With a huge exhale, I dare a glance at the timestamp.
Shit, barely a quarter of the way...
This is why I try not to do that.
It's late afternoon and I'm sitting at my desk in my office. I've been here so long the light from the windows has switched walls. Editing podcasts is a completely different type of work than writing, but not so different that they can't be compared. I mean, I try not to think about them like that but, sometimes, my brain just does it instinctively.
Podcast editing is a "countdown" type of work whereas writing work starts from zero and increases as you go. Audio recordings have a total run time. So, as I'm editing, I can see how much progress I've made. That only ever feels helpful when I'm almost done; which I'm not. When I first got into podcasting, I'd start by making in-line edits for things like filler words, dead-air, or flubbed pronunciations of things. Then, I'd move to the story-level trim. You know, things like asking whether stuff even fits or not—whether it strengthens the story arc or distracts from it. I used to treat those like separate tasks. These days, however, they've become something I do simultaneously. And right now, with three quarters of this pod left to edit, that helps.
Leaning back, I rub my eyes.
First, though, it's time for a change of scenery.
Do you prefer count-downs or count-ups?
onward.
For more on this daily column and The MAP Year Project, read the backstory here. And if you know someone who'd appreciate this, pass it along.