So I did it!
Amidst the snowy-white dazzle of stage lights and the surprise of a microphone that I had to stand so close to that it was almost inside my mouth – I did it! And I wasn’t (quite) as frightened as I thought I would be. In fact, I left Nottingham’s Royal Centre feeling happy and relieved and very grateful.
In addition to the support of those close to me (thank you), and some excellent, practical and generous advice from the very talented Annie Clarkson on her Myspace blog, I was fortunately able to participate in a small reading workshop beforehand with director, Daniel Buckroyd. His enthusiasm and insights were helpful and inspiring and, aside from encouraging me to embody the personality of my narrator with more confidence, he asked the pertinent questions (far more eloquently and concisely than I am asking them here) -
Why is your character compelled to tell this story?
What is it about this story that your audience will connect with?
Simple but essential questions to ponder while writing, I think, as much as reading.
11 comments:
Well done. I'm impressed you can Stand and Read. I can only do one at a time. Largely due to shaking and the dropping of paper...
I'm geet impressed, how.
Cheers Nik!
But what are you talking about? I thought you hula-ed?
(-;
Great stuff, well done. And those really are two simple but very important questions. They're going to have me thinking for a while now.
Also great advice about embodying the personality of the narrator. One to keep in mind too.
Cheers, Megan, all the best
Jim
Thank you Jim - though I seem to remember that it's you I should definitely be taking reading advice from. You were amazing at Lumb Bank. Hope the novel's still rolling fantastically along . . .
Yay you! I liked those questions too, I must remember to ask other authors those so that I can sound all intelligent too!
There's no need for you to nick quotes that I've already nicked to sound intelligent DJ - but GIANT thanks for all the support
xx
Congratulations, Megan. I knew you'd be fab! Microphones are scary, aren't they? I had to use one when for the M&M launch and it stopped working halfway through the reading and I didn't even notice until somebody shouted 'We can't hear you!' x
Ta very much Shanta, and yes microphones are very strange (and hecklers - that's even more scary). I probably needed it seeing as I was using the mouse-voice, but still, it's another small barrier I think between the listener and the story. How lovely it would be to be a performer (instead of a jelly),
m xx
I for got to say I gave you an award over on my Chez Aspie blog last Sunday. xo
Thank you so much dj - that is very, very kind. I shall try to figure out how to use it. Hope that all your writing is going splendidly.
xx
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