Choosing what to read at any public event is important. Well, unless you're not actually supposed to be reading there. Then it's just downright rude.
There's the big question: will you be funny, dark, philosophical, colourful, witty and/or charming? Sure, those are important and I'm confident you'll figure it out. Other people have said wise things about this in the past - go read their blog posts.
Here, we're just going to stick to technicalities for a minute.
What if you have a cold and your voice gives out on you? Now we're talking important stuff. I tend to lose my voice (very sad for a performing storyteller) and I've learned many tricks to working around it when necessary.
At my first Ad Astra AND my first reading at a con, which I shared with the ever entertaining Hayden Trenholm, I had no voice. It just didn't bother showing up that morning (which would unfortunately become a common theme for me at cons. Wussy, wussy voice.)
I didn't think about backing out of my reading, but I also didn't think about changing them to fit my complete lack of voice. I was reading two scenes from Destiny's Blood. One had a bunch of dialogue, and inflections are absolutely impossible to do without a voice. Trust me on that one. I sounded like I was having a muted yet forced conversation with myself. I had to add dialogue tags as I read so people knew who the heck was wheezing out all of my finely crafted witty sentences.
Being done that scene was a relief. The next scene had only a few lines of dialogue. Oh ya, and singing! Have you ever tried to sing without a voice? I have. It's painful for everyone: the audience, the singer, the spirits of your ancestors eating popcorn in the back row...
I was a trooper though. I got through it. And, when I looked up, everyone was looking down trying not to laugh. So I started laughing, which sounded like a gerbil was choking in my throat.
That was my first reading. It's a miracle they still let me do these things!!
So, tonight I have a radio interview where I've been asked to do a short reading from next week's ChiSeries. Except I'm still fighting my Christmas flu and my voice is almost existent but not quite. I've been testing my pitches and I can do lower pitches. So no dialogue and no laughing for me. And for the love of all that's good and just in this world, no singing. I selected something short from Destiny's War. I think it's a good passage to get people interested in both the event and the book, and to make sure my voice doesn't give out halfway through.
... now, if only I can refrain from laughing during the interview, everything should be just fine...
See how successful I am at that tonight on CHUO FM Click Here!
There's the big question: will you be funny, dark, philosophical, colourful, witty and/or charming? Sure, those are important and I'm confident you'll figure it out. Other people have said wise things about this in the past - go read their blog posts.
Here, we're just going to stick to technicalities for a minute.
What if you have a cold and your voice gives out on you? Now we're talking important stuff. I tend to lose my voice (very sad for a performing storyteller) and I've learned many tricks to working around it when necessary.
At my first Ad Astra AND my first reading at a con, which I shared with the ever entertaining Hayden Trenholm, I had no voice. It just didn't bother showing up that morning (which would unfortunately become a common theme for me at cons. Wussy, wussy voice.)
I didn't think about backing out of my reading, but I also didn't think about changing them to fit my complete lack of voice. I was reading two scenes from Destiny's Blood. One had a bunch of dialogue, and inflections are absolutely impossible to do without a voice. Trust me on that one. I sounded like I was having a muted yet forced conversation with myself. I had to add dialogue tags as I read so people knew who the heck was wheezing out all of my finely crafted witty sentences.
Being done that scene was a relief. The next scene had only a few lines of dialogue. Oh ya, and singing! Have you ever tried to sing without a voice? I have. It's painful for everyone: the audience, the singer, the spirits of your ancestors eating popcorn in the back row...
I was a trooper though. I got through it. And, when I looked up, everyone was looking down trying not to laugh. So I started laughing, which sounded like a gerbil was choking in my throat.
That was my first reading. It's a miracle they still let me do these things!!
So, tonight I have a radio interview where I've been asked to do a short reading from next week's ChiSeries. Except I'm still fighting my Christmas flu and my voice is almost existent but not quite. I've been testing my pitches and I can do lower pitches. So no dialogue and no laughing for me. And for the love of all that's good and just in this world, no singing. I selected something short from Destiny's War. I think it's a good passage to get people interested in both the event and the book, and to make sure my voice doesn't give out halfway through.
... now, if only I can refrain from laughing during the interview, everything should be just fine...
See how successful I am at that tonight on CHUO FM Click Here!
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