Bryan Barney from Blackstone Audio was the final guest in this round of the Deyan Masterclass series. He and PJ Ochlan really opened our eyes to some of the finer points of audiobook narration. Highlights included:
- When you’re doing first person narration, we need to know how you feel about EVERY LINE of the narration. You have a feeling about everything you’re saying/thinking/narrating, otherwise, you wouldn’t have written it. Make it clear.
- With historical fiction, the exposition/scenery is always important. “Chew the scenery”. That’s what makes historical fiction great.
- All decisions about character voices, accents, etc. should be informed by the material. Be ready to back up each decision if you’re ever challenged. Just because you can do a great voice, doesn’t necessarily mean it’s a good fit, or a wise decision.
- Narration, dialogue, thoughts – make sure each of these elements are distinct. Narration is for the listener, dialogue is for the other characters in the story, and thoughts are for the first person character. Knowing the intent for each element can help inform your performance.
Thank you Bryan, PJ and my fellow narrators for a night of solid instruction!
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