Doing a 'reading'?

indianroads

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Weird question, and I have no idea in what forum to ask it. Hopefully the mods will place it someplace where it belongs.

I've been asked to "do a reading" from my book this weekend. This is NOT a major deal, it's for a local motorcycle club (weird eh.. but bikers actually do read quite a bit).

So... I've never even been to a reading, where an author reads from their novel, so what the heck am I supposed to do? Maybe read part of the first chapter?

Suggestions?
 
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Maryn

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You pick a part that seems likely to interest your audience, and which can be explained in just a few sentences if it isn't the start of the book. ("Dorothy, a young teenager, has landed in the magical world of Oz during a tornado. She has rescued Scarecrow. In this section they are on a journey to see the Wizard of Oz when they see a Tin Man who's rusted in place.") You read it aloud, at a much slower pace than you read to yourself, and with what animation you can muster, for five to ten minutes. Time it ahead of the reading.

It's not unusual for a reading to have two shorter selections rather than one longer one. You can pose a few rhetorical questions to the listeners in between. ("What do you think Dorothy and the Scarecrow want with the Wizard?") Then you read a second section that answers the questions you posed.

After that, you can open the floor to questions. Some will be about the book. Some will be about how you got the idea, or the writing process, or the business of publishing. Establish early that you'll point at or call on people and answer their questions briefly and honestly. If you can, go for the laugh fairly often.

And of course you want to have copies of your book ready to sell them.
 

Olde1649

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You really have to think carefully about passages which you can read well. Practice them. I don't know if you've had any experience in public reading - if not, don't under-estimate how nervous you'll be.

If you read a piece of dialogue, remember to that thing of changing your voice or accent for each new character, otherwise you'll lose the audience.

Hope you enjoy it!
 

Bacchus

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I recently had a piece beta'd by a reading group (which they enjoyed doing for a bit of variety and was massively useful for me - the opinions of twelve keen readers... another story)

One of the group questioned a passage towards the end of the work, asking it it actually made sense (it was deliberately written thus), I said yes, would they like me to read it?

Unanimously yes! So I did. Unprepared with a deliberately confusing passage. I got through it, they loved it, win win.

You have the luxury of planning. Choose a passage that you like and sock it to 'em. I don't see why it would have to be the first chapter, just anything that you think is self-contained and enjoyable.

Bikers look as if they bite, but in my experience (which is reasonable back in the day), they don't.
 
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Carrie in PA

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Practice, practice, practice, with a timer, and if possible, an audience.

Enunciate. Make sure you look up at your audience. Enunciate. Don't look *down* at your paper/book - or your voice will project downward. Enunciate. Eye contact. If you're too nervous to make eye contact, pick points on the walls and just over the heads of your audience. I found it was much easier to read from printed pages than a book - I was able to increase the font so it was easier to find my place when I glanced back at my piece, and the pages were easier to hold than a book that wanted to flop closed.

Did I mention enunciate?

Practice so you eliminate all those "Ums" and "Uhs".

Good tips in this video (about 7 minutes).

Pick a scene that you love, preferably from closer to the beginning of the book so you don't give away critical spoilers. Like Maryn said, just introduce yourself and your story in a sentence or two, very brief to get to the point of your selection.

And most importantly - Have fun!
 

Olde1649

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I did a sort of reading yesterday. There's a monthly Open Mic session in the so-called literary pub in my town. Most of it is taken up by poets. I like hearing poetry live, but I have a blind spot when it comes to reading it on the page. (This is my problem: I don't blame the poets.)

Poetry is good for an Open Mic session, as you can really give something worthwhile in 60 seconds.

Prose is more difficult. I chose to read the first two pages of my WIP. I've had a fair bit of experience in public speaking, so I don't get too nervous. I was able to make a connection with a poem read before, and even tell a joke or two.

I know I'm meant to make eye-contact (thanks Carrie!), but I find it difficult to do. For the first minute, it went quite well. I know these pages pretty well. I could glance down to see the lines, then look up and look at the audience. But by the second page it got more difficult. I got trapped into head-down mode. I think I was clear enough, but it wasn't a great reading.

