
Author Development

We’ve all been there: you stare at the blank screen willing the words to just type themselves. Everybody experiences writer’s block. Novel Readings is the most reliable way to smash your writer’s block into smithereens. As many studies indicate, we process information differently when it enters our brain through our ears rather than through our eyes. Anyone who has read their own audio book, as I have, can attest to it.
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Simply put, Novel Readings will work with you to find appropriate selections from whatever you’re
working on. Over the course of our session, you will have the privilege of hearing extraordinary actors read your words to you. We can include whatever kind of discussion of material you’d like afterwards, or none at all. Some authors want to hear what situations the actors can imagine their characters in. Some authors have specific questions they want answered about tone, story, character. Other authors just want the experience of hearing their words.
Each session is bespoke to your specific material and your specific wants. For those authors who have never had the luxury of working with actors in this way, especially actors who specialize in new work development, you will be amazed by the insights the actors will have into your creations. Discussion parameters are created beforehand by you and discussions themselves are moderated by a trained Novel Readings representative.
We are also available for book-launches and public readings. Many writers dread the experience of having to perform publicly. Why put yourself through that when Novel Readings will happily find the right actor(s) to bring your work to life and allow you’re the pleasure of simply being an audience member?
If you’re working on something especially genre, we also offer role-play sessions to help you figure out the more complicated action sequences in your fantasy/sci-fi/horror piece. Novel Readings’ founder Michael Barakiva had his A-Ha! moment during a roleplay session he used to figure the end of his third novel, These Precious Stones (Macmillan FSG, Fall 2023). Through the use of roleplaying game systems and improvised scenarios, let our actors show you how your trickier sequences play themselves out.
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Our sessions are tailored to the writer and project.
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We can work live or virtually,
in whatever configuration will most benefit you.
Fill out the form below to receive your rate!