Comments for Flying Flashlight http://flyingflashlight.com Journalism, storytelling, news, video, media analysis, Web strategies and gravity-free curiosity | M. Amedeo Tumolillo Tue, 17 Aug 2010 06:16:20 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 Comment on Hungarian Skateboarding Priest Isn’t the Only Holy Figure to Spread the Word With the Help of 4 Wheels by Sydney Goldberg http://flyingflashlight.com/2010/08/17/hungarian-skateboarding-priest-isnt-the-only-holy-figure-to-spread-the-word-with-the-help-of-4-wheels/comment-page-1/#comment-750 Sydney Goldberg Tue, 17 Aug 2010 06:16:20 +0000 http://flyingflashlight.com/?p=1953#comment-750 Hi, the skateboarding priest is so sick. Maybe I can go to a temple with a skateboarding rabbi, if I'm lucky! Thanks for the pingback, appreciate it. Add me on Twitter www.twitter.com/sydneygoldberg Cheers, Sydney Hi, the skateboarding priest is so sick. Maybe I can go to a temple with a skateboarding rabbi, if I’m lucky! Thanks for the pingback, appreciate it. Add me on Twitter http://www.twitter.com/sydneygoldberg

Cheers,
Sydney


]]> Comment on 22 helpful tips for better storytelling and writing from David Mamet, Kurt Vonnegut Jr. and Robert McKee by mrkrispee http://flyingflashlight.com/2010/03/25/22-helpful-tips-for-storytelling-and-writing-from-david-mamet-kurt-vonnegut-jr-and-robert-mckee/comment-page-1/#comment-749 mrkrispee Tue, 17 Aug 2010 05:20:26 +0000 http://flyingflashlight.com/?p=1015#comment-749 Nothing against McKee, but if you're talented enough to write for a living (or at least believe you have the skill to make that possible), the elements of story he discusses should be innate within a storyteller already. Like a natural musician can hear and intuitively understand and devise a melody without needing to learn 12-tone scale theory first. When reading the quotes, it's easy to sense the advice that is written by writers and which are not. Mamet and Vonnegut are writers, while McKee is a thinker. Mamet and Vonnegut write about writing from the perspective of a writer, while McKee writes about writing from the perspective of a philosopher. As a result, I've found McKee's advice to be interesting on a theoretical level, but highly impractical to actual writing technique. I liken it to an actor trying to learn how to perform Shakespeare by reading dissertations on Elizabethan times vs. learning how to act by taking a master class with Ian McKellen. But I appreciate all the quotes you've compiled. They are great inspiration! Nothing against McKee, but if you’re talented enough to write for a living (or at least believe you have the skill to make that possible), the elements of story he discusses should be innate within a storyteller already. Like a natural musician can hear and intuitively understand and devise a melody without needing to learn 12-tone scale theory first.

When reading the quotes, it’s easy to sense the advice that is written by writers and which are not. Mamet and Vonnegut are writers, while McKee is a thinker. Mamet and Vonnegut write about writing from the perspective of a writer, while McKee writes about writing from the perspective of a philosopher. As a result, I’ve found McKee’s advice to be interesting on a theoretical level, but highly impractical to actual writing technique. I liken it to an actor trying to learn how to perform Shakespeare by reading dissertations on Elizabethan times vs. learning how to act by taking a master class with Ian McKellen.

But I appreciate all the quotes you’ve compiled. They are great inspiration!


