I’m interrupting Azra’s parental broadcast to address something I am really proud of.
The other day I did something that I’ve never done before. Something that I’ve seen many others do, but that I’ve been terrified to do myself. I got up in front of people- some I knew and some I didn’t- and I read part of my book out loud.
That’s right. This author did her very first reading and survived.
Writing isn’t really a spectator sport. It’s very much a solitary activity. Putting your words to paper, transcribing your thoughts is intimate, so reading them out loud to an audience is a terrifying prospect.
Doing the reading at our latest book signing was my idea. I thought it would be good for us, educational, if you will. Well, I certainly learned a lot. Here are the top 5 lessons I learned during my first reading.
1. Practice what you are going to say and how you are going to say it. People can tell if you haven’t practiced.
2. Give a short intro to the piece you are reading. Let the audience know a bit about what they are listening to. Don’t just jump in.
3. Be picky about your selections. The scene should draw attention to the story. It should make the audience feel something. I’ve found that humor is a good choice. If you can make people laugh, it helps to know that you are doing a good job, both with the reading and with your writing.
4. Make sure you can be heard. Triple check your audio connections. Make sure you project your voice really well.
5. Keep a good attitude. People are more likely to remember how you reacted to mistakes, criticisms, etc rather than those things themselves. If you focus so much on everything that went wrong (and things will go wrong), then it will cast a negative light on the experience not only for you, but for your audience as well.
This is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to readings. I have a lot more to learn and a lot more experience to gather.
Would I do it again? Absolutely.