I’m doing things a bit differently today because life is busy, and my brain is just focused elsewhere. In a couple of weeks, I’m presenting at the Editorial Freelancers Association EFACON with a session on using TTRPGs to enhance developmental editing skills. While I’m super-excited about this, it’s eating up a lot of my time and brain power. Something has to give, and right now, that thing is the blog.
Not completely, though. I wanted to write a piece on how different modes of storytelling get the same emotions across in different ways. I will do so at some point, but I just don’t have the bandwidth for it right now.
Instead, I want to share the below video of the song Santa Fe from the Newsies Broadway soundtrack.
Full Disclosure: I’m a sucker for heroic tenors, and Jeremy Jordan, who plays Jack Kelly in the musical, absolutely qualifies.
More to the point, though, his voice is a study in getting emotions across. The effortless way he moves from anger to desperation and then through determination, hope, despair, etc.? It’s masterful.
And it’s an excellent writing exercise in the making.
So, this week, I challenge you to listen to the song and then write out the words as dialogue, using the written medium to get across the same emotions.
Then, if you want an extra challenge, look at how words on a page differ from a song. What are the strengths and weaknesses of each?
I bet this is starting to feel like homework, but I promise it’s not. If you just want to listen to the man sing, that’s totally fine.
And if musicals aren’t your thing, you don’t even have to listen. Though, I encourage you to do so just to appreciate talent where appreciation is due.
So, whichever you choose, enjoy.
I’m off to get all the last-minute things done for my presentation. 🤯
👋 Fair travels,
Mary
