San Francisco Writer's Conference 2024
February 15-18
Audiobook Seminar Questions
SESSION 1
Authors: Shawn Langwell & Nori Jabba
1. What did you expect recording your book to be like, and did it end up being easier, harder, or about what you thought it would be?
Shawn: I thought I could walk into the studio without rehearsal and nail it. Wrong.
Practice makes all the difference in the world. Which is ironic because that’s a key driver of the success formula in my book Ten Seconds of Boldness.
2. Did you like your voice when you heard it back and did you end up liking your voice more at the end of the process?
Shawn: Near the end. After I got out of my head and gained some confidence, the project seemed to flow like a bubbling brook. I said bubbling, not babbling. There’s a huge difference.
3. What did you learn about yourself in the process of writing your book and then recording the book? And did you learn anything differently from the two experiences? Did you learn anything new about your book and its messages after encountering through the audio recording process?
Shawn: I learned that all the tips and teaching I offer in my book is not an overnight fix. That doubt, imposter syndrome, overthinking, and other mental maladies are real, even for authors who write about how to overcome them as I did. The greatest reward was observing the emotional reactions of the producer and creative director during the recording process. When I saw how it connected with them I know I made a great decision to write and narrate this book. If you want to hear what that was like firsthand listen to: these two episodes of my podcast, Dare to Be Great, Dare to Be You with them:
4. Why is reading your book aloud critical to the writing and editing process?
Shawn: Because you get to hear it come alive!
5. What helped when you got nervous or weren't meeting your standards?
Shawn: A kick-ass director and producer to talk me off the ledge.
6. What surprised you the most from the whole experience?
Shawn: That I sounded like I knew what I was talking about.
7. Where do you find the courage to pursue your dreams as an author?
Shawn: Prayer, practice, and a white-hot why (Motive/ reason to do it) plus the resolve to know that I will not quit before the miracle.
8. What did you learn about yourself while narrating your book? (Or name title for a specific author)
Shawn: That my 5-step process works and has the ability to help many people overcome challenges and become more self confident. Why? Because I had to practice EVERY SINGLE THING I wrote about in the process of learning how to narrate my own audiobook. That is an experience I will never forget.
9. What will you do differently next time when authoring a book if you know you’ll likely be taking it into the audiobook realm?
Shawn: Wrote it knowing I am going to narrate it. I will also make better use of short punchy sentences and augment those with longer ones.
I will also keep the stories short, sweet and to the point and not overexplan some concepts.
10. Why did you write this book?
Shawn: I wrote this book because I don’t want to die with any regrets.
SESSION 2
Authors: Dave Mowry & Tara Rolstad
1. Your blog, upon which all three of the books in your OMG series are based, attracted thousands of followers, many of whom wrote to thank you for legitimizing their experience as people who suffer daily from mental illness. What is the responsibility of the comedienne to honor that experience without coming off as making light of it?
Dave: First, respecting people with a mental health diagnosis by writing and telling jokes that are based on honest and true experiences of my experience.
Second, not censoring jokes because folks might get triggered. This goes along with respect. In all of my shows, the only concern for a joke triggering someone with a diagnosis has come from service providers- social workers, administrators, and community activists- who think folks with mental illness are fragile and need protected. They say that the jokes were funny, but someone may be triggered by it I’ve never met that someone This is the worst kind of ableism.
Lastly, never talking down to folks.
2. Why did you write this book?
Dave: Learning stand up comedy changed my life and did the same for those I taught. Finding humor in our most difficult experiences changes them from reliving the pain and loss into “Where can I find the humor in this.” It changes everything. The audiobook will do this for every person who listens to it while shattering stigma one joke at a time
3. What did you expect recording your book to be like, and did it end up being easier, harder, or about what you thought it would be?
Tara: Honestly, at first I thought it would be just reading it out loud. I wasn’t a consumer of audiobooks before this process, and I didn’t realize until working with Ralph that duh, I’m PERFORMING the book out loud.
Once I realized that, it was game on. I love to perform!
