How To Document an Event

There are so many reasons to document the gatherings and other events you produce and attend. Here are some guidelines and questions to ask yourself before you begin. Not all of these items will be pertinent to your documentation, but they are good things to think about. The most important guideline of all is this: Imagine you just got back and you are telling your best friend what happened. You will automatically edit the story to its shortest and sweetest. Remember that stuff.

I. BASIC QUESTIONS

Who?

• Who's in the room? Who's not? How many?
• Who's leading? Who's not? Who is this leader? (Background, skills, age, affinity, place of origin, training? Mentors?)

What?

• What was the theme, the title?
• What kind of event is this supposed to be? What is it really?
• What did the leader(s) do? What did the participants do?
• What was the structure? What was the tone?
• What was the most repeated statement? Question?

When?

• When did it happen?
• How long was it?
• How did timing affect the event: time of year? Of day?
• Was it related to current, recent, upcoming events? (Ex.: politically?)

Where?

• Where did it happen?
• Was there anything interesting about the location?
• Did it move from one place to another? To what effect?

Why?

• Was there a compelling reason for the event?
• Why were people motivated to people come? Not come?
• Why was this event selected/supported by its presenter?
• Was the event based in a particular theory or belief system? Overtly or covertly?

How?

• How was the event conducted?
• What was the leadership or teaching style? How did that affect the event?
• What was exciting, interesting about how it was done?
• What are some of the details?
• How much did it cost to produce? To attend?

II. SHAPING THE DOCUMENTATION

Know Your Audience

• Is it a general readership? If so, where will they read/see/hear it? Who will publish it and how? Is it for a book, newspaper, magazine, newsletter, annual report, on the Web, on film, on the radio, in an archive?
• Is it for a particular audience? If it is, what's most important to them?
  
  • Presenters: Did they meet their goals? What did people say about the event? What was great about it? What didn't work? What should be considered for next time?
  • Funders: What was in their guidelines? What was in the contract? What happened at the event that made it stand out according to their standards, in their universe? Did something new happen?
  • Board: How was their mission upheld? Was it a good expense?
  • Members of the presenting organization or another organization: What do they care about most? What can they learn for the organization from this event?

Things To Collect

• Any handouts: You will have less to write down.
• Contacts: Any phone numbers, email addresses, URLs you will need for later questions or to fact-check. Any contact lists that are available or promised.
• Photos/Videos: Know your camera; go digital! Is flash important/appropriate? Have extra batteries. Get close-ups of the leader(s). Class photo or crowd shot. Interesting interactions. Things in motion. Striking costumes. The money shot. The art shot.
• Notes: Outline the event's structure. Notice any themes, stated or coincidental. Write down interesting references (books, articles, URLs, names, terms, quotes). Track the Q&A. Listen to yourself, too; notice your own thoughts and impressions and write them down.
• Quotes: Get two or three quotes – seminal, funny, outrageous, smart. Know who said them and how to spell their names. Recording is best for flavor and accuracy, but you will be sorry if you record hours and hours of talk.
• Work samples: Things produced at or by the event (poems, manifestoes, lists of demands, commitments); they make good sidebars.
• Your thoughts: After it's over, sit down and jot the first five things you think of. On the way home, keep your tape recorder handy for audio notes.

Interviews

• Get it while you can: This may be your only chance to interview the event leader or someone key among the participants or an interesting group of people (ex.: what did those kids think?). Be sure to note names, spelling, the date. Be prepared if possible with background on them, some questions. Say who you are (have a business card ready if you have one). Ask permission to interview, to quote.
• Check your tech: If you are using a recorder, test it beforehand. Know where the mike is, how to pause it. Know whether it's voice-activated (you might want to turn that off). Know what happens when the tape stops so you can turn it over or change it. Carry extra batteries, tape.
• Choose your setting: Get the interviewee(s) away from noise if possible. A directional mike can make a huge difference here.
• Take notes either way: Notes will help you find the good parts in your recording. If your recording doesn't work (it happens), you will need your notes. Be sure to put your name and phone number on your notebook in case you lose it. Write the name and dates of the event on the front page for your files.
• If you recorded it, pay for a transcription: Google "transcriptions" on the Web. This can be cheap and fast and way easier on you.

III. WRITING ABOUT THE EVENT

Make Some Decisions

• Think about your audience first. What do they want to know and how long should it be?
• What "style" should the writing be in (this pertains to rules of punctuations, etc.)? Use a stylebook if possible, for consistency (AP stylebook; Chicago Manual of Style, etc.) depending on your audience.

Hook 'em, Land 'em, Catch and Release

• Come up with a title that will make people want to read it, but has essential info in it, too.
• Start with a compelling lead, a fairly short sentence or two with a ring to them. Maybe a question.
• By the second paragraph, give the "who, what, where, when, why of the event," as briefly as possible. Your story might be shortened by an editor and you want the basics up front.

Tell it

• Tell them what you're going to tell them; tell them; tell them what you told them.
• What was most important about this event? Look for themes across sections of the event, look for unexpected connections, look for controversies, look for agreement. (What did you tell your best friend?)
• To support your thesis, be sure to include examples of what you are trying to convey.

Critique It

• After your first draft, make an outline of what you've written. Does it make sense? Add subtitles to break up the story.
• Niggly details may come in handy, but they might belong in footnotes, endnotes or an appendix.
• Is it easy to read, even if it's formal?
• Watch out for clichés.
• Use your spellchecker.
• Check your facts, especially if they are inflammatory. Check names, spelling, accent marks (especially if they are from a language other than yours): be consistent.
• If you have time, pass a draft through somebody you think knows more about this than you do (for context) and through an editor (for grammar and mistakes).
• Read it on paper.
• Read it one more time.

Linda Frye Burnham is a widely published writer, founding editor of High Performance magazine and editor of APInews on the Community Arts Network. (http://www.communityarts.net)

Original CAN/API publication: September 2004