story’s pacing, I would try to identify what the weakest areas are and see if applying these story structure concepts and methodology strengthens it at all. If not, it may be that your story idea doesn’t fit the “substance” requirement of an 80k+ word novel. It may need more or fewer subplots or an increase of conflict or more things getting in the MC’s way. You could also see if adapting it to a shorter medium (novella, et al) or a longer medium (series, episodics, et al) would alleviate the pacing issues.

*sorry all my references are movies and not books, but I’ve seen more movies than I’ve read books

In Short–

Pacing, both macro and micro, are incredibly subjective concepts. The only way to really find out how effective your story’s pacing is, is to look at it through the lens of traditional structures and ask for feedback from beta readers. How a reader,who doesn’t know the whole story like you do feels about pacing is the best resource you could have.

[thestorytellingstudy-blog]

Tuesday 20th August

Read more of Seth Godin’s This Is Marketing this morning before work. I love the human and honest approach to it. Working in marketing sucks when I kinda hate how it goes often, and the manipulation of people to buy things. This Is Marketing lays out a different way. That’s the way I’d like to work.

[thestorytellingstudy-blog]

24 Invaluable Skills To Learn For Free Online This Year

Here’s an easy resolution: This stuff is all free as long as you have access to a computer, and the skills you learn will be invaluable in your career, and/or life in general. 

1. Become awesome at Excel.

Chandoo is one of many gracious Excel experts who wants to share their knowledge with the world. Excel excellence is one of those skills that will improve your chances of getting a good job instantly, and it will continue to prove invaluable over the course of your career. What are you waiting for?

2. Learn how to code.

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Perhaps no other skill you can learn for free online has as much potential to lead to a lucrative career. Want to build a site for your startup? Want to build the next big app? Want to get hired at a place like BuzzFeed? You should learn to code. There are a lot of places that offer free or cheap online coding tutorials, but I recommend Code Academy for their breadth and innovative program. If you want to try a more traditional route, Harvard offers its excellent Introduction to Computer Science course online for free.

3. Make a dynamic website.

You could use a pre-existing template or blogging service, or you could learn Ruby on Rails and probably change your life forever. Here’s an extremely helpful long list of free Ruby learning tools that includes everything from Rails for Zombies to Learn Ruby The Hard Way. Go! Ruby! Some basic programming experience, like one of the courses above, might be helpful (but not necessarily required if you’re patient with yourself).

4. Learn to make a mobile game.

If you’re not interested in coding anything other than fun game apps, you could trythis course from the University of Reading. It promises to teach you how to build a game in Java, even if you don’t have programming experience! If you want to make a truly great game, you might want to read/listen up on Game Theory first.

5. Start reading faster.

Spreeder is a free online program that will improve your reading skill and comprehension no matter how old you are. With enough practice, you could learn to double, triple, or even quadruple the speed at which you read passages currently, which is basically like adding years to your life.

6. Learn a language!

With Duolingo, you can learn Spanish, French, Portuguese, Italian, or English (from any of the above or more). There’s a mobile app and a website, and the extensive courses are completely free.

Full disclosure: BuzzFeed and other websites are in a partnership with DuoLingo, but they did not pay or ask for this placement.

7. Pickle your own vegetables.

Tired of your farmer’s market haul going bad before you use it all? Or do you just love tangy pickled veggies? You too can pickle like a pro thanks to SkillShare and Travis Grillo.

8. Improve your public speaking skills.

You can take the University of Washington’s Intro to Public Speaking for free online. Once you learn a few tricks of the trade, you’ll be able to go into situations like being asked to present at a company meeting or giving a presentation in class without nearly as much fear and loathing.

9. Get a basic handle of statistics.

UC Berkeley put a stats intro class on iTunes. Once you know how to understand the numbers yourself, you’ll never read a biased “news” article the same way again — 100% of authors of this post agree!

10. Understand basic psychology.

Knowing the basics of psych will bring context to your understanding of yourself, the dynamics of your family and friendships, what’s really going on with your coworkers, and the woes and wonders of society in general. Yale University has its Intro to Psychology lectures online for free.

11. Make your own music.

Step one: Learn how to play guitar: Justin Guitar is a fine and free place to start learning chords and the basic skills you’ll need to be able to play guitar — from there, it’s up to you, but once you know the basics, just looking up tabs for your favorite songs and learning them on your own is how many young guitar players get their start (plus it’s an excellent party trick).

