tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post1220269371402154062..comments2024-03-29T10:25:17.813-04:00Comments on Jungle Red Writers: What We're Writing: In which Hank Hears VoicesJungle Red Writershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16646429819267618412noreply@blogger.comBlogger50125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-37737387439487025462014-11-12T13:11:17.914-05:002014-11-12T13:11:17.914-05:00Congratulations, Hank. Well deserved! I LOVE audio...Congratulations, Hank. Well deserved! I LOVE audiobooks. My love affair began as an effort to occupy my mind while pumping a recumbent bike or other equally boring exercise equipment. Then I found them great for prepping dinner, driving, and any time I want a richer experience. Since you're gathering info I'll share that I've become a snob: if a reader is bad, that's it. There's a hotel series I stopped listening to because the voices were too similar and gravelly. Gravel worked for an elderly perp, but everyone else had a touch of it too. I made it through the first book, but by the 2nd, it just grated too much. I also get turned off by mispronunciations - c'mon reader, really? And when a reader races I stop listening - instead of a relaxing experience it becomes anxiety ridden (not the good anxiety of a good book.) A good reader, whether they do all the voices or not, whose words are clearly understood and loud enough, make my day. Btw, I often download to my phone from the library and have learned of many new authors/books as a result. A great way to discover what I want to buy. Here's to more and more audiobooks.Mary MSnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-8579483297640339662014-11-12T07:13:50.415-05:002014-11-12T07:13:50.415-05:00Hank, I'm so sorry I missed this.
I am primar...Hank, I'm so sorry I missed this.<br /><br />I am primarily an audiobook reader due to my disabilities. And I thank you with my entire soul for calling it reading.<br /><br />I am very visual, so hearing the book allows me to see the story play out without interference by trying to manipulate the book or follow the words on the page. I do read print but in small spurts.<br /><br />Yes, you are right about the reading. Sometimes it is the reader, but I think most often it is the way writers sometimes leave out that "... clarity in time and space and geography." Smart chapter beginnings, I find, are not enough for hearing books. As you point out, you cannot easily check back on audiobooks. It is much easier on the special machine and digital books provided by the Recordings for the Blind and Physically Disabled. They are designed for the ability to easily negotiate the hearing book. Their major problem is an exceedingly poor selection and waiting list. Basically you get what they send you. Audible.com tries but does not come close. CDs are excellent but very expensive. Sometimes I can get the books on CD that I want from the library, but they are usually scratched and have jam and other stuff stuck to them.<br /><br />I do, always buy the hard copies of my favorite authors and read them slowly, but sometimes that's best. It gives me more time with my favorites.Maureen Harringtonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03499876353651763590noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-21550497048023552592014-11-11T23:45:11.342-05:002014-11-11T23:45:11.342-05:00I listen to audio books in the car, but usually ha...I listen to audio books in the car, but usually have the book-book at home, in case I get confused or distracted and need to quickly get back on track. Your narratives, while complex, always flow clearly, at least when I read them . . . I think they'd stay clear in audio as well, but so much depends on the skill of the reader. <br />Thanks for the hard work you do writing so well. I can't even imagine how you keep going on book tours. ;-)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-39658734692748874222014-11-11T21:39:35.346-05:002014-11-11T21:39:35.346-05:00Oh, interesting, Karen in OH!
