Reading Work Out Loud - Gigi Rosenberg

Gigi Rosenberg – Reading Work out Loud
Willamette Writers Conference:


Important: Loud voice, Sense of Humor, Impassioned, Animated, Authenticity, Choose a highly readable passage.

Novel: Take a section that stands on its own. Where audience will get lost in the story.

Bad: “The Wanderer” – walking around while reading. Makes us notice writer.
Instead: Stop, stand in one place, tighten quads.

Aside: Reading Skills. We all have our own bad habits. Some times we want to act out a story – that is bad in a reading.

Highlights of Doing a Good Reading:

Good:

1) Check out room ahead of time. Make the room your place.
2) Rehearsal
a. Official - Lawyers, teachers
b. Unofficial – Get used to having attention focused on you.
3) Eye contact:
a. She used several stuffed animals to practice eye contact.
b. Readings require less eye contact than speeches.
4) Get a person to rehearse and read to.
5) Time the reading
a. With above friend in 4)
6) Bring a clean copy of your chapter in at least 12pt type
a. No rustling noises
i. Clip corners to make copy easier to turn
1. Curling pages
ii. No sentences at bottom of pages
7) Practice pauses
8) Videotape self beforehand? (option)
a. At least two days before
i. Option – With Coach
b. Day before – hurts you more than helps


Day of Reading:

1) Warm up physically
a. Exercise
b. Walk
2) Vocal Warmups
a. Essential
i. Humming
ii. Singing
1. Note – Dry Mouth
a. Vaseline on lips?
b. Pro-throat tea?
3) If audience is all strangers, mentally pick people who you think like you
4) Make a list of everything to bring
a. Reduces nervousness
5) Dress
a. Nothing new with tags
6) Bring a support person to meeting if you can
7) Bring your own intro even if you have given a copy to your presenter
8) If using a microphone, practice with it before meeting
a. Mikes amplify all noises


During the Reading:

1) Ask if you can be heard?
a. Or, can anyone not hear me?
2) Speak slow and loud
3) Drink water
a. Don’t hurry drinking
4) How to deal with late parties
a. Say “Seats Available”
b. Or maybe ignore
5) Don’t worry if people don’t look at you
6) Don’t focus on people leaving – focus on who is still in the room
7) If you lose focus during the reading:
a. Acting technique – focus on audience and why they’re there
b. Losing it and recovering it is normal.
8) Mishap ( eg. water flows on floor)
a. Acknowledge it any way you can
9) Read from book
a. Stand in one place
i. Or (optional) move around from 2 to 3 chosen spots
10) Try to create different voices for each character
11) Smiling good
12) If you sway, put feet wider apart – makes easier to stand in one place
13) Acknowledging fear, stage fright – don’t
a. Most of the time the audience won’t notice unless you point it out to them


Afterwards:

1) Notes on yourself – Use for next speech
a. Did well
b. Needs Work
c. Make each reading a rehearsal for the next reading
2) Go to other readings
a. Be a spy
b. Be an anthropologist (?)



Introduction:

1) What audience needs to know if you’re not reading from the start
2) Books for sale/signing at end of talk
a. People like to know what’s going to happen ahead of time
3) Set times:
a. Reading
b. Question and Answer
c. Signing

Aside: Leave them wanting more



Marketing:

1) If you have no book yet, read anyways
a. Read part of novel for friends
2) Find a theme – other authors with same theme
a. Reading with these other authors
i. Example – 5 authors reading 10 minutes at a café
b. Start your own readings.


Critiquing: Start with something positive
a. Has to be real
b. Can’t be made up