Reading vs. Writing
by Bethany Maines
On Monday night fellow Stiletto
author J.M. Phillippe (visiting from Brooklyn) and I attended the local open
mic night from Creative Colloquy. The
evening celebrated Creative Colloquy’s third anniversary and featured the
Washington State poet laureate Dr. Tod Marshall. Creative Colloquy’s mission is
to connect writers with their community and celebrate their works. And in
keeping with that mission, Dr. Marshall reminded us in the audience to both
battle for the arts and to rejoice in our creative communities.
author J.M. Phillippe (visiting from Brooklyn) and I attended the local open
mic night from Creative Colloquy. The
evening celebrated Creative Colloquy’s third anniversary and featured the
Washington State poet laureate Dr. Tod Marshall. Creative Colloquy’s mission is
to connect writers with their community and celebrate their works. And in
keeping with that mission, Dr. Marshall reminded us in the audience to both
battle for the arts and to rejoice in our creative communities.
As with every time I
go to a reading event I’m struck by what different skills reading and writing
are. It’s difficult to differentiate the presentation from the work being
presented. For every rushed reading, there’s one that gives space for the
audience to savor the moment. For every mumbled poem, there’s one that echoes
from the rafters. For every awkward and
misplaced laugh in the middle of a story, there’s one that ought to be a comedy
special. Delivery, timing, and pronunciation,
all take a reading from blah to amazing.
Or at least important enough to make people stop talking to their
friends at the table. Are the amazing
readings better? Or just benefitting
from better delivery?
go to a reading event I’m struck by what different skills reading and writing
are. It’s difficult to differentiate the presentation from the work being
presented. For every rushed reading, there’s one that gives space for the
audience to savor the moment. For every mumbled poem, there’s one that echoes
from the rafters. For every awkward and
misplaced laugh in the middle of a story, there’s one that ought to be a comedy
special. Delivery, timing, and pronunciation,
all take a reading from blah to amazing.
Or at least important enough to make people stop talking to their
friends at the table. Are the amazing
readings better? Or just benefitting
from better delivery?
It makes me wonder: what
could I be doing to present my own work better in live readings? Should we authors all be forced
to take public speaking classes? Improv classes? Should we be forced to listen
to recordings of ourselves (God nooooooooooo!!!)? Is there a secret trick that I could be
using? What if I just I hire an actor to
read for me? In all probability I shall
simply have to rely on the very exclusive, top secret trick of practice and
repetition. As long as no one makes me
watch a recording of it, that will probably be fine.
could I be doing to present my own work better in live readings? Should we authors all be forced
to take public speaking classes? Improv classes? Should we be forced to listen
to recordings of ourselves (God nooooooooooo!!!)? Is there a secret trick that I could be
using? What if I just I hire an actor to
read for me? In all probability I shall
simply have to rely on the very exclusive, top secret trick of practice and
repetition. As long as no one makes me
watch a recording of it, that will probably be fine.
***
Bethany Maines is the author of the Carrie
Mae Mysteries, Wild Waters, Tales
from the City of Destiny and An
Unseen Current. You can also view the Carrie Mae youtube video
or catch up with her on Twitter and Facebook.
