Thread by @galenbeebe

Next up at #onairfrest: the @radiolab team on how they find stories!

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“Story finding is an act of recognition. It’s about trying to notice the small things in the margin that might lead you to a story. The little shit.” (@JadAbumrad)
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Jad plays clips of Marc Marron interviewing Terry Gross, stopping the interview to note the edge questions Marron asks—the little blips in the story that Marron stops and pushes on. This is what Anna Sale was doing on stage to Jad yesterday.
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This whole convo reminds me of the great podcast where Jesse Thorn interviews interviewers. I recommend the episodes with Jerry Springer and Brooke Gladstone.
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maximumfun.org/podcasts/the-t…

So, how do you get good at recognizing and following those little moments? Here’s an article from Latin Nasser about it:
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transom.org/2018/latif-nas…

And here’s another:
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transom.org/2022/ten-more-…

.@bexbress: Finding the story comes in figuring out how to pitch the story. In trying to convince others that there’s a There there.
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Also from @bexbress: When telling a story about a system, find a character through which the entire system reveals itself.
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It’s hard to find a story alone—to figure out what the story is in all the info. Story finding comes often between people, in the process of calling or texting someone & telling the story to them. Also sometimes you hold on and re-explain until you find it. (@alexandrianeas)
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Finding a story is difficult and you often feel while doing it like you’re not doing anything. So to deal with that, @Si_Adler came up with a system:

Read three things
Make three phone calls
Schedule three phone calls

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There is no new output without new input. You just need to be churning through information. And growing an awareness of where you feel interested in or surprised about a thing. (@Si_Adler)
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Story finding tips from @latifnasser:
1. Set up google alerts
2. Make a list of scholars you think are brilliant
3. Sign up for newsletters
4. Listen to lots of oral histories
5. Go to Eventbrite and search for free lectures. Then go to them.
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“Create serendipity.” -@JadAbumrad

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How do you know when to cut your losses on a story?

@alexandrianeas: Sometimes you know you need a certain thing, and you just can’t find it. A certain character, for example.

@bexbress: If I still have a fire under me, I won’t let it go.
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If something in a story isn’t clicking together, step back. Maybe for a month. A few months. A few years. Sometimes you come back and it all clicks. (@alexandrianeas)
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