This week, I began the process of recording the audiobook version of “Chasing the Show.” Wait, let me amend that: I began the LABORIOUS process of recording…
Going into the studio for the first time, I thought, “This should be fun. I get to read my own book aloud. How complicated could that be? I used to be a teacher, and I read stories aloud all the time. This is no different.”
Let me go on record by saying, “This is different.”
When you’re reading a story aloud to a live audience, you’re allowed to make little mistakes. Mispronounce a word, pause a bit too long, take a deep breath in the middle of a sentence…no worries, your live audience will forgive you and understand that hey, you’re human, we all make mistakes, and you can backtrack a bit if you need to in order to fix the error.
When you’re recording a story and the audiobook will be out there in the universe, perhaps even the metaverse, for all to hear exactly how it’s recorded, the impact of a mistake – even a tiny mistake – is magnified exponentially. Emphasizing the wrong syllable, using inflection that doesn’t accurately convey the meaning, allowing your voice to crack (like we have a choice!), stumbling over words, mispronouncing one of the character’s names… you name it, once you make that mistake, it’s there forever.
That can cause a lot of stress.
And I make mistakes. Plenty of ’em. Here’s an example of what I’m talking about:
The good news is this: in the studio I’m using, Spokane Productions, I’ve got a partner, Rob, who is listening to every word and reading the book at the same time, so he can a) catch the mistakes I miss, b) acknowledge the ones I catch, and c) make note of them so he can use his digital program to do his best to fix them later.
Is the audiobook version going to be perfect? No, because I’m no Morgan Freeman. Also because there’s a human part of hearing a story read by the author, and even though I’m doing my darnedest to remain 100% true to the original intent of the book, I know sometimes, well, things happen.
I’m okay with it as long as you are, too.
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