Read Aloud!

A power-filled writing tool

Photo by Johane Meehan — thank you!

Here I am, at a local musical festival (yes!), in the Family Tent, doing a reading. I read my own work, but I also shared from a collection of Canadian picturebooks. The book in my hands was most timely: Sheryl McFarlane’s Welcome, Rain! And this little guy, my first listener, was soaking it up… and asking Questions.

It was a rainy day at the fest, though that didn’t seem to slow the attendees. It’s only the second year for this event, in the small town of Ladner, and the population is thrilled to have their own festival. So cool to see! And to have a small part in.

Which proves: you do not know how and when an opportunity to share your work will come. Last year, I read for free and to sell books; this year, after proving itself, the festival is paying me, and I gave away copies of my books to say ‘thank you.’

I took along a boxful of books to read, my own and others’, thinking that I would choose stories and poems when I see who shows up.

Reading aloud is an invaluable writing tool, and not only for picturebooks or poetry, but for adult fiction, and nonfiction, too. Reading aloud, you find “off” notes in your writing that you don’t want to encounter when the day comes that you’re reading in front of an audience; find those dissonant notes before the story goes out to the world.