the craft. selecting work for a reading.

There's an art to picking work that is engaging.

Photo by Alexandra Fuller on Unsplash

As a writer starting out, we may not be familiar with many terms that are frequently used in publishing and general writing circles. A reading event feels like one of those terms that can feel big and intimidating when you’re a writer still in the process of finding their voice. But rest assured, reading events are such a supportive environment and can be helpful in your writing process.

This past week, AWP took place here in Los Angeles and there was no shortage of readings. Every night featured multiple gatherings of writers and fans alike all there for the same purpose of hearing from some of their favorite writers.

I had the privilege of attending Empty Trash hosted by Greg Mania and Jen Winston at the Semi-Tropic on Thursday night. I heard pieces from Mahogany L. Browne, Deesha Philyaw, Celia Laskey, Jasmin Iolani Hakes, Diane Marie Brown, and a host of others. One thing that’s always present no matter how great of a writer you are, is nerves. We all get them. But as soon as these writers opened their mouths, the crowd was in, excited to hear words from the notebook pages of their colleagues and faves.

One of the things I love about reading is seeing how other people react to your words. It’s real time feedback which can be equal parts exhilarating and terrifying. I always encourage writers in their revision process to read their book aloud to themselves. It can seem like a daunting task for sure, but I’ve found that there are simple things my brain only catches when it hears the words and not simply when I read them. Reading to others may help you work through some clunky sentences or pacing issues within your work in progress.

But one of the most daunting tasks is choosing what to read, and it’s all about the selection. How do you narrow down your work in progress to 5-7 minutes which seems to be the sweet spot before people’s eyes start glazing over? Here are some things I normally consider:

Pick a scene that’s as actionable as possible. I don’t want to spend my time reading a piece that’s solely introspective. Unless it’s just wildly funny or otherwise engaging, I want something to be happening so that the audience feels like they’re in it with the character.

I also think it’s important to find a scene that has an easy context to explain. You don’t want to have to give a long dissertation before you start reading. Attention spans, people! They’re not what they used to be. So when selecting a piece, make sure it can be explained as concisely as possible to lead into the material.