Terri, good luck ...Oh, interesting, Karen in OH! <br /><br />Terri, good luck on book 3!<br /><br />Donnell, yeah, I think she sounds like me, a little, too. Which is maybe why it feels so comfortable--that's the voice of the book I heard for a year while writing it--my own!<br /><br />NancyM--so much fun to see you here! See you in PA very soon!Hank Phillippi Ryanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17420701704169428286noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-1268331533062952042014-11-11T21:13:52.285-05:002014-11-11T21:13:52.285-05:00I just realized that the friend who lives in NOLA ...I just realized that the friend who lives in NOLA also narrates, but for Radio for the Blind. She reads magazines, newspapers, and books. But, as she says, all radio is reading for the blind. Karen in OHnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-12793690700194201412014-11-11T20:50:17.416-05:002014-11-11T20:50:17.416-05:00Oh, Carol Silvis, thank you!Oh, Carol Silvis, thank you!Hank Phillippi Ryanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17420701704169428286noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-61063191140967231802014-11-11T20:19:38.119-05:002014-11-11T20:19:38.119-05:00Okay, waving like mad! According to the flight tr...Okay, waving like mad! According to the flight tracker thing, I am at 35,000 isn feet over Rapid City South Dakota! How fun is that? <br /><br />Hank Phillippi Ryanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17420701704169428286noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-24337339753115854222014-11-11T19:32:12.533-05:002014-11-11T19:32:12.533-05:00Congratulations, Hank, on the Library Journal hono...Congratulations, Hank, on the Library Journal honor. Your writing is wonderful. I often listen to audio books in the car but find I have to rewind when my mind wanders.Carol Silvishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14782238478160905171noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-56855111531463840402014-11-11T18:25:33.216-05:002014-11-11T18:25:33.216-05:00Apropos audiobooks: Tried it once and freaked out...Apropos audiobooks: Tried it once and freaked out lest I became so engrossed in the story that I drove into a ditch. Or a semi. Or off the road. I love paper books and my Kindle, but I know "readers" who have stopped reading and only listen.JudyinBostonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01194047119136913804noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-46240164357767486682014-11-11T17:57:22.582-05:002014-11-11T17:57:22.582-05:00Well, I should be embarrassed to admit this, but I...Well, I should be embarrassed to admit this, but I just today, because of this particular post, started listening to my own book on audible.com. And I'm thrilled!!!! Because there was a stipend being offered when I was in the process of looking for a narrator, I was able to get a professional narrator, who used an excellent studio producer. So, now I'm totally in love with my Whimsey all over again. Susanna Burney has narrated for Catherine Coulter, Carol Goodman, Karen White, Joann Harris, and many others. She's also the voice of a couple of video games, and has some acting credits. As I said, I got very lucky.<br /><br />And I listened to your snippet, Hank, and I have to agree, Xe is perfect! Kaye Wilkinson Barley - Meanderings and Museshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07486129009717476920noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-50819914168735793642014-11-11T17:29:52.857-05:002014-11-11T17:29:52.857-05:00"I have never 'read' an audio book.&q..."I have never 'read' an audio book."<br />/she whispers/Salhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03597301821068526313noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-71605967627357199852014-11-11T16:07:44.578-05:002014-11-11T16:07:44.578-05:00Love audiobooks -- it's pretty much all I list...Love audiobooks -- it's pretty much all I listen to in the car. Right now -- Michael Connolly's "City of Bones." I frequently backtrack -- usually not because of a flaw in the writing but when my mind drifts. I just started reading with my eyes -- "Truth Be Told" last night -- plan to savor and not rush your latest masterpiece!Denise Annhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02790883493798517829noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-64020065587339191012014-11-11T15:22:03.597-05:002014-11-11T15:22:03.597-05:00You've put a whole new dimension on framing a ...You've put a whole new dimension on framing a scene. Makes perfect sense. Have a great rest of tour! Kaithttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07758348842858993203noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-22733458687345865952014-11-11T15:18:32.854-05:002014-11-11T15:18:32.854-05:00Major fan of audio books. Happily, my library gets...Major fan of audio books. Happily, my library gets mainly unabridged recordings. I credit them with me writing mystery: that's what I'd been listening to, so when fiction erupted, naturally it took that form!<br /><br />Audio books allow me to read books I might not otherwise choose, especially nonfiction. And yes, orient the reader immediately, or risk her forever feeling like she's missed something ...Leslie Budewitzhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11942314846112875042noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-62034169789559811242014-11-11T15:05:13.118-05:002014-11-11T15:05:13.118-05:00This is very interesting, Hank.
