Reading your Writing

The popularity of the Noir at the Bar series shows the value of public readings, even for those of us who are not poets. It can give a writer exposure to people who might not pick up his work to read it on their own. The kind of fans you make when you meet in person tend to be more solid, planks in your author platform. And, at least for me, it’s great fun. But not everyone is naturally good at it. This week I’ll offer some helpful ideas.
First, remember that listening is different from reading to yourself. When you are listening, long descriptions and exposition don’t hold your attention well. So choose your reading selection carefully.
Also keep in mind that the people in your audience are not there to be educated about your writing. They have come to be entertained. They don’t need to understand the entire plot, they don’t need to meet every character in your book, and they surely didn’t come to be impressed by your sweet turns of phrase.
What works well is a scene. Pick one with sharp dialog and plenty of action. And it’s best to find a scene with only two or three characters. When you’re listening it’s hard to keep track of a long list of people who are new to you anyway.
When choosing a selection to read ask yourself, is this piece emotionally engaging?  Humor works well. Otherwise, find something with suspense, intrigue, and lots of conflict. If you can’t appeal to the audience’s sense of humor, appeal to their hearts, or to their curiosity.
For your reading to make sense, you may have to set it up with some back story or explanation about the characters. Don’t let this eat into your available time. If you find it will take you a minute to prepare the audience for your reading, I’d suggest you find another section to read.Most reading venues have time limits. Five minutes is common. Even if they don’t, shorter is always better. If you are offered more time, consider finding two short sections to read and chat a bit in between.
And If you ARE one of several readers with a solid time limit, make sure you stick to that limit. Not only is it rude to go over your time limit, it will prompt people who organize such events to stop inviting you. How can you be sure? Practice your reading several times, timing yourself.
I have more good ideas for live readings, which I’ll share next time.