Who likes history!

“All I ever wanted to do is write a history book that people want to read,” said Jim Blanchard, author of Winnipeg’s Great War – a book that follows how the people of Winnipeg reacted and dealt with the First World War.

I can’t speak on behalf of everyone, but I wanted to read the book. I remember seeing it on display earlier this fall at McNally Robinson. I intended to go to the reading. But a pocket filled with nothing but lint and a hectic school schedule kept me from attending or purchasing the book sooner. So when I found out we’d be reading the book in our last semester of school, I was thrilled.

I’ve always been interested in history and I’m realizing the importance of knowing Canadian and local history. But I’m not a great at it.

My first question reading the book: why did the First World War start anyway? Rather than providing readers with a brief summary of what happened to trigger the war, Blanchard goes straight to the beginning of it, assuming his readers already know. While it’s not a critical thing to know, since the book primarily uses the war to discuss the happenings in Winnipeg, it was definitely a pertinent question as I continued to read on – possibly only because I felt silly for not knowing.

The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria is said to have been the trigger that set off the war. An ultimatum between the Yugoslav nationalist that killed Ferdinand and the Kingdom of Serbia led to war. Eventually alliances formed and the major powers were at war too – major powers who had colonial ties to other countries as well.

Blanchard neglects to explain certain details to his audience at other times as well – such as why battles like the Somme, Ypres and Vimy Ridge began/entailed in the first place. Short explanations, I feel, would’ve gone a long way.

However, there is SO much information in this book. Blanchard does an incredible job sorting through what I can only imagine to be 1,000 of hours spent digging through archives to write this book. Not only does he use humorous and emotional stories from various newspapers at the time to highlight how it felt to live in Winnipeg from 1914-1918 (like how women used to pin white feathers on the men who hadn’t volunteered to go to war in 1915), but he also incorporates so many detailed facts that readers are automatically left needing to read the book again. These are his two biggest strengths. The stories maintain interest for those, otherwise, not always interested in historical facts. The facts ensure there’s always more to be learnt about the Winnipeg during the First World War.

This non-fiction book chronicles everything – from the role women played throughout to the way Winnipeggers treated immigrants to the educational system at the time to the role the media played to so much more, the release of Winnipeg’s Great War was anything but rushed.

So, did Blanchard achieve his goal? Will people want to read this history book? I think they should. I did.

But will people continue to want to read the book once they’ve started? I did, but I’ll admit it was a challenge. The amount of minute details including was at times difficult to follow – making the read sometimes overwhelming.

My advice: take it slow. Don’t rush the read. Relax if you find yourself overwhelmed and keep reading. You won’t take everything in on the first read, unlike other history texts like John Hersey’s Hiroshima which vividly tells the stories of several Hiroshima survivors. (Also keep in mind, Hersey was writing the story in that time period, Blanchard is writing about a period he never existed in.) But in the end everything will make sense – plus there’s a nice little summary recapping how exactly Winnipeg was impacted by the war. Then plan to revisit the book another time.

After all, Blanchard is writing about a story all Winnipeggers should know – our story.

IPP Excitement

Red River College's second-year Creative Communication students are so close! In just over a week we'll each be hitting the stage in the Presentation Theatre at the Convention Centre to present our babies. Almost literally.

The Independent Professional Projects are anything but neat -- at least during the process. My IPP was writing a book -- a book I've discussed in previous blogs. It's called Lockout: Exploring the rich history and uncertain future of Powerview-Pine Falls, Manitoba. The non-fiction story addresses the effects the paper mill closure has so far had on the town. It's a big deal because, as many locals know, the mill was the town's main employer. In the past ten years nearly 450 jobs have been lost in the town due to the declining newsprint industry. There are just over 1,000 people living in the community.

After 7 months of production -- three months of interviewing and research, two months of writing, and two months of rewriting, editing and printing -- I am thrilled to announce the story is almost here. Perhaps almost yours...for $20.

Upon sending the book to the printer, I'll admit -- I was terrified. Not only did I talk about other people's very emotional stories, but I talk about my own. Writing a book was an extremely vulnerable process. It still is. But as the IPPPs get closer and closer, I just want the world to see it!

It would mean a lot to me for people to attend my and my fellow classmates' presentations at the Convention Centre March 9-11. Presentations will run all day from 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. I present on the first day. Other great projects you can catch at the IPPPs include documentaries ranging from topics like cats to arranged marriages. There will be novels about the service industry to non-fiction accounts of some notable Canadian journalists' most memorable moments. If you're still not convinced, there will be movie blog presentations to horror films to charity events. All in all, the IPPPs shouldn't disappoint anyone.

If mornings aren't your thing, but you're still interested in learning more about my book and Pine Falls, I will also be having a reading at McNally Robinson in the Prairie Ink Restaurant, Thurs. March 10 at 8:00 p.m.

For more information about the reading, click here: http://www.mcnallyrobinson.com/event-10285/Yvonne-Raymond----Book-Launch/
For more information about my book/Pine Falls, click here: http://pinefallsbook.com/ (Note: the site is still in the making. More posts will be made once the book is out)
For more information about the IPPPs, click here: http://www.facebook.com/#!/event.php?eid=171261859586803

Think About It

It's something I was reminded of today. It's something I think is worth passing along -- mostly to journalists, but it can apply to everyone: What's the message you're trying to send with your story?

Think about it.

Assuming I'll have to move

Number one: Be ready to work for free.

Number two: Be ready to move.

Those are the two tips I’ve remembered from journalists since I’ve wanted to be a journalist. I consider them cardinal rules. I consider them necessary steps in order to become a reporter. I have been preparing for both to happen since I began the Creative Communications program.

I’ve done a lot of work for free already. I don’t mind it. I love what I do and feel restless without journalism.