]]> Comment on 22 helpful tips for better storytelling and writing from David Mamet, Kurt Vonnegut Jr. and Robert McKee by flyingflashlight http://flyingflashlight.com/2010/03/25/22-helpful-tips-for-storytelling-and-writing-from-david-mamet-kurt-vonnegut-jr-and-robert-mckee/comment-page-1/#comment-747 flyingflashlight Mon, 16 Aug 2010 04:34:57 +0000 http://flyingflashlight.com/?p=1015#comment-747 Yeah, some of the quotes do make more sense if you've read other parts of the book, which inform the terminology that McKee uses. I got lazy and didn't bother to give those clearer definitions. But I do see your point. He does have an abstract, theoretical-leaning quality to his observations that is lacking in the other two. For me, the biggest lesson was the one about desire. Want, and the obstruction of achieving it, are the engines driving every drama. Humility and respect for your readers' time, too, resonates for me. I think it has to do with putting the value on skillfully and entertainingly telling the story above expressing myself. That's not to say I should suck the personality out of my words; it's simply putting my personality and style in service of the story, rather than in its way. Yeah, some of the quotes do make more sense if you’ve read other parts of the book, which inform the terminology that McKee uses. I got lazy and didn’t bother to give those clearer definitions. But I do see your point. He does have an abstract, theoretical-leaning quality to his observations that is lacking in the other two. For me, the biggest lesson was the one about desire. Want, and the obstruction of achieving it, are the engines driving every drama. Humility and respect for your readers’ time, too, resonates for me. I think it has to do with putting the value on skillfully and entertainingly telling the story above expressing myself. That’s not to say I should suck the personality out of my words; it’s simply putting my personality and style in service of the story, rather than in its way.


]]> Comment on 22 helpful tips for better storytelling and writing from David Mamet, Kurt Vonnegut Jr. and Robert McKee by mrkrispee http://flyingflashlight.com/2010/03/25/22-helpful-tips-for-storytelling-and-writing-from-david-mamet-kurt-vonnegut-jr-and-robert-mckee/comment-page-1/#comment-746 mrkrispee Mon, 16 Aug 2010 03:42:17 +0000 http://flyingflashlight.com/?p=1015#comment-746 Robert McKee quote #4 is such a tortured sentence. I've read it five times and it still sounds like his editor needs to chop it up and send it back to McKee with a swath of red ink intruding upon it. Maybe reading the entirety of his bible-sized handbook would help to decipher hieroglyphics like "life situation" and "expressed and experienced in terms of value". But after the no-nonsense, real-world, punch-to-the-gut advice of Mamet and Vonnegut, McKee sounds obtuse. I've always felt McKee has never practiced what he preaches. But his lectures are very entertaining! Robert McKee quote #4 is such a tortured sentence. I’ve read it five times and it still sounds like his editor needs to chop it up and send it back to McKee with a swath of red ink intruding upon it.

Maybe reading the entirety of his bible-sized handbook would help to decipher hieroglyphics like “life situation” and “expressed and experienced in terms of value”. But after the no-nonsense, real-world, punch-to-the-gut advice of Mamet and Vonnegut, McKee sounds obtuse.

I’ve always felt McKee has never practiced what he preaches. But his lectures are very entertaining!


]]> Comment on The bane and blessing of software: updates by flyingflashlight http://flyingflashlight.com/2010/08/02/the-bane-and-blessing-of-software-updates/comment-page-1/#comment-682 flyingflashlight Tue, 03 Aug 2010 08:48:33 +0000 http://flyingflashlight.com/?p=1872#comment-682 Sure. I suspect this had something to do with my host, 1and1. Or maybe not. Or maybe? Does anyone know? I recall troubleshooting and discovering instructions to increase some size limit to 32M or 64M. The file name extension was .ini. But then I worried other effects, such my WordPress dashboard looking like a jumble of shattered clay pots. Sure. I suspect this had something to do with my host, 1and1. Or maybe not. Or maybe? Does anyone know? I recall troubleshooting and discovering instructions to increase some size limit to 32M or 64M. The file name extension was .ini. But then I worried other effects, such my WordPress dashboard looking like a jumble of shattered clay pots.


]]> Comment on The bane and blessing of software: updates by SueVo http://flyingflashlight.com/2010/08/02/the-bane-and-blessing-of-software-updates/comment-page-1/#comment-681 SueVo Mon, 02 Aug 2010 19:03:50 +0000 http://flyingflashlight.com/?p=1872#comment-681 Yikes man. That bites. Thanks for warning the rest of us. Yikes man. That bites. Thanks for warning the rest of us.


