Narration Creation: Preparation

Narrators bring the stories we love to life. But what does it take to prepare and record an audiobook? I asked a group of narrators four questions about the audiobook process. This series is based off of the Blogger Confidential series.

What do you do to prepare before narrating an audiobook. Do you read the book? Speak with the author?

"As far as the preparation goes, I usually receive the manuscript anywhere from 1 to 3 weeks ahead of time and dive right in. I will read through the script, diagramming characters as I go, as well as writing down any problem words I might stumble over as I am narrating. Diagramming characters is simply highlighting or marking the dialog of each character and getting some ideas for what the character sounds like. I will note things such as gender or nationality as well as tone, demeanor, and cadence. Very rarely will I as a narrator speak to the author. The director is generally the one who will speak to the author." Nick Podehl, narrator of the Chaos Walking trilogy, Shelter

"Before I record any audiobook I read it thoroughly. I highlight my characters in different colors, mark any words I need to look up, mark any accents or directions I need to be aware if in the text i.e. "she whispered, he shouted, she screamed." So when I am in the studio my book is all marked up and I am ready to rock and roll and bring it to life. Sometimes I do speak with the author and get an idea of how they want certain words or places pronounced and any accents they may want for characters. I find that to be very helpful." Therese Plummer, narrator of the Firelight series; The Immortal Rules

"I always read the book as soon as I can, and I make a list of characters while I read. I also make a list of any pronunciation questions I may have. Sometimes, I get to speak with the author to confirm any story, character or pronunciation questions, but normally the Director is in contact with the Author and Publisher." Tara Sands, narrator of The Dead-Tossed Waves; Revived

"It's fantastic when I get to collaborate with an author. Having the ability to go straight to the source can be invaluable, especially when it's a long series spanning several books and with a lot of characters. I recently had an author even give me a heads up on a bunch of new characters (with very difficult accents) he was writing into the series.

When I first get a manuscript for a new project I read it slowly, creating a list of characters and a pronunciation guide for foreign words. I also highlight all of the dialogue, using different colors for each character. This way when I'm in the studio I have an easy visual cue that tells me which characters are coming up on any given page. If there is particularly tricky narration, or difficult accents, I'll read aloud. Sometimes even without realizing that I am. Which has earned me some strange looks when I prep at a coffee shop!" Luke Daniels, narrator of This Dark Endeavor; Unwind

"I try to read the book twice – once to get a feel for it and look for problem areas, the second time to mark up the script so I can record more efficiently. Using an iPad has made both prep and recording much more streamlined (no more 400 page paper scripts to juggle!).

Some books require a lot of research. I've called Alaska for Inupiaq pronunciation, talked to SciFi/Fantasy authors to confirm pronunciation for languages they've invented, and asked a rural Ohio relative for help with shotgun terminology. It definitely keeps things interesting!" Amy Rubinate, narrator of Shadows on the Moon; The Selection

"I read the book, usually about three times. The first time I read it like anyone else reading for pleasure would - for the story.

The second time I look a lot more at HOW the story is told, the order of events. I make a list of all the characters. I make note of the major events in each chapter so that I can know where I am going when I finally record the book. The arc of a whole book is too much for me to keep in my head when I am recording, so it’s helpful when I start each chapter to reacquaint myself with where the author is taking the story next.

The third time I read a book when I am prepping it, I read it out loud. This is when I try out voices, when I notice words that I actually don’t know how to pronounce but skim over when I am reading in my head. And then I go into the studio and we record it." Amanda Ronconi, narrator of How to Flirt with a Naked Werewolf; the Soul Screamers series

"I always read the book at least once. I then go through the dialog and mark which character is speaking so I’ll know what voice to use when I’m recording. I’ve known some narrators who like to use a different color highlighter for each character. I prefer to write in the character’s initials at the beginning of the dialog whenever he or she is speaking. I also try to mark out the pacing I want to use when reading the book. I draw arrows down the side of the page when I want to speed up or increase in intensity and I’ll write little notes to myself like “really see it” or “live it for the first time” to remind myself to stay in the moment. I rarely get the chance to speak to the author. If I have a question about how to pronounce a character’s name or a particular place, I’ll send my query to the audiobook producer who will ask the author and then get back to me." Caitlin Davies, narrator of Awakened: A House of Night Novel; Little Vampire Women

"I read the whole book and mark it up for pace, delivery, and character. I also make a word list for pronunciations and a character list with some buzz words to help me develop and maintain the character and his/her voice. On occasion, I speak with an author (alllllways a treat), and often, I do some kind of "dramaturgical" research. The night before each recording session, I review the chapters that will be covered the next day and make additional notes." Carol Monda, narrator of The Seven Realms series; the Cass Neary series

"It varies a bit, and every narrator has their own process, I would think...but typically I'll get a script anywhere from a week to two weeks before a project is scheduled to record. I'll read the script thoroughly, often a few times. While reading I am looking for a sense of who each character is, how they relate to one another, accents or specific vocal traits, etc. In general I'm always listening more carefully now - to friends, family, passing strangers, tv and film, radio. I notice unique voices and store away ideas for later use. Being pretty new to this industry, I still have a lot of room to learn and grow in the area of characterization, voicing men, and improving accents. There are so many narrators who are just plain masterful in their voicing, and while I've got a lot to learn, it's an incredibly fun challenge!

At times I'm lucky enough to have an opportunity to speak with the author during the preparation process or after they've received their recording, which is a really lovely, helpful, and humbling experience." Kate Rudd, narrator of The Fault in Our Stars; Tithe

"I like to approach an audiobook sesh like jumping off of a diving board. I've read my book, I have a sense of the pool, but now it's a totally vital and urgent fresh new moment. I want my readers to find the book with me, to codiscover it. I often correspond with writers over phone or email when there is a lot of invented or indigenous language or when the author requests I field her any questions and concerns. Sixty percent of the time thereabouts I don't have author contact. All of the writers I've phoned or emailed with have been very efficient, creative, grateful and generous. I am so lucky to have this access." Jessica Almasy; narrator of The Summer I Turned Pretty, Unraveled

"All of the above. Preparing for an audio book performance is much like preparing for any performance, be it a play, a movie, a speech, or presentation. I definitely read the book. As I read I’m introduced to all the characters. I learn how they speak, what they look like, how old/young they are, what they may sound like (if the author indicates it), what motivates them, where they’re from, and things like that. In a lot of the books I’m asked to narrate there are tons of words I’ve never seen before. As I go through the script, there’s lots of research into pronunciations, meanings, and origins. So when I’m saying these words, I actually know what I’m talking about. If I’m lucky I’m able to talk to the author, which is a HUGE help. Its important to me that I stay as close to the writers vision as I can. Its not always possible but I try.

'Success happens when preparation meets opportunity' No idea who actually said this… but I love it." Khristine Hvam, narrator of Daughter of Smoke and Bone; Iron Fey series

"When I narrated a high profile series like Twilight, I would receive the manuscript for each book only a few days before we were set to record. And that gave me only enough time to do a read through, making my notes on characters and then really challenged me to do most of the work in the studio as we traveled through those 700 page books!

With most books I narrate, I have more time than that, and I can not only do a read through but also spend some time thinking about each character and their point of view. Most of the time narrators are not in touch with authors but, I have had some authors write to me after I narrated their books and told me they were fans..so that's always lovely! I did meet Stephenie Meyer a few times during the recording of Twilight Series and I kept her very much in mind as I narrated her series." Ilyana Kadushin; narrator of the Twilight Saga; Glow