1 - Tell us a little bit about your background. How did you get started in narrating/producing audio books?
I was born in the U.K., but made America my home in my early 20s. I paint and voice act for a humble living, the latter being the more humble. The reason being, the paintbox came first, the reel to reel taperecorder later and finally the Home Studio. A naive conviction that I could make a living in my pajamas doing voiceover work was rapidly dispelled as I learned that there was more to this than a plummy accent, however a love of literature and reading out loud prevailed. I read for the blind, documentaries, ELearning projects, and museum tours, but my preference is the marathon of voice acting; The Audiobook. Thanks in part to A.C.X., I have a few under my belt and more in the works.
2 - How much acting is involved in narrating a story?
Narrating a story is very much about acting - acting with the lights out, as it were, including playing the entire cast of characters with a narrator thrown in. My job is to stage a vocal performance that keeps the listener theatrebound.
3 - What was the most difficult or challenging aspect of narrating STRANGE FORTUNE?
The most difficult and challenging aspect of narrating STRANGE FORTUNE was the love interest between men; not in the heavy breathing sense, but in making the emotional connection palpable.
4 - What character was the most fun to narrate? Why?
I had the most fun narrating Strange because of the challenge of revealing the vulnerable man beneath the cynical soldier of fortune.
5 - What character was the most difficult to narrate? Why?
The most difficult and challenging character to narrate was Grimshaw because he was etherial and hard to get a handle on.
6 - Was there a particular scene you think you read especially well? Or that you particularly enjoyed reading?
I do not not feel there is a particular scene I read better than another, however, I do enjoy reading dialogue, including banter, tension and believable affection, or conflict.
7 - How awkward is it to read erotic scenes aloud?
I do not feel that reading erotic scenes out loud is difficult as long as the erotic scenes are well crafted. That being said, they are no harder [no pun indended] than anything else.
8 - What’s the most satisfying or rewarding part of narrating/producing an audio book?
The most rewarding part of narrating an audio book is finishing it, with all the many files and hours of work, as well as the technical challenges resolved. To me it is like framing a painting, hanging it on the wall, stepping back and knowing I have completed a job well done.
9 - Do you ever find yourself wishing the author (naturally not me!!!) hadn’t taken the story in a particular direction? Or is narrating a much more detached process?
The job of the narrator is to read the story and not critique the author.
10 - Where can readers/listeners find out more about you and your work?
My paintings can be seen at the South Wharf Gallery website or the Sylvia Antiques website . You can also listen to my voice over work by downloading STRANGE FORTUNE by you know who.
Looking forward to the book Josh. Any idea when it will show up on Audible?
ReplyDeleteHey, it saved your comment from earlier! That's great. :-D And yes the book is now, at long last, live.
DeleteI must have been the only person who read the conversation earlier. But I'm on the east coast, so I'm generally up early (Oliver my gorgeous Border Collie has me up around 6:30 though I repeatedly tell him I'm retired).
DeleteYes, but Oliver isn't retired! ;-D
DeleteYou can say that again. Just why, I often ask myself, would a sane 65 year old take on a 5 month old BC who has already had 3 previous homes? The answer, obviously, is NO sane 65 year old woman would.
DeleteWouldn't trade him for the world. He's gorgeous and remarkably intelligent (227 word vocabulary. But, oh, does he have energy! We don't go for walks. He takes me for drags.
Very informative, Josh. Thank you for these continuing interviews with your audio book narrators. I have listened to the SF sample and David's voice is perfect for your book. An excellent choice on your part, as usual. If David reads this I want him to know I looked at the website of his paintings and they are glorious! I will be on Cape Cod in July and will try to come over to Nantucket to view them in person.
ReplyDeleteGood luck with the release, Josh. :)
I was startled (and I'm not sure why because there's no reason someone can't be multi-talented) at how wonderful his art is!
DeleteSwooning here, because not only am I loving David's spot on narration of one of my favorite stories, but he paints too?! And such lovely work! I do have a thing for artists...Thank you both for the wonderful interview :-)
ReplyDeleteHe really brought the Kiplingesque elements alive in the story. I love his narration.
DeleteThanks for this very interesting interview. It's always nice to learn a little about the man behind the voice and his talents are impressive. I really like David's soothing voice and his beautiful paintings have a dreamy quality to them. Strange Fortune is such a different type of story than I usually read but with you as the author, Josh, I enjoyed it very much.
ReplyDeleteEvery one of these narrators has proved to be such an interesting man. So much more than just great voices!
DeleteI have an admission to make - I've never listened to an audiobook. I've always been curious about them, however. I've been eyeing this title for ages as the next one to read and now maybe this is the push I need to try the "experience." Maybe I can listen to it while I draw! But is that too confusing to listen to one Josh Lanyon book while I finish drawing from another? I have two other JL books with images in my head that want to come out. *ponders*
ReplyDeleteWellllll, if any two books of mine might be a non-blendable mix, it's probably SF and the AE books! :-)
DeleteDavid's reading is wonderful though. I think these fantasy novels really benefit from narration. More so than any others. Not sure why exactly!
DeleteMaybe because fantasy is, in a sense, storytelling as of old. Listening to a fantasy book reminds me of carefree childhood moments when someone was reading me a story, so it kinda parallels that feeling, while when i listen to something like Fair Game, it's, well, on the tense side, in a good way, but i'm very in the present/reality for it. Like a different relationship almost between listener and narrator. Does this make sense??
DeleteYeah, that totally makes sense to me. Also there are details in a fantasy novel, a pacing, that just isn't the same as in contemporary novels. I think both those things can be better appreciated when the book is narrated.
DeleteI agree! The quest (at it's most nonrestrictive) pace :)
DeleteJust started listening to this on my way to work this morning - I very much like Strange's voice, he sounds exactly as I "heard" him in my head. These interviews are fun to read. I like finding out a little about the man behind the voice.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you're enjoying the interviews. Now I'm running out of narrators!
DeleteThank you for the interview!
ReplyDeleteIt's always interesting to learn more about how the recording is approached, and i liked how he compares it to acting with the lights off.
The reading is wonderful! I was listening to it this week and it just lulled me into the fantasy :)
I do hope David gets more work out of this. I think he's got a unique voice and style.
DeleteHe does! I hope so too!
DeleteExcellent interview. The best so far, I think.
ReplyDeleteI agree with David that narration is very much a performance. I've probably listened to a couple of thousand books since I first put "books on tape" into "my" library back in 1984, and listening is quite a different experience than reading.
Another point. Authors, IMO, are among the very WORST narrators. I've heard only one or two that could do justice to their own work.
I think listening takes most of us back to the days when we were children and listened to mom or dad or teacher read to us. It's comforting.
I look forward to hearing this one, but I'm saving my monthly allotment pennies this month for "The Hell You Say."
And he has a wonderful sense of humor to top it all!
ReplyDelete:)
Smart, funny, well-read. These guys have all been fascinating.
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