Step two: A delightful free voice lesson from Berklee College Of Music.

Step three: Have you always thought you had an inner TSwift? Berklee College of Music offers an Introduction to Songwriting course completely for free online. The course is six weeks long, and by the end of the lesson you’ll have at least one completed song.

Step four: Lifehacker’s basics of music production will help you put it all together once you have the skills down! You’ll be recording your own music, ready to share with your valentine or the entire world, in no time!

12. Learn to negotiate.

Let Stanford’s Stan Christensen explain how to negotiate in business and your personal life, managing relationships for your personal gain and not letting yourself be steamrolled. There are a lot of football metaphors and it’s great.

13. Stop hating math.

If you struggled with math throughout school and now have trouble applying it in real-world situations when it crops up, try Saylor.org’s Real World Math course. It will reteach you basic math skills as they apply IRL. Very helpful!

14. Start drawing!

All kids draw — so why do we become so afraid of it as adults? Everyone should feel comfortable with a sketchbook and pencil, and sketching is a wonderful way to express your creativity. DrawSpace is a great place to start. (I also highly recommend the book Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain if you can drop a few dollars for a used copy.)

15. Make your own animated GIF.

BuzzFeed’s own Katie Notopoulos has a great, simple guide to making an animated GIF without Photoshop. This is all you need to be the king or queen of Tumblr or your favorite email chains.

16. Appreciate jazz.

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Have you never really “gotten” jazz? If you want to be able to participate in conversations at fancy parties and/or just add some context to your appreciation of all music, try this free online course from UT Austin.

17. Write well.

Macalester College’s lecture series is excellent. If you’re more interested in journalism, try Wikiversity’s course selection.

18. Get better at using Photoshop.

Another invaluable skill that will get you places in your career, learning Photoshop can be as fun as watching the hilarious videos on You Suck At Photoshop or as serious as this extensive Udemy training course (focused on photo retouching).

19. Take decent pictures.

Lifehacker’s basics of photography might be a good place to start. Learn how your camera works, the basic of composition, and editing images in post-production. If you finish that and you’re not sure what to do next, here’s a short course on displaying and sharing your digital photographs.

20. Learn to knit.

Instructables has a great course by a woman who is herself an online-taught knitter. You’ll be making baby hats and cute scarves before this winter’s over!

21. Get started with investing in stocks.

If you are lucky enough to have a regular income, you should start learning about savings and investment now. Investopedia has a ton of online resources, including this free stocks basics course. Invest away!

22. Clean your house in a short amount of time.

Unf$#k Your Habitat has a great emergency cleaning guide for when your mother-in-law springs a surprise visit on you. While you’re over there, the entire blog is good for getting organized and clean in the long term, not just in “emergencies.” You’ll be happier for it.

23. Start practicing yoga.

Most cities have free community classes (try just searching Google or inquiring at your local yoga studio), or if you’re more comfortable trying yoga at home, YogaGlohas a great 15-day trial and Yome is a compendium of 100% free yoga videos. If you’re already familiar with basic yoga positions but you need an easy way to practice at home, I recommend YogaTailor’s free trial as well.

24. Tie your shoelaces more efficiently.

It’s simple and just imagine the minutes of your life you’ll save!

[thestorytellingstudy-blog]

If I’m sincere today, what does it matter if I regret it tomorrow?

José Saramago, Blindness (via the-book-diaries)

[thestorytellingstudy-blog]

The Noise of Time review(ish)

Okay it’s not really a review, more a collection of thoughts. I’m not passing judgements or anything on something that I don’t really know that much about. 

The Noise of Time is about a subject that I really don’t know all that much about. Shostakovich was a Soviet composer. This book is about his life. So I’m actually a fan of classical music, but I can’t say I’m really that er... literate in it. So I wasn’t actually sure whether or not Shostakovich was a real person until I was quite far into the book. 

Far from this being a detriment to the book, I think it played hugely in its favour. I was completely sucked into the terror the lead character was experiencing living under the Soviet regime, and the discussion of dictators and looking around and saying “oh isn’t it all great” really felt timely, especially as the government in my country pushes through a disastrous political idea with seemingly total hubris and... (no, not here Will... not here...)

