With the growing popularity and proliferation of audiobooks, audiobook narration is one of the most widely available jobs for voice actors. To be a successful audiobook narrator, however, you need to have the ability to use your voice to tell a story. Being a good reader is, unfortunately, not enough. You can have perfect articulation and pronunciation or read different languages flawlessly, but if you can’t produce distinct characters with your voice, story narration can prove to be a very arduous job.
Fortunately, there are a few guidelines to keep in mind when you want to be a good storyteller with your voice. I have pooled together the following tips to help you develop effective skills in storytelling.
Learn how to create individual character voices.
People listen to audiobooks rather than read their printed versions because they want to hear the characters come to life. This is why you need to produce distinct character voices with your voice when storytelling. Your voice should also be able to establish the atmosphere as well as the tension in the story.
Learn the basics of storytelling skills.
In my research, I have found that there are five vital storytelling skills: emphasis, repetition or exaggeration, transition, pause, and finally, proportion. You need to know which parts in the story you need to emphasize more with your voice. In the same way, you need to be able to segue effortlessly from one character voice to another, to pause as needed, and to narrate the story in an effective, balanced way that brings everything together beautifully.
Visualize the images presented in the script or story.
Don’t forget to visualize everything first. Imagine the setting, the atmosphere, how the characters look and feel, how they dress, or what food they eat, etc. This will help you situate yourself in the story better. Practice the right gestures and facial expressions when delivering dialogue exchanges.
Sometimes, it takes a lot of natural talent to be a good narrator, but most of the time, hard work and a bit of creativity can take you there. Don’t forget to interact with your listeners when you’re telling a story. Best of all; read the material in the same way that you would want to listen to it yourself. And once you already have the experience, you will know the best time and the most appropriate way to use these skills during narrations.
Do you need a storyteller for your audiobook, movie, or movie trailer in Spanish? Call or email me today so we can talk more about your voiceover job and get started as soon as possible!