]]> Comment on Highlights From Google Researcher’s Advice on Improving Online Social Networks by Understanding Real Ones by Tweets that mention Highlights From Google Researcher’s Advice on Improving Online Social Networks by Understanding Real Ones | Flying Flashlight -- Topsy.com http://flyingflashlight.com/2010/07/09/highlights-from-google-researchers-advice-on-improving-online-social-networks-by-understanding-real-ones/comment-page-1/#comment-624 Tweets that mention Highlights From Google Researcher’s Advice on Improving Online Social Networks by Understanding Real Ones | Flying Flashlight -- Topsy.com Fri, 09 Jul 2010 23:59:42 +0000 http://flyingflashlight.com/?p=1811#comment-624 [...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by David Turner. David Turner said: Highlights From Google Researcher's Advice on Improving Online ... http://bit.ly/9RVJOW [...] [...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by David Turner. David Turner said: Highlights From Google Researcher's Advice on Improving Online … http://bit.ly/9RVJOW [...]


]]> Comment on The Failures of Borg Blogging: My Blog Connects to Buzz, Facebook and Twitter, but Promises Are Broken by Jonathan http://flyingflashlight.com/2010/06/30/failures-borg-blogging-blog-connects-buzz-facebook-twitter-promises-broken/comment-page-1/#comment-621 Jonathan Mon, 05 Jul 2010 15:40:37 +0000 http://flyingflashlight.com/?p=1793#comment-621 I've actually gone through a similar process of trying to automate things and aggregate my own posts into a single location. Actually vie gone through this several times but never finished because every time I run into things that don't work as well as they should and give up until I think of a new approach and try it only to have it repeat. It's a vexing question on how best to organize our online lives. I've seen tweets piped to linked in that don't fit the tone of that site and all sorts of variations. For now I've just paused most of my status updates and posts, only share interesting articles through google reader. Though some of the best I read with instapaper and though starred there, don't make it into any other feed. Sigh I’ve actually gone through a similar process of trying to automate things and aggregate my own posts into a single location. Actually vie gone through this several times but never finished because every time I run into things that don’t work as well as they should and give up until I think of a new approach and try it only to have it repeat.

It’s a vexing question on how best to organize our online lives. I’ve seen tweets piped to linked in that don’t fit the tone of that site and all sorts of variations. For now I’ve just paused most of my status updates and posts, only share interesting articles through google reader. Though some of the best I read with instapaper and though starred there, don’t make it into any other feed. Sigh


]]> Comment on Publishing a blog with nothing more than Google Reader by flyingflashlight http://flyingflashlight.com/2010/06/15/publishing-a-blog-with-nothing-more-than-google-reader/comment-page-1/#comment-569 flyingflashlight Thu, 17 Jun 2010 04:15:33 +0000 http://flyingflashlight.com/?p=1683#comment-569 I gave up on my approach. It was more just an experiment to see if it worked. It did, but I hated the formatting on the blog posts, and I had to check my Buzz for duplication. I played with your method; Shareholic is awesomely useful and speeds up my blogging. Posterous is interesting, but I won't be using it. My fix for now is to simply note my own blog entries in my Google Shared Items; that sends it to Buzz. Addons take care of sending my blog entries to Twitter and Facebook. I gave up on my approach. It was more just an experiment to see if it worked. It did, but I hated the formatting on the blog posts, and I had to check my Buzz for duplication. I played with your method; Shareholic is awesomely useful and speeds up my blogging. Posterous is interesting, but I won’t be using it. My fix for now is to simply note my own blog entries in my Google Shared Items; that sends it to Buzz. Addons take care of sending my blog entries to Twitter and Facebook.


]]> Comment on 5 steps to get your blog entries on Twitter, Facebook and Google Buzz all at once, using only your WordPress blog by Publishing a blog with nothing more than Google Reader http://flyingflashlight.com/2010/03/27/5-steps-to-get-your-blog-entries-on-twitter-facebook-and-google-buzz-all-at-once-using-only-your-wordpress-blog/comment-page-1/#comment-567 Publishing a blog with nothing more than Google Reader Wed, 16 Jun 2010 19:23:10 +0000 http://flyingflashlight.com/?p=1052#comment-567 [...] Related post: 5 steps to get your blog entries on Twitter, Facebook and Google Buzz all at once, using only your W... [...] [...] Related post: 5 steps to get your blog entries on Twitter, Facebook and Google Buzz all at once, using only your W… [...]


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