I must confess, I...This is very interesting, Hank.<br /><br />I must confess, I've never listened to my audiobooks. I've been afraid the narrator's voice will become the voice in my head when inhabit my first person narrator, and that I'll lose some valuable connection to her.<br /><br />But you've caused me to rethink.<br /><br />In my reading life, I'm not an audiobook person. I'm just not a strong aural person. My mind is too likely to drift.<br /><br />But this is an important part of our market, and important to serve well. So your insights are quite valuable.Barb Rosshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16470220932617188498noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-58765932333960656422014-11-11T14:24:53.308-05:002014-11-11T14:24:53.308-05:00Okay, I confess. I not only can't listen to au...Okay, I confess. I not only can't listen to audiobooks, I can't even listen to MY audiobooks. I started DEATH WILL GET YOU SOBER, and the actor got Bruce's voice perfectly right. But then came Chapter Two, and the same actor got Barbara's voice totally wrong. That was it for me. I couldn't go on. As for VOYAGE OF STRANGERS, my author copies came as CDs for MP3, something I can't play in my ten-year-old <br />car. Alas, I'm not very motivated to figure out another way. Give me text, filtered through the inside of my own head, any day.Elizabeth Zelvinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13944424094949207841noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-85195578772771316082014-11-11T14:13:35.695-05:002014-11-11T14:13:35.695-05:00I record audiobooks more than read them (for the C...I record audiobooks more than read them (for the Canadian National Institute for the Blind) and I love it. We avoid using accents (except what's written right into the dialogue) and try to make it clear who's speaking. No falsettos for men reading women (which I've heard on commercial books -- yikes!) No speech impediements for children. Straight reading, with tone and heart.<br /><br />(Hank, your events link isn't working....:^0 )Susan Dhttp://www.susandaly.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-7352866431704914522014-11-11T13:53:02.635-05:002014-11-11T13:53:02.635-05:00Many, many, many congrats, Hank! Having a real pr...Many, many, many congrats, Hank! Having a real pro read your work can be such a thrill. Broadway singer/actress Kate Baldwin did a masterful job with my Little Black Book of Murder. I'm finally listening to it in my car. I was surprised by the many accents she pulled off. (Aussie!) I confess: Her brilliant work make me think it might be wise for me to cut back on accents, though. Hm....<br />NancyMnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-19043416310344720482014-11-11T13:51:52.164-05:002014-11-11T13:51:52.164-05:00Heading for the airport! On the way to Bouchercon...Heading for the airport! On the way to Bouchercon..see you there..and more to come when I arrive!<br /><br />I will check in via phone, of course, cannot wait to hear what you are all saying!<br /><br />And trying to decide on the prize.Hank Phillippi Ryanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17420701704169428286noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-25698713502624085082014-11-11T13:50:58.549-05:002014-11-11T13:50:58.549-05:00Sheila, that's great!
MArie, my complete ple...Sheila, that's great! <br /><br />MArie, my complete pleasure--SUCH a treat to see you. (Hope your husband is okay..xoxo)<br /><br />And PK, thank you!<br /><br />And yeah, I have heard books that simply did not match the voice n my head. That's exactly why I'm so thrilled with TBT.Hank Phillippi Ryanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17420701704169428286noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-83334536666138091592014-11-11T13:41:40.843-05:002014-11-11T13:41:40.843-05:00Sheila, I love that!
See you at Bouchercon!Sheila, I love that! <br /><br />See you at Bouchercon!Lisa Alberhttp://www.lisaalber.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-69017966488662066932014-11-11T13:35:23.103-05:002014-11-11T13:35:23.103-05:00Several of my books have been published in audio f...Several of my books have been published in audio form, but I'm afraid to listen to them, because I worry that the voice on the recording will not match the voice I hear in my head. <br /><br />The Irish have a long tradition of itinerant storytellers, called seanchai. At each small village or home, they were welcomed with a warm meal, a bed for the night, and an eager audience. They were respected, and their visits were eagerly anticipated. What more could we ask for?Sheila Connollyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05165644581595919711noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-50047131612034891412014-11-11T13:16:31.431-05:002014-11-11T13:16:31.431-05:00I had the wonderful pleasure of meeting Hank at a ...I had the wonderful pleasure of meeting Hank at a book signing in Los Angeles. What a treat. Hank is warm and engaging.I will treasure my signed copy of Truth Be Told forever!Mariehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11577800842379365136noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-13655843936839189342014-11-11T12:55:29.039-05:002014-11-11T12:55:29.039-05:00Love that imagery: "Make sure they’re on the ...Love that imagery: "Make sure they’re on the train and safely seated before the scene leaves the station."<br /><br />Re: audiobooks. Several years ago, I really, really wanted to read the Thursday Next books by Jasper Fforde; the first book is THE EYRE AFFAIR. I tried multiple times. Then I checked out the audiobook from the library. That Monty Python-esque humor just zinged when it was audio rather than my internal voice. A well-performed audio can truly enhance the "reading" experience. On the other hand, a voice that *you as the reader* feel doesn't capture what you thought it should be, can ruin the book/series for you. Happily, pluses outnumber the negatives. <br /><br />I greatly admire the talent of the good audiobook readers/performers. They are amazing at with just their own voice create different characters, to act without acting.PK the Bookeemonsterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03478996122841311684noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-4472873359845892682014-11-11T12:48:39.964-05:002014-11-11T12:48:39.964-05:00I love listening to audiobooks during long car rid...I love listening to audiobooks during long car rides--that's the best. Otherwise, I prefer good old books.<br /><br />I love your revelation, Hank. That makes so much sense. I had a teacher once (Elizabeth George, actually) who always said, Orient the reader, orient the reader.<br /><br />See you and the Reds at Bouchercon. (Yeeks, so much to do before my flight tomorrow!)Lisa Alberhttp://www.lisaalber.comnoreply@blogger.com