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Choosing a Segment for Readings
Asked by Scott Rutherford on February 8, 2021
My book, "Dani's Inferno" is out in the world now, and I've had a couple of opportunities to do readings, but I struggle with knowing what to pick. My writing is fairly tight, so it's hard to pick a segment that's both easy to grasp without having read the rest of the story up until then and that doesn't give away too much in terms of spoilers. Any advice on how to pick a great segment for public readings?
Jerry's Answer
Yes, Scott, pick the segment that was the most emotional for you to write, and let that emotion emerge in the reading too (within reason; you don't want to be sobbing, but allow the break in your voice where it moves you). And don't hesitate to start with a little explanation setting up the portion.