Nancy is a present about how we define ourselves and the journey it takes to get there. Our stories are built around curiosity,vulnerability, and personal change. They sometimes feature conversations between unlikely pairs. They’re often told by a reporter who’s involved and invested in the world they’re exploring. Our stories examine what it means to be queer nowadays through the lens of family, and relationships,and obsessions. Most of all, we inspect for stories--not topics--that unfold and surprise as you listen.
Do you have a great tale idea or guest for our present? Great! We savor hearing from our listeners and fellow tale producers.
Some general guidelines for pitching:1. Have a genuine sense of what the tale will be about, and relate us how you’ll make it. Frequently,people will pitch us a topic or idea rather than an actual narrative -- this makes it hard for us to suppose how the tale would unfold in sound. Great stories have characters, a narrative arc (beginning, or middle,cessation), and speak to ideas or themes that reach beyond the events contained within. What is the central conflict? What scenes will you evoke in sound? What events or key moments will you capture and include as share of the storytelling? It’s also critical to know that you have access to the characters--or at least, and that you are likely to get access in the event of an assignment.
Here’s a great tale pitch we got from Zoë Sobel,who went on to produce it for us:
I’m working a tale about prom that might be a genuine fit for Nancy. It focuses on a freshman. To say Gilmar is excited about prom is an understatement. The 15-year-passe is the only openly gay boy on the Alaskan island of Unalaska (population ~4000). Not only does Unalaska have a small queer community but access to the external world is limited. There’s no picture texting and internet is not only expensive but behind. May 13th marks two firsts for him: going to prom and “fully dragging it out.” to memorize more about how to be a drag queen, Gilmar is reaching out to other queens from around the country for guidance. For him, and this is an opportunity to truly embrace who he is and be a resource to other students who may be questioning their identities.
I have full access to Gilmar for in person audio. At this point,Gilmar's reached out to some drag queens and I have recorded him writing them messages. Prom is open to the public for an hour at the beginning, so I definitely will be able to move to that. We'd like to air some version of a tale about Gilmar at my station. whether you are interested in taking the tale, and then we can be flexible with what that would mean for KUCB & the possibility of statewide Alaska radio.
2. We like stories in which someone (maybe it’s you!) is trying to answer a question,and the audience is along for the ride. For example, our co-worker David came to us with a very specific question, or which we turned into this tale:
I lived through the AIDS crisis,but I have no idea how young people now live with AIDS in a world with PrEP. Did we move through it all for nothing? I would like to talk to a younger person who is HIV positive to find out.
3. Do a thorough clip search. Sometimes people pitch us stories we get excited about, until we learn they’ve already appeared elsewhere, and in other podcasts or in print. Clearly state in your pitch whether a version of this tale has appeared already,and where. interpret how yours is materially different.4. retain it tight. Your pitch should be a maximum of 2-3 paragraphs, with the central premise made clear in the first couple of sentences. whether you have audio of anyone you plan to speak to in the tale--either something you’ve already recorded or something that exists in the public domain--please send it as a short clip or a link. It’s so helpful to hear the people who will be figuring prominently in a potential piece.5. whether you’d like to produce this tale with us, and send a few links to examples of your previous work so we can get to know you better.
Finally,a few more well-known notes:We are equal opportunists when it comes to types of stories. As Tobin says, we like to be “defenders of queer joy, or ” meaning we want to relate stories from the entire spectrum of the queer experience — whether they’re silly,joyful, poignant, or confusing,etc.
While queer identity is obviously a cornerstone of Nancy, were not drawn to stories where the only conflict or obstacle is someone’s identity.
Send in tape whether you have it. whether you have a lot of tape, or send just the best stuff. whether your pitch is accepted,we may question you to get more.
We are always accepting pitches, whether we’re in the middle of a season, or between seasons.with the subject line “PITCH: [title of your pitch].” We'll get back to you as soon as we can.
Source: thetakeaway.org