It does bring up interesting ideas about the legacy of such politics though. The book focusses on 3 periods of Shostakovich’s life - two under the rule of Stalin, and one after Kruschev took over. The observations of the character of Shostakovich about the uniques fears each time periods placed on him seemed to not only be to do with the political landscape, but also his own age and maturity, and the various phases of that. It makes me wonder where I’m going to end up. My political views today seem malleable, but entrenched, (and oxymoronical apparently...). I’m fortunate not to live under a dangerous regime (at least by comparison..) and although I’m left leaning politically, I’m eager to try to understand other points of view. Even if I don’t agree with them. 

But, that wasn’t an option presented in the book, (and no doubt in the real Shostakovich’s life). The stream of consciousness-esque narrative brought you deep into the character’s feelings, and how trapped he was by the regime was abundantly clear. In each of the three time periods of his life, we saw how he felt trapped in different ways. In his youth, fearing that the Regime was ready to extinguish his life, in middle age, the fear of stepping out of line, and being trapped in service of something he didn’t believe in, and finally in old age in actually selling out and destroying his legacy. I loved how each reality and suffering felt as real as the last.

It’s a novel without much light in it, which may well have been like the late composer’s actual life. I still don’t know much about Shostakovich, and I don’t know how accurate Julian Barnes’ novel is. But I do know that I loved it, despite the bleak tone. It’s warnings about life under dictatorship are heavy, and it’s honesty about the pain of a life lived by someone else’s rules made it a compelling read.

[thestorytellingstudy-blog]

Saturday 17th August

Finished another book today. That’s 13 this year. The goal is to hit 25, which is for sure the most I’ll have done in my adult life. Not sure about when I was a kid. Poor mental health has really screwed up my studying in the last few weeks, but will hopefully do more tomorrow.

The book was The Noise of Time by Julian Barnes - a fictional account of the life of Shostakovich and his life admist soviet Russia. Not read anything like it before, but it was bloody brilliant. I’m going to write a simple review of it tomorrow :)

[thestorytellingstudy-blog]

Thursday 25th July

Finished a book today! It was No Bullshit Leadership by Chris Hirst, which is my 10th book this year! I might write a review if I get some time in the next few days, but overall it’s a great book on leadership - super concise! 

Got into my research yesterday. i’ve collected 6 answers for the BoJo question, so need to follow up on that in a month. Essentially I’m looking for discrepancies in the answers. Interestingly, one of the people I chatted to was once in a memory contest and came second! It’s going to be interesting to see how she came out.

Today’s lesson was around how to describe characters. From a film perspective that’s not actually all that helpful - there’s a tried and true idea of showing not telling on film. But for writing (and bluntly, DND!) it’s going to be really helpful. One of the ideas is around describing by contrast; what do the people that your character hangs around with say about them?

[thestorytellingstudy-blog]

Wednesday 24th July

Lesson on interviewing today. It’s pretty timely because I’m about to enter into a series of interviews to be released with me in them (eek!) over the next couple of weeks. 

I like to think I’m a pretty good interviewer, but there’s some really helpful points I’ve learned today to keep my in the right direction.

Also had to look at who I should interview for this Ethics of Memory project. We’ve just had a major flashbulb moment in the UK as Boris has been elected prime minister (fuck...) so now’s a good time do interview people about where they were, and how they found out, then revisit in a few weeks.

[thestorytellingstudy-blog]

This is often a big question for many because either they need somewhere functional or somewhere motivating. Below is a list of possible places that are easily accessible that hopefully will work for you and your study, also with tips to ensure practicality.

Not your Bed!

I don’t know how many times I’ve said to myself that I’m going to study on my bed because it’s comfy and it’s a reward. I also don’t know how many times I’ve fallen asleep on my phone without even opening a book!

Your body registers your bed as a sleepy time spot so will somewhat shut down when you lay there, thus feeling tired and unmotivated.

Because there is no desk you often have to slouch over to write, which just wrecks your back making you want to lay down and therefore fall asleep.

Just don’t do it, trust me.

A Desk

Obviously I have to add this in. Many people have a desk but still find it hard to study at them so here are a few ways to make it easier.

Make sure it’s clean! You aren’t going to be motivated if you first have to do the annoying task of cleaning.

