Speak Your Words, part 1 - Bring Your Written Work to Audible Life!

In addition to narrating and voicing products for NASA, the National Geographic Society, and others, I have recorded a few audiobooks in the past few months. This has prompted me to ponder why any author would want to read his or her work out loud and how they would approach such a project.
What vocal, acting, or interpretative skills would an author need to develop to present her work? Additionally, what sorts of issues of confidence might need to be addressed as part of developing these skills and presenting their work out loud?

Before I proceed any further, let me tell you why I am qualified to give you this information. I have been doing voiceovers and narration for almost 25 years. I have been teaching public speaking and its cousin singing for over 20 years. And, I, too, am an author. So, I have inside knowledge from both sides of this endeavor. Here is a short list of my qualifications.

• Voice Actor: Audiobooks, Movies for NASA, National Geographic Society. Numerous Voiceovers and narrations.
  Teacher: Vocal coach for more than 20 years.  
• Singing teacher private instruction and through classwork
• Adjunct at Howard Community College, 
• Producer and Instructor Work In Harmony corporate team-building singing workshops. 
• Author: “Life Elements: Transform Your Life with Earth, Air, Fire, and Water” and “The Fiddler’s Talisman.”

I developed the Speak Your Words workshop to help authors learn ways to improve their writing and increase sales by sharing their work out loud. I have begun presenting this workshop to local writers' groups and associations and will branch out to writers' conferences in the coming year.

In my opinion, there are four main goals when attempting to bring written work to audible life.

Authors must:  

• Voice and develop characters' voices and become acquainted with their Narrator
• Determine the exact goals of each reading/recording for each fiction or non-fiction work
• Apply good vocal technique when reading their work aloud
• Develop the confidence and enthusiasm crucial to bringing out a nuanced and authentic reading

Before I go any further, let's take a look at why an author might want to enter this arena. Why do we present our written work out loud?

• Audiobook
• A book reading/signing
• Attending Conventions
• Interviews on either television or radio
• Book trailer production
• Crowdfunding initial video
• Podcasts
• Reading to the blind or visually impaired

There are likely others, but we will work with this list for now.

Over the next few posts, I will detail what an author or anyone who wants to present vocally, needs to do in order to bring nuance, excitement, and great characterization to any reading. I will also address how to increase confidence and comfort level when presenting in front of groups.

I will also detail how an author might start to build a home studio. I will give an equipment list and some of my thoughts on how to set up a studio that will yield good-quality recordings without breaking the bank.

I hope you'll come back and join me on this journey.

Readers: Shysters or Gurus? (People's Perceptions and Expectations)

Last night's tarot/palm gig was a doozy. I don't normally read until 1:30 in the morning, but last night, I did and I will pay the price for my late night. However, it was AWESOME (for the most part)! I heard the words, "how could you possibly *know* that?" and "did you Google me?" more than once. One time, I even answered, "Yes, yes I did Google you. In fact, I'm so good that even though I don't know your name, and didn't know you would be coming in to get a reading, I miraculously just googled you and found out all this information so I could say this stuff to you." Luckily, he smiled when I said it and then said, "then how the hell do you know this stuff??" So, we had a nice discussion about interpreting possibilities based on the symbolism in the cards he chose and it went on from there.

I did have one tense moment. A woman was getting a reading and her husband came into the room, turned out the lights, and left. "That was strange," I said and went to turn them back on. A few minutes later, he came back again, opened the door and said, "I can't believe this! You know that everything you are being told is complete BS. None of it is real. And your sons are coming to pick us up." I could have gotten up and said something along the lines of "Hi. I don't come to your place of business and tell you that everything you are doing or saying is complete BS so I would appreciate the same courtesy." But instead, I stayed quiet so the woman could have her say. She just looked at him squarely and said, "It is not BS. Now, get out!" He left.

She turned to me and said, "After what you have just been saying to me, I *know* it's not BS. Sorry my husband is an asshole."

I smiled and we finished the reading.

Seriously, I don't know why on Earth people feel that they have the right to say this stuff to other people. I wouldn't dream of saying it to him, but for some reason, people expect readers to either be complete shysters or completely accurate, in every respect. Doctors are sometimes wrong in their diagnoses until they figure out what's wrong with their patients. And we give them that leeway. It's called the *practice* of medicine for a reason. Yet, readers? Well, we are supposed to be accurate every time (and believe me, I've heard it from people before if I am incorrect on *any* part of a reading, even if every *other* part has been right on). There is something fascinating to me about the trust we place in the various professionals we deal with. Some get leeway to estimate, guess, or spend time and a lot of resources determining answers, and some we want to have it right immediately. With readers, I wonder if it is something to do with the expectation that we have a connection to a different plane of knowledge (which I personally don't believe I do because I interpret possibilities rather than have any psychic ability) and that if we are wrong then we either don't have that connection, or we are shysters.  It's something worth pondering.

Regardless, the gig was great on the whole, the client was incredibly happy, and she said I'd be hearing from her again. Now, that's what I like to hear.