I first started capturing her storytelling using the video mode on our digital camera, around about April, but she soon refused to let me film her. So I tried writing her stories while she told them, using pen and paper. That lasted for only a few stories too, before she caught on. Since then, I've been recording her using a mini MP3 recorder, which is pretty unobtrusive, and transcribing the audio later. She then objected strongly to this as well... Nowadays I use a combo of MP3 and video to record her before transcribing. I only manage to record a fraction of the stories she tells. I always have a backlog of stories on the recorder that still need transcribing, as it's impossible for me to keep up with her. To help new readers, I've marked my favourite stories with a star (*), so at least you have somewhere to start if you don't know where to begin. Don't forget to check the older archives too - there are some gems in there as well!

Wednesday 21 November 2007

The Sleeping Dragon & Other Stories, 2007-11-20**

Between the story I posted yesterday and today she told over 2 hours worth of stories that she wanted recorded, that I recorded onto 21 new files... there is NO WAY I can transcribe at this rate... I still haven't even cleared previous months' backlogs :(

So, since this new recorder records with such clarity, I've decided to simply post some of the MP3s without transcription. Her diction is very clear now too, and her fluency so much improved that I am sure most will not have any trouble following her storytelling just by listening to her.

I do however need to compress all the files as the high quality originals are too large for Internet posting, so I need a bit of time to do that.

I can't get over how much the character Corin has evolved and is rapidly evolving at the present time (these recent few days)...

Note: for any new listeners/readers, you will hear her from time to time say a number followed by a word or phrase - these are her "chapter headings" - she sounds as if she is reading from some book, and she does use a book as a prop always, but is not reading from the book at all.


STORIES FROM NOV 19

Listen to Bethany tell the story of Sheepridge

Listen to Bethany tell the story of The Chinese Fatty*
In the last part of this story you can hear her rebuking me for dozing off while recording her!

Listen to Bethany tell the story of The Chinese Fatty (Part II)*

Listen to Bethany tell the story of Corin talks to Corin**

Listen to Bethany tell the story of the Underworld and On-top-world*

Listen to Bethany tell the story of Larry's New Dog

Listen to Bethany tell the story of At Half Past Ten Sharp Part I and Part II

Listen to Bethany tell the story of He's a Wonder, He Really Is


STORIES FROM NOV 20

Here is the first one I converted, and it's a really good one too! She was very adamant that I record this one, and I've noticed that the ones she specifically tells me to record are usually her better stories.

Listen to Bethany tell the story of The Sleeping Dragon**

Listen to Bethany tell the story of The Killings at the Nineown Open Plains

Listen to Bethany tell the story of The Find-Outers and Mr Goon


STORIES FROM NOV 21

Listen to Bethany tell the story of The Find-Outers and Mr Goon Again

Listen to Bethany tell the story of Larry's Missing Paste

Listen to Bethany tell the story of Enid Blyton's Secret Messages
(This is merely a retelling in her own words of the last section of this book)


Here's a brief video clip I took this morning (21st Nov). I've decided to only record the stories she tells me to because there are far too many (will upload more onto this post once I've converted them). She didn't ask me to record this one, but got so animated half way through that I just HAD to capture it on video - of course as soon as she felt the camera on her she piped down at once, but as you can see, she soon forgot it was there, or at least appeared to!

Watch "Larry Dies and Comes Alive Again" (NOV 21)

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