When you sit down make sure you have all the material you need e.g. your pencil case, notebooks, laptop, a drink, any snacks etc. this way you don’t keep getting back up and can work through pesky procrastination.

Make your space inviting by adding decor that makes you want to spend time there e.g. candles, plants, posters, or desk organisers.

In my study I have this cupboard which has one side which I have accumulated a bunch of goodies that I never know I’ll need when studying. These include blankets, jackets, sweaters, socks, hats, heat packs and pillows. These just help me keep going like in the second bullet.

The use of a planner or list to jot down what you want to get done as soon as you sit at your desk can help give direction to your study session.

The Library

Pretty much every school, institute or town has a library that you can go to for a number of hours and get on the grind. Yes I know, some are loud or dark or unidealised but here’s how you can make the best of the facility.

As for your desk you need to arrive at the library having everything you may need. Some days I’ve arrived with a massive tote full of binders, folders, pencil cases, laptop, chargers and pens. While this gives you major nerd vibes it allows you to spend 6+ hours there if you have to.

Bring earphones with a device that you can listen to asmr, white noise but preferably not music. I personally prefer podcasts because I can tune out but are not as bored as white noise leaves me.

Take a drink! Always take at least water because you don’t want to sit for hours in a dry air conditioned building without it.

Take a friend. I don’t really like social study because I get more done alone but if taking someone with you will actually get you to do some work, do it!

A Park

Now we get onto some more creative and less conventional destinations. The park can be a hit or miss, there are bugs, the weather is sometimes not ideal, it can be loud etc. So if you are interested in not only getting that cute pic and actually studying read on.

Try and find a table if you are writing. Slouching over for hours is painful and just don’t do it. If you are just reading for a class or watching lectures, a bench or tree may be perfect.

If you plan to sit on the ground definitely take a blanket or something to lay down on the ground. Also try and take a device to limit slouching as you can sit it on your lap.

Sitting in a park alone can be dangerous in some cities so use this to do group study or catch up with friends.

Take a hat and layers because the weather can change in an instance.

The Beach

Obviously this option won’t be accessible to everyone and has the same limitations that the park does which a few extra must haves such as a beach towel, hair ties, and sunscreen. However some of my study sessions when I’ve felt most girl boss is at the beach, it just feels like you are getting so much more out of your day by also being able to say you went to the beach. It is also incredibly pretty which is a major motivator for me.

A Coffee Shop

One of the most studyblr things is studying at a coffee shop but for good reason. Like many I suffer from procrastination problems, mostly stemming from my love of food. When you are at a coffee shop the food and beverage is at your fingertips which promotes longevity in your study. The vibe is good and you can always get the bonus insta pic. However where I live coffee shop culture is not as prominent so it can be awkward to sit in a small store for more than an hour.

Like the library take all you need and make sure you know what tasks you’ll be completed e.g. if writing an essay on your laptop make sure you go somewhere that allows you to charge your device.

If you feel awkward about maintaining a space in an establishment who needs to serve as many customers as possible, have a chat with the owners and just check whether it is ok. Most of the time they will be fine with this because it promotes repeat service.

While coffee is one of the most loved things in this community be careful of unwanted downs and crashes after that caffeine wears off.

Shared Living Spaces

These include dorm rooms, dorm study rooms, friends apartments and big study groups. While these areas encompass many of the above tips I do have a few that can help with studying with people and friends. It is fairly likely that at some point the study is going to stop and the talking is going to start. To avoid this you can use a few strategies.

One of these would be taking flash cars which you can test yourself and friends on if you are studying the same thing.

Two, if you are working on the same thing e.g. taking notes for a lecture, organise to collaborate. For example you can all do your notes and go through them at the end so you can add things you picked up on so that everyone has extensive notes. Similarly group projects can be broken up, this way everyone stays relatively on task with as little time as possible used.

Take a small whiteboard for math or science classes because if one friends can do a harder problem the whiteboard allows them to explain their working easier to the group.

Take breaks. Being around many people at once for many hours can be overwhelming and stressful which can cause anxiety if you are also stressing about getting tasks done. So organise for everyone to get food or do something after that can help you all chill out.

