Working in Audio

If you are a writer, and not trying to record your works, reading your work aloud, you are missing an opportunity. When I teach writing at Columbia College Chicago, it is mostly for radio work, audio. I always ask the students to read their narratives, their essays, commercials, public service announcements out loud. It's imperative for radio work, of course. But it's also a wonderful process for any kind of writing.

Reading your work aloud helps you to "hear" the rhythms, the pace and flow of the writing - all key elements for good writing, no matter the delivery system - radio, magazines, journals, books. It also helps you "hear" what is working or not, to "hear" the music of the language. Try it. You will see what I mean.

Plus, working on reading your works out loud helps you be a better presenter of your work at readings, presentations, seminars. And it gives you another creative dimension. You also don't need to work in a recording studio to do this. GarageBand on an Apple commuter makes it very easy to record your work. Purchase a decent microphone, plug it in, and get started. If you are recording at home, throw a blanket over you head when you read. This will give a "warmth" to the sound, as if you were working in a sound-proof studio. It's a neat little trick.

And don't worry if you don't have a traditional "radio voice" - YOUR voice is the best for your work. Read and interpret, give the words life, lift them off the page. And have fun, it will show in the read.

Try recording your work, try it and then do it often. It will help create better stories. I promise.