🎄 No man is an island.

Not even Santa Claus.
I’m pretty sure he pitches a few ideas to Mrs. Claus now and then:

"What do you think of the new dolls with braided hair and flamethrowers?"

"I’m not loving it, Santa."

Let’s face it.

Not all of your ideas are brilliant either, and that’s okay.
This is where fresh ears can make all the difference.
Having someone listen to your story before you air it can help you see what’s working and, more importantly, what isn’t.

1. Find Your “First Ears”

In the olden days, a sound engineer might be the first person to give feedback.
Or, in larger production companies, you’d have a team to weigh in.
That’s a luxury not everyone has.

But feedback doesn’t have to come from a formal team.
Reach out to someone in your network.
Online or offline. Maybe it’s a colleague, a fellow storyteller, or a small group of friends who love a good story.

Think of them as your “Listening Crowd.”

2. Set Up a Listening Session

Here’s how you do it:

• Gather your listening crowd.
  
  Sit down together with pens and paper ready.

• Play the story as is.
  
  Don’t explain anything.
  Don’t set it up.
  
  Let them listen as if it were their first time.

• Ask for first impressions.
  
  Have them write down their thoughts while they listen.

What Should They Look For?

Give them prompts to help guide their feedback:

• Do they understand the premise?
  Is the story clear from the start?

• Is the story captivating?
  Did they stay engaged, or did their attention wander?

• Where do they fall out of the story?
  Are there parts that feel confusing, slow, or repetitive?

• Is there empathy?
  Does the audience connect with the people in the story?

• Does the story move forward?
  Does it feel like the story is progressing naturally?

• Are all questions answered?
  Or are there gaps that leave the listener unsatisfied?

• What’s the strongest moment?
  Which part of the story had the biggest impact on them?

• What didn’t feel necessary?
  Were there any scenes or soundbites that could be cut or shortened?

3. Tidy Up and Draft Again

Once everyone has left, and you’re alone tidying up the notes, gather their feedback and go back to your DAW.
This is where you start refining.

Your first version?
That was Draft 1.

Now it’s time for Draft 2.*

• Rearrange scenes.

• Cut what isn’t working.

• Add new recordings or narration where needed.

• Experiment with the flow, music beds, or sound effects to see what feels right.

Make more drafts. Just to play around.
Don’t be afraid to experiment.
Try something wild: a different opening, a surprising sound bite, or a completely new music bed.
Remember, audio editing isn’t just work.
It’s supposed to be fun.
Sometimes the magic happens when you least expect it.

The good thing about drafts?
You can always go back to the original version if needed.
So sprinkle on some unforeseen magic, get playful, and see what happens.

4. Iterate, Refine, Repeat

Sometimes one round of feedback isn’t enough.
After you’ve made the changes, gather your listening crowd again.

• Play the new version.

• Have them comment on what’s improved and where it could still use work.

When everyone’s happy with the story, you’ll know it’s done.
Or at least as close to done as it gets.

🎁 Today’s Challenge:

Find someone to be part of your Listening Crowd.

• Play your draft without any explanation. Let them listen as if it’s the first time.

• Ask them to note: What works? Where do they lose interest? Is the story clear and engaging?

• Gather their feedback and return to your DAW to begin refining.

🎄✨ Tomorrow: We’ll look at how to polish your story with music, sound effects, and final edits.