4. Did you like your voice when you heard it back and did you end up liking your voice more at the end of the process?
Tara: I’m getting used to it. I like it, but it’s such a subjective thing, who knows what other people think?!?
5. What did you learn about yourself in the process of writing your book and then recording the book? And did you learn anything differently from the two experiences? Did you learn anything new about your book and its messages after encountering through the audio recording process?
Tara: Writing a book is such a solitary process, and so internal. I could NOT be further out on the extrovert end of the scale, so discovering I had the discipline to do the work was empowering and surprising.
I had my coauthor Dave, but we largely did our work separately and it’s a lot of alone time!
Because I worked with a producer (thanks, Ralph!), producing the audiobook has been a far more collaborative project, and definitely more fun!
Not only that, but having the opportunity to hear Ralph’s response to the material in real-time, and his suggestions for interpretation, helped me understand and newly appreciate it.
6. Why is reading your book aloud critical to the writing and editing process?
Tara: I don’t generally read aloud when I’m writing or editing, at least not out loud with my mouth. I DO always “read” it out loud in my head, though, imagining what it sounds like as I write, and I think that a huge factor in why my writing is pretty conversational.
7. What helped when you got nervous or weren't meeting your standards?
Tara: Taking a deep breath, grabbing a glass of water, and cracking a joke to relieve the tension and bring some perspective to the situation. I’m narrating an audiobook, not defusing a bomb!
8. What surprised you the most from the whole experience?
Tara: How incredibly fun it was! I LOVED it, and can’t wait to do more.
9. Where do you find the courage to pursue your dreams as an author?
Tara: It doesn’t really feel like an option, it’s who I am. I’m either writing to speak, writing to publish online, or writing to publish. I feel an obligation to steward the journey I’ve been on, what I’ve learned about mental health and supporting people who struggle with mental health. I want to ensure that all of the crap I’ve been through winds up helping someone else.
I also write to record and remember the ridiculous things I experience, and make others laugh. (90% of my Facebook posts, for instance.) I firmly believe that if you don’t use those experiences to make someone laugh, you’re just wasting an opportunity.
10. What will you do differently next time when authoring a book if you know you’ll likely be taking it into the audiobook realm?
Tara: Plan ahead to market all versions thoroughly and effectively! I think we were so timid about what felt like a weird little niche book that we didn’t really put ourselves out there enough, and we didn’t believe in it. But the book has been so well received and we did better than expected. Now, I’m far more confident about the impact the book can have on people and I want to really get it out there!
11. You’re a public speaker but you’ve never locked yourself inside a Voiceover booth before. How did you adjust to the environment and navigate the experience?
Tara: As a professional speaker through the pandemic, I had to become more comfortable with technology, and that helped. It’s still probably the most difficult or never-ending part of the process for me, I’m always afraid I’ve forgotten how to record everything I step back into the booth!
Other than that, the biggest adjustment has been the energy I project as a performer, and the difference between connecting with a live audience vs. an audiobook listener. I can tell that as I’ve begun to experiment with other audiobook narration work, it’s a growing edge for me for sure. I’m a big personality in person, and I’m working on dialing that in at the right level.
12. You have children who battle mental illness. Were there moments in the recording when, because your hearing your words out loud, you felt: “This is too close to home?” If so, how did you handle that? How did you stay on message? And should the Narrator necessarily distance herself from the content?
Tara: As the book was originally published a few years ago, I was definitely surprised by the emotional impact of narrating the chapter that tells my family’s story. It definitely hit hard in a few spots, and I had to take a couple of pauses, some deep breaths.
However, I follow the same guidelines I use when speaking professionally to a live audience. It’s ok, even good, for the audience to hear your emotion, even a crack in your voice, grief, or some anger. However, YOU need to be in control of that emotion the entire time you are performing. (For me that comes from rehearsal, and telling the story enough times that I’m not still processing it.)
The moment you are not in control of that emotion, the audience begins to worry about you, and they STOP absorbing your message. Telling your story should never be a substitute for your own healing process or for therapy. That’s self-indulgent and does not honor the privilege the listener has granted you.