Reading from Chapter 5 of The Fourth Piece in Lawrence Ladreth’s POV.
The entire book is told from the shifting first person perspectives of four brothers. Lawrence is the one often misdiagnosed by strangers as having ADHD.
I read this section so fast that even I am amazed at the speed. I talk fast, listen to my audio books at double speed, and am a fast reader, silently and aloud, LOL. I haven’t read to an audience in years and really need to practice to a beat now.
I’ve realized something after my reading on Thursday. It’s something I’ve known, but it’s really funny to actually see it in action. I talk fast, I read faster. I used to get frustrated listening to audio books because I could have read a page twice over before the narrator finished it once. Then a genius friend said: “Um… why don’t you increase the speed?” As a result, I always listen to audio books at double speed. So, when I got up to my reading, I practiced vocal inflection, voices, being animated, using my stomach voice to keep from being nasal, but I read the section as fast as I read things to myself or listen to audio books.
Watching the playback, I found it simply amazing how fast I could act out a section. It was like watching a video in semi-fast forward. My mouth was going at 60 mph. I thought the reading went well, I got some giggles, had some folks interested, but yeah, it was FAST. I will start practicing with a metronome. (Yes, I’m a dork and was in band for 6 years. I know all about tapping your foot to a clicking beat to keep tempo. 😛 ) I wonder if there’s a metronome app. Heck, there’s an app for everything. I’m going to look into it.
Overall, I love reading aloud. A few people who didn’t know me well mistook my fast reading for nervousness and a need to practice before an audience to get comfortable with reading. When you tell people that’s not the case, they all give you that “oh sure” or the “you’re getting defensive” look. But it really isn’t the case. I used to do story times for kids, and I used to read to the high school classes I taught (for one year before I ran screaming for the door and another profession, lol. Teachers you are saints with a higher calling.) I’m comfortable reading to people. I just haven’t done it in a two years and have developed Quicksilver/Flash tendencies. I need to set a beat.
Now, here’s some publishing news! Cover art for my book… the cover artist who initially had the job was dismissed and a new artist has taken over. I’m really excited to get to see some new cover designs. I also received my second round of edits from the publisher, so I’m getting started on that. I also think I’m ready to submit the first two chapters of the sequel to the publisher. I wanted to let my writers groups go through them first, and they finally have.
Okay, to close this entry out, if you go to the category, The Fourth Piece Readings, you’ll find pictures and links to the speedy reading of a selection from The Fourth Piece. I’ll see if I can actually upload the video onto the blog, but I think it may be too big. If it is, as I said before, there will be links :).
Until next time, take care!
Don’t they know how dangerous this is? Apparently not, because I’m participating in an author-created and run event called “Curated Words”, and the hosts are going to willingly surrender a microphone to me.
I’m doing a live reading from my work for about 7 minutes in front of an audience, which means I get to choose a section of my novel that I think can sort of stand alone. I was advised to pick a funny part, because funny or tear-inducing goes over well with the audience. I don’t do tears unless they’re from laughter, so I chose funny. Only thing is not everybody thinks I’m funny. I’m always worried that people won’t get me or my humor. Most folks take me WAY too seriously. My sarcasm is dry and I deliver it deadpan, no hint of a smile. People who don’t know me think I’m the meanest person ever. And sometimes I let them think it, because duh… it should have been overly obvious that I was joking. 😀
So, anyway, off that tangent, I picked a funny section. I practiced it a few times, and recorded myself so I could time the length. I edited and chopped down descriptions that aren’t needed in the context of the reading, and still go over my time limit by a minute. But the host says it’s fine. So, I’m excited. I get to act out my story. I want to practice voices. I always feel stupid making different voices, but when multiple characters have dialogue, you don’t want to talk the same each time.
I used to do story times for kindergarten through second grade at my previous job and really just had to get over feeling self-conscious. My audience then was comprised of small children, I’ll be reading for mostly adults this time, and most of these adults might be there to hear poetry, essays and literary short stories. I’m gonna be outrageous and outlandish with my young adult sci-fi/fantasy reading. (Another reason why I want to practice voices.)
I chose a section narrated by my craziest character, and I’m gonna get into it. I might even get more into than I practiced once I have that microphone in my hand. There’s something about a microphone that just brings out my inner diva. They might not be able to get it away from me. I might have to do some impromptu karaoke, some impressions… I could go on, but I won’t.
I made this post so I could advertise “Curated Words”. An event created for authors by authors so that published authors and those seeking publication can share their writing with others in the community. The authors who read must submit their work to be considered for a time slot. The hosts truly emphasize that they want quality material presented. Makes me puff out my chest and strut a little.
Now, I’ll just hope that no one throws stuff at me. “Get off the stage!” lol.
The event is the last Thursday of every month at Juice N Java in Pacific Grove, California. Reading starts at 7:30. I’m going to be there this Thursday, February 25, 2016. If you’re in the area, please drop in and see what’s going on. I might even let you share the mic with me and we’ll sing a duet… and all get kicked out :D.
Seriously though, it’s a great event put together by great people. I appreciate that they included me and hope they’ll have me back. So, I’ll have to behave. But I’m still going to really give my piece a lively performance. Maybe I’ll see if someone can record me doing it, so I can share.
Until next time, take care!
Ok, so this happened in April, but like I said in one of my million posts for today, I have a back log of events, and if I don’t post them all today, who knows when I’ll do it. 😀
Collin County Community College Central Park Campus (yikes, and yes, that is the name of the school) had its first Open Mic alla Eboni hosted by Miss Quiet, an old Southern lady librarian who enforces library policy with an iron cane…er fist. The library was turned into a coffee house, complete with a staging area and curtains for writers and readers to come up and perform poetry, fiction excerpts, spoken word and the phone book for increments of three minutes. Violators who went over their allotted time got whooped with Miss Quiet’s cane. (Did she ever have fun whooping violators. :D)
There was free food and drinks (non alcoholic of course 😉 ) and lots of Southern Charm as Miss Quiet explained that though the library was having an Open Mic, it was still a library, and she could only tolerate jigga-boo racket for so long (3 minutes at a time). She owns the record for most hits in a softball game from 1922, and still has her perfect batter form.
See Miss Quiet whoop a student below:
Y’all know that’s me, right? LOL!
E. Ardell 