Your car

I don’t know if this is weird but I love just driving somewhere and sitting in my car. I love getting in my back seat and studying there, it’s like a little couch in a pretty area. No one can interrupt me and it is usually quiet. I live in Australia with black interiors in my car so often the car gets hot so I’ll have to wind down my windows but I also have many things in my car like blankets and jumpers which can help if it’s cold. I don’t really have any tips for this step but I understand that it wouldn’t be an option for really long study sessions

you can do this before social activities, classes, extra curricular or as a separate study time on it’s own

The Gym

I know that some people love getting active and this can actually be a good place to study, however most of this has to be done via earphones. In a recent post I discussed how you can make the most of your time by listening to your study by listening to notes, lectures, educational videos or readings. By also studying while working out you can get very motivated which often extends to when you get home. Again I don’t really have many tips to make this work because it usually wouldn’t last longer than an hour but just remember that this is always an option!

Thanks everyone for reading this post and if you have any ideas or things you’d like me to talk about send me an inbox or ask! I have not been posting that regularly this year and i have only just started actually writing proper posts so give me some time to get good. Love you all and happy organising.

[thestorytellingstudy-blog]

Tuesday 23rd July

More on the Malcolm Gladwell course this evening - I was planning on doing it this morning buuuuut I didn’t make it up in time!

I’ve been thinking throughout the day about the idea of writing about the Ethics of Memory in Documentary Storytelling, and how to expand upon that idea. The documentary angle still really interests me, but I’m wondering if a short film built around a dementia charity might be something to look at too. About how memory can seem permanent, then slip away. Hm.

No assignment from today’s lesson, but it was interesting! All about analogous worlds to the subject area. It’s definitely an interesting concept, and has got me thinking about what’s analogous to the ethics of memory in docs. It’s pretty niche, but an area that holds some weight may be in policing. After all, surely the ethics of memory in policing is crucial!

[thestorytellingstudy-blog]

Monday 22nd July 2019

Spent 30 minutes on the Malcolm Gladwell on writing course this morning. It’s ace. One of the assignments is to write a New Yorker-esque article. I’ve decided to do it on the ethics of memory in documentary storytelling. I think it’s a fascinating area, and well worth a deeper dive into! 

The lesson today was largely about developing an idea, and there was some really helpful tips about sharing your ideas with those around you, as a great initial sounding board. 

[thestorytellingstudy-blog]

The Storytelling Study

I was going to set this whole thing up. Like, the blog yaknow. Get a nice theme sorted, a nice header image, a nice profile picture all the jazz. But actually that’s kind of contrary to a lot of the thesis that the storytelling study is built around. I’ll clarify...

I didn’t go to university. I got good grades in school, and I could have gone, but I decided against it in the end. I wanted to be a filmmaker. Well, to be more accurate, I kind of was a filmmaker - I started a production company making corporate films when I was 16, and wanted to carry on. Uni, or film school, represented a slow down in that plan, so I gave it a miss. I’ll chat more about that some other time.

One thing I missed about the university option was studying (fuckin nerd). I loved the solo studying aspects of sixth form, and my English coursework was one of the highlights of all my time in High School. So since I left school, I’ve kept up with studying a bit. Done some course here and there, and have learned so so much. But now it’s been 4 years (!!!) and I really want to get back to something a bit structured.

So I started looking at options. I looked at the MA online photography course from Falmouth. I looked at a few online MAs actually. But realistically, with my work, it’s just not going to work out. So I thought I’d put something together for myself. That is what became The Storytelling Study. It’s a series of online course and similar materials with a focus on storytelling - specifically through film. The whole point is that it’s best to just crack on and do something, and not wait until it’s perfect. 

I’m really focussed on being a better director. That’s the goal. I want to direct great films, be it commercial or narrative. I’ve been lucky enough to have a lot of success so far, but I’m still at the baby’s first stage of my career. So now seems like the perfect time to play, and experiment, and crucially, learn.

This blog is more for me than anyone else. I figure if I write about what I’m learning, as I’m learning it, I’m more likely to stick at it. I’ll also be posting the essays I write, sharing work I’m making, and a bit of everything else in between. If it’s interesting to anyone else, that’s a great bonus! It’s an experiment of sorts. And I’m really looking forward to learning more. 

Next up, I’ll write about the syllabus I’ve written for myself, and what I’m work on now.