See a photo of Jim, his bio, and Part 1 of this Q&A, Part 2, and Part 3.
Q&A with Jim Ballard, Question 4:
Q: What future aspirations do you personally have for your own story work? What would you like to do in the story world that you haven’t yet done?
A: Being a lover of stage musicals, I have long dreamed of the
opportunity to see a story of mine called “Milo’s Beam” done as a musical. A few years back I took an online screenwriting course (Authors’ Boot Camp) and developed a movie script of the tale, which I’m presently re-working for live theater. In my study of musicals, I’ve learned the actual function of the musical number from the standpoint of the architecture of a show. Whereas before I thought a song was merely an enjoyable interlude in the story, now I know that songs play a crucial part in a scene or play. They move things along exponentially. Whole scenes can be skipped through the right number. When a song begins in the play the audience, characters and show are at a particular place. By the end of the number, if it’s done right, everything is in a new place. Not only is the character of the singer revealed, or an action taken, the number has served as the vehicle for carrying the essence of an idea (or meme). It is this skill of storytelling through lyric-writing that I hope to develop.