Still, you can only learn by practice. Maybe another good rule for this is start with something short, and don't progress to the longer stuff until you feel more confident?
 

UltraViolette

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When I was invited to read at my city's writer in residence's farewell party I practiced, practiced, practiced, as previous posters have suggested. Seriously, memorize the passage if you don't have it memorized already. I read my first chapter, but you can choose whatever place you like, although in my opinion if you feel confident reading your first chapter it's a good indication that you've started your novel in the right place. Also, look at your audience. I was nervous about the reading, but I was surprised by how much I enjoyed looking at the audience and reading their expressions. You can't do that if you don't have the piece memorized. Good luck!
 

Bufty

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Where you have an audience, eye contact and clarity of delivery are essential.

Attend a funeral and see how boring it becomes when whoever is speaking mumbles and keeps their head down.

Then see the difference when the next speaker has eye contact and speaks clearly, with confidence.
 
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noirdood

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"Motorcycle Club" brings forth visions of Hell's Angels and similar clubs to a lot of folks, I imagine. But there are all kinds of biker clubs. I knew of one that was made up of CEOs from mainstream corporations. And there are clubs made up of Army vets and others of medical doctors. What kind of club is interested in the reading? Good luck.
 

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Hi! I gave a public reading from my novel last month for the first time:

When I go to readings, I usually find the background about the writing or the author much more interesting than the reading itself. So I prepared an introduction, writing about five short paragraphs on how I came to write it, a little bit about my background, and a one-paragraph summary about the book itself. I learnt that off by heart.

Then, I picked two short passages to read and practiced recording myself on a small Sony recorder I had (but app would work, too). That way, I also knew how long the reading lasted, as there was a time limit for each speaker.

I also contacted the library to find out if a computer/projector was available for use. I'd left it too late for them to organise, so I had six photos printed up large and showed them just before I read the two pieces. If you have any visuals, I'd recommend it.

Good luck!

Ali
 

indianroads

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I sold 7 books - all I had with me.

Started with a brief talk about the times and my personal history in it, then read the first two scenes from chapter 2 (chapter 1 is sort of a prequel). Then had an open discussion with the crowd about surviving adversity and making hard choices (central themes of the novel). It was a good lively discussion.
 

indianroads

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"Motorcycle Club" brings forth visions of Hell's Angels and similar clubs to a lot of folks, I imagine. But there are all kinds of biker clubs. I knew of one that was made up of CEOs from mainstream corporations. And there are clubs made up of Army vets and others of medical doctors. What kind of club is interested in the reading? Good luck.

In my youth I was involved with a 1%er (outlaw) motorcycle club, but I've moved on and this reading was for an MC called the Iron Indians. We ride Indian motorcycles, drink a lot when we're together, and are a cross section of the usual normal kind of folks.
 

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Well done! I had my first reading last year, and it was abysmal (no one showed up!) but just a couple weeks ago I did one and it had about 15 people. It was great.

In the meantime, I'd been part of an author's group, where we all read passages to each other out loud, and then critique them (copies are passed out for writing on). It helps a LOT to read it aloud, and it is great practice. And you get timely critiques on your work!
 

indianroads

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Well done! I had my first reading last year, and it was abysmal (no one showed up!) but just a couple weeks ago I did one and it had about 15 people. It was great.

In the meantime, I'd been part of an author's group, where we all read passages to each other out loud, and then critique them (copies are passed out for writing on). It helps a LOT to read it aloud, and it is great practice. And you get timely critiques on your work!

I may have had an easier venue than you. The reading was done at a biker club dinner, steaks, rice, beans, and a salad, and (this is the main thing that probably helped) BEER.
 

Cekrit

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I would suggest picking your favorite passage, or one that is most meaningful to you as an author, perhaps having a conversation about what the book is about, the themes and what they find important in it- then skipping to the pages that you know would resonate with them more specifically.

Be open, and have them ask questions.