Tuesday, June 28, 2011

Great things about being blind. Preparing for a show.

I'm getting ready for my hour-long guide dog stories, storytelling show tonight.  I know other storytellers do this too but this may be a bit easier for me.  I can prepare for my shows and go over material in the dark, when I am brushing the dog, eating breakfast, exercising.  Not while walking as I have to concentrate on traffic, directing my dog, etc.  I create material.  Partly by writing it out.  Partly by recording it.  Then, when I have a format and material I like, I record it.  Take a break.  Then listen with fresh ears.  Then, I write from my recording.  Putting in words and concepts that are missing.  Then, record again.  At first when I record, I am reading my braille material.  Then, I go off book as storytelling is more improvisational than a play is for me.  But still, I need the structure of the material and certain phrases and language I like.  I listen for timing also.  For the timbre of my voice.  Sometimes, I listen to just the text read to me on my ipod in the wonderful british accented voice I chose.  If I want to go over material quickly I speed it up and just listen to the text I've created.
This is like speed reading I guess.
Then at other times, I listen to myself.
Get my voice in my head.
So, I think in many ways being blind as a storyteller has advantages for preparing material, for listening, and besides being blind gives me great story material.

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