For some reason, I’m not nervous when I give a reading, but that doesn’t mean I connect with the audience either.
I gave a reading during the Loveland Loves Literature event Saturday, Sept. 21, at the Loveland Feed and Grain, a depilated monster of a building that will become part of ArtSpace, a live-work center for writers and artists.
More than two dozen literary and performing artists took the stage over two days for half-hour or full-hour slots. My slot was a half-hour, which I shared with a poet friend of mine, Ravitte Kentwortz.
Before I read, I talked with another writer, who recommended grounding my energy by imagining my feet as connected to the floor. She suggested I throw my energy to the back of the room to include everyone in the audience.
But once I was at the microphone, I rambled more than I wanted to about each piece. I read a short story called “Tainted Proposal,” based on a coin toss, as well as three poems and a two-page excerpt from my novel, “The Fire Painter.”
As I read, I kept reminding myself to look at the audience. I forgot to make eye contact, too focused on reading slowly as if I was doing a book-on-tape to add personality to my words.
On hindsight, I wish I had reviewed my collection of articles on giving a gogod reading. Here a few of the suggestions:
- Vary the pace or content, choosing work that differs in subject matter, length, pacing and tone. Make sure what you choose is not all exposition and includes some dialogue, imagery and a strong story line. Edit out the “he said” and “she said” markers. (I did all of this.)
- Mark your text for voice and emphasis. (I highlighted my dialogue blue for the male character and red for the female character.)
- Think of your reading as a performance. (My short story character, Jane, was a librarian, so I dressed conservatively, wore glasses and had my hair in an updo.)
- Select pieces that relate thematically. (Umm, I didn’t do that.)
- Explain the context of what you’re reading, such as summarizing the plot for an excerpt from a novel, or the inspiration for a poem. Write this out ahead of time.
- Rehearse, reading the work out loud and enunciating clearly. Practice in front of friends.
- Time yourself. (I never could figure out the length, but somehow I kept my reading to 15 minutes.)
- Publicize your reading via social media, Flyers and emailing friend