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"Quien Soy?": Behind the Scenes
Producer Karmen Gallegos gives a tutorial on writing personal essays for radio. Her advice? Don't listen to your English teachers.
Throughout my life I have always struggled to communicate both in writing and verbally. I would always get C-'s on any English essays, with little notes saying "you can't always write how you speak Carmen." AGH! I hated reading the notes written in red pen that the teacher usually left on what you believed was once a perfectly written essay.
I ALWAYS was corrected in English....ALWAYS corrected in SPANISH. My friends and family always made fun of how I would explain myself. "Esque, I don't know what happens mom, I get stuck hablando in Spanish y el English, so I end up speaking SPANGLISH!" My mom would give long lectures on how it's great to be bi lingual, but I should be great at both languages without relying on another to explain myself.
Nobody understood me :( Until I got involved with this radio business. People began to appreciate my cultural difference, and my talent! :) Sometimes I even got complimented on my fluent spanglish. Ultimately I found out that in the radio YOU HAVE TO WRITE LIKE YOU SPEAK. You have to let your personality out! Even if you do have to throw a lil español one or twice. I believe accents are what make a piece great.
For a personal essay, the best thing you can do to let every emotion out is write, write and write. It doesn't have to rhyme or make sense, it's about the delivery, the emotion behind it, and most of all the passion. When you record the piece, record as if you were putting your heart out. If it's something for your brother who passed away read it as if he never ever left, as if he was right there besides you. Sometimes you'll even get to cry. Remember that behind every personal essay there’s a story.
Writing Narratives, Commentaries, Personal Essays, however you want to call them—they can also be great for you soul. Sounds kinda cheesy but it's true. You know- some people do drugs, others drink, some dance, and others scream to let go of those emotions that kill you or are a burden inside of you. What I do is share....Share every bit of that frustration-- of that agony, that happiness--with people who go through the same struggles and troubles to make a great piece. For example if you’re a youth trying to redeem yourself and get out of the ghetto, drugs, gangs, and what not, write about your struggles. Use this wave as if it were your diary; don’t limit yourself. Tell us how tough it was for you to find a job after dropping out from the 9th grade. Kick scream and cry when you tell us about that one homie that got shot in his front porch. And best of all let us know what you’re doing to change everything all around. Keep the listeners wanting more more...
I believe if you put these tips and advice in your pocket, you can end up writing something wonderful and touching!!!! And remember: DONT LISTEN TO YOUR ENGLISH TEAHCERS! They don't know how to WRITE LIKE THEY SPEAK!! They don't get this radio business ;)
I ALWAYS was corrected in English....ALWAYS corrected in SPANISH. My friends and family always made fun of how I would explain myself. "Esque, I don't know what happens mom, I get stuck hablando in Spanish y el English, so I end up speaking SPANGLISH!" My mom would give long lectures on how it's great to be bi lingual, but I should be great at both languages without relying on another to explain myself.
Nobody understood me :( Until I got involved with this radio business. People began to appreciate my cultural difference, and my talent! :) Sometimes I even got complimented on my fluent spanglish. Ultimately I found out that in the radio YOU HAVE TO WRITE LIKE YOU SPEAK. You have to let your personality out! Even if you do have to throw a lil español one or twice. I believe accents are what make a piece great.
For a personal essay, the best thing you can do to let every emotion out is write, write and write. It doesn't have to rhyme or make sense, it's about the delivery, the emotion behind it, and most of all the passion. When you record the piece, record as if you were putting your heart out. If it's something for your brother who passed away read it as if he never ever left, as if he was right there besides you. Sometimes you'll even get to cry. Remember that behind every personal essay there’s a story.
Writing Narratives, Commentaries, Personal Essays, however you want to call them—they can also be great for you soul. Sounds kinda cheesy but it's true. You know- some people do drugs, others drink, some dance, and others scream to let go of those emotions that kill you or are a burden inside of you. What I do is share....Share every bit of that frustration-- of that agony, that happiness--with people who go through the same struggles and troubles to make a great piece. For example if you’re a youth trying to redeem yourself and get out of the ghetto, drugs, gangs, and what not, write about your struggles. Use this wave as if it were your diary; don’t limit yourself. Tell us how tough it was for you to find a job after dropping out from the 9th grade. Kick scream and cry when you tell us about that one homie that got shot in his front porch. And best of all let us know what you’re doing to change everything all around. Keep the listeners wanting more more...
I believe if you put these tips and advice in your pocket, you can end up writing something wonderful and touching!!!! And remember: DONT LISTEN TO YOUR ENGLISH TEAHCERS! They don't know how to WRITE LIKE THEY SPEAK!! They don't get this radio business ;)
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