yuvi zalkow - novelist, failed writer, schmo

MaverickNY Thanks for the feedback. Yeah, it's pretty time consuming. Though it gets more efficient each round I do it...

So with the tablet I use, you can't see what you're drawing on the tablet itself -- you have to look up at the monitor. But I was surprised at how easily I got the hang of it. Wacom and other companies sell devices that show exactly what you are drawing on them -- but then you're talking a lot more $$$... Who knows, maybe your "tiny chicken scratch" will come out of even better with a tablet... :) Good luck.

Good luck, Sonje! One thing I failed to say in the presentation is that my fake book trailer (http://yuvizalkow.com/book/) was mostly done with iMovie.

Erin F. Yeah, iMovie is the way to go if you're not messing with multiple audio/video tracks, or if you don't need to record the screen for any reason.

As for having a script. Yeah, I just am too bad about stage fright (even when pre-recording in my attic!) if I don't have a script. I don't follow the script too closely at times, but I just like to know it's there in case I freeze up :) I think you're more comfortable in front of the camera/mic... Hmm... I wonder -- when my book comes out -- if I can pre-record every public event...

As for the apologies. My *entire* writing life is perhaps one enormous apology...

yuvizalkowErin F. I look forward to Yuvi's future book, I'm Sorry: An in depth look at why I feel terrible about everything...

MSchechteryuvizalkow No pre-recorded events will be allowed for the next book. No scripts, either.

My latest conversation: factotum llc. - writing & social media consulting by erin feldman

MSchechterErin F. I originally wanted to call my upcoming novel "The Jew with the Failed Novel"... Is that in the ballpark?

yuvizalkowErin F. Doesn't "The Jew" as a stand alone title imply a failed novel?

MSchechterErin F. Well I wanted to be particular about which one of the hundreds of things I failed at...

yuvizalkowErin F. True... "Jew" does cast a very wide failure spectrum...

yuvizalkow I must be a good actor. I'm not comfortable at all. I always have to take a huge breath and start talking until I have nothing else to say. I suppose it's a version of freewriting. I then have to delete the huge breath from every movie, which is why I give myself a few extra seconds to start the thing. I also give myself a few seconds at the end of them so that I'm not hitting the "end" button at the conclusion of every video. In person is a completely different story. My voice shakes although not nearly as badly as it did in high school or college. I then feel self-conscious about the warbling voice and start to blush...Oh, yes, I'm very comfortable with speaking.

I don't know what my writing life is. An apology? A fight? Several of my poems are violent, but it's sometimes due to my strange obsession with silence.

My latest conversation: factotum llc. - writing & social media consulting by erin feldman

Erin F.yuvizalkow It's moments like this that I'm thrilled by my lack of self-consciousness in this one area (rest assured, I'm highly self-conscious everywhere else). Speaking has never been a fear for me. I was always the one who avoided all the work on group projects, but would present the findings.

MSchechteryuvizalkow Lucky you. I think that makes you the token spokesperson at any and all events.

My latest conversation: factotum llc. - writing & social media consulting by erin feldman

MSchechterErin F. I'm an excellent public speaker when I give speeches from the bathroom. Otherwise, I have issues.

yuvizalkowMSchechter Haha! Maybe you should bring the toddler's elephant to public speaking events.

My latest conversation: factotum llc. - writing & social media consulting by erin feldman

Erin F. MSchechter brilliant idea!

yuvizalkowMSchechter I have my moments of ingenuity.

My latest conversation: factotum llc. - writing & social media consulting by erin feldman

MSchechter It makes sense that for true screencasts, it could be easier to start with the video rather than how I start with the audio. For that situation, I've done it about the same way as you... I don't tend to worry about starting it at the exact moment, however, I just worry afterwards about aligning audio & video properly --- because I often end up editing the video afterwards anyhow (deleting or speeding up spots) to keep the video and audio paced nicely. (Does that make sense?) One odd idea is that you could inject a moment of audio (like a POP sound) just the before the start of the video and so then when you record the voice over while playing your voiceless video, you can simply align the POPs, and then delete them both... (Or is that waaaayyy too complicated???) In any case, that is definitely an area that I think is worth talking to them about because it is a bit awkward today.