It’s number two that’s getting scarier and scarier as my graduation date approaches. It’s not because I am afraid of moving. I love the idea. Not knowing where you’re going to end up and under what circumstances is a total thrill for me. I crave that excitement. I crave that phone call that says: “We need you in Egypt tomorrow.” It’s my personality. I’m ambitious. I’m adventurous. I love feeling important. I want to make a difference.

But who gets left behind? Is it fair to leave the ones you love? For how long?

Leaving those who are important to me to the point they feel neglected is my fear. But then again, should fear stop anyone? No one said all fears play out.

Am I selfish?

It's almost done!

After six months of writing, my book about the uncertain future of Powerview-Pine Falls, Manitoba is in its final proofreading and production stage. It's off to the printer tomorrow! Stay tuned for more updates on where you can pick up a copy.

So you wanna be a TV reporter?

I just spent the last three weeks working as an intern at Shaw TV. The first week I shadowed reporters, picked their brains and sought out whatever advice I could wrap my brain around before week two. Week two and three immersed me into the Shaw TV newsroom. And by immersed I mean sucked me in, shook me up and spit me back out – a good thing of course. Here’s what I learnt by the end.

1. Coming up with stories for TV isn’t a walk in the park. Bottom line: no visuals no story.
2. Speaking of visuals, there’s a difference between still, abstract shots that sort of get the point across and moving, concrete shots that dictate what you’re going to say. You want to find a story with the latter.
3. Getting the scoop on a good story requires you to get out, talk to people, meet people, observe your surroundings and question them. Ask yourself: was there anything unusual about what a person said? About what I saw? Follow-up, look into what you found out. Analyze everything!
4. Shooting the story is where the pressure sets in and you only have one chance. First things first, when you arrive observe your surroundings. Talk to people, get the story, find out how everything is going to play out if it’s an event or photo-op. Tell your cameraperson what’s happening and what you need out of the shoot. Go in with an idea of what your story is and who you want to talk to, but be flexible, sometimes the best story unfolds while you’re there. Observe, analyze, observe, analyze, repeat, repeat, repeat. Craft your story while you’re there because your standup is coming and you don’t want to waste it.
5. Doing a standup isn’t just your chance to show off on camera…not that I ever thought it was; I just never understood why reporters had to do them. Turns out they’re pretty useful – do a standup when you either need to show your viewers something or when you need to talk about something you can’t show with pictures, like statistical data.
6. Sweating yet? Things aren’t going to slow down. Before you leave your shoot ask yourself: did my interviews cover the basics of the story? The who, what, when, where, why. Did my interview questions generate emotional responses? Do you know how your subject will be impacted by the news? How they feel about it? What they would like to see happen and why? Does your standup provide information? Can it be said in a voiceover? Probably? Reshoot it. Then brief your cameraperson on what your story is looking like so far – will they have enough shots to cover your angle? Is there anything specific you envision absolutely needing from them? Ask and get it. Okay, now you can go. …God, I’m sweating writing this.
7. Writing the script should be easy by now because you know what you want to say. But double check a few things before you send your script to be vetted. Does the story begin with a memorable visual? As in, is it well shot? Will it grab the mom changing her baby’s diapers attention? Does it set up the rest of the story? Are you writing in and out of your clips? This one, I found tricky. It doesn’t mean summing up what everyone has to say about your news story before you go into a clip with them saying the same thing. It means providing viewers with small bits on information your viewer couldn’t look up on google while linking the last clip to the next one. Joanne Kelly gave me some good advice on how to do this when she told me to literally take the viewer on the journey I went on. Make them feel like they were right there alongside you uncovering the story. Telling a story isn’t just about providing the viewer with a piece of news and reiterating it over and over again in different ways for a minute and a half. Also, keep one thought to a sentence.
8. Analyzing what you’ve done is hard and by the end you’re exhausted. A lot of the time I felt like I was crossing my fingers and hoping for the best by the end. I knew what I was supposed to have done, I just told you everything. But being able to read over your own work critically is difficult so I don’t know if I learnt a great approach to being able to do this other than asking myself all the things I just told you. But the best piece of advice I found myself taking into every shoot was from Kim Babij. She told me the reporter is getting access to information the viewers aren’t. This means, you’re the one asking the questions only your interview subject can answer. It means you’re the one pulling out all the details viewers won’t necessarily think of and providing those details in your story later. It means knowing more about the story than you can tell in a minute and a half. It’s the reporter’s job to collect this information and craft it in a way that’s descriptive, interesting, easy to follow and worth watching. Otherwise, she said, what’s the point of having a reporter?
9. Screwing up is inevitable. Even the pro’s do it…or so I’m told. Swallow your pride, make the call and fix the mistake. Sending a shitty story to air will prove to be more embarrassing in the end. Having said that, don’t get cozy with screw ups, once you hit the big time you really will only have one shot and likely less time.

The good news is it’s really not that scary once you start to get the hang of it. By the end of my three week work placement I found myself feeling much more confident going out on shoots and writing scripts. While I’m still not an expert, the lightbulb is beginning to flicker.

Things I've been noticing lately

1. Guys referring to their girlfriends as objects by calling them ‘my girl’ or ‘the girl’.
2. Hot 103’s Steve Adams has an incredibly well prepared show.
3. My ipod says it’s last week.
4. Pho No. 1 is the most underrated Vietnamese restaurant in the city.
5. I don’t think people really taste their food – as in I don’t think many explore the flavours they’re chewing.
6. There are way too many ‘new fiction’ and ‘new non-fiction’ books on the McNally Robinson bookshelves to go through.
7. An apple at 7-Eleven is almost $2.
8. This blog is an example of faulty parallelism.
9. After three weeks of driving to work, I miss taking the stinky city bus.
10. It’s cold outside.