One of the Joys of Writing

This is Amorella. I chose this photo because if one looks closely sheorhe will see the lean to someone had scurried to build for a shelter. As it is in the city park it may have been a scout project. Still, it shows a make-do approach and that is what this post is about.

One of the joys of writing are odd challenges. A present one has to do with love first and duty second. My Uncle Ernie is in his late eighties and loves to read. Unfortunately he can no longer do so because of his failed eyesight. Now he loves to listen. Until this year his wife, my Aunt Patsy, who is presently the matriarch of the Westerville-bred Orndorff family, read him my first three books as she also is a reader. Her eyesight is also failing and as such she can no longer read. She like Uncle Ernie are now both listeners. I told them that when I began book four I would find a way to make a CD of the work by chapter.

Searching online I found a company called Natural Reader that recently developed software for Mac that works with iTunes. I also discovered another company, Wire Tap, which will allow me to string voice tracks together.

Last night I began putting chapter one together in an audio. First, I divided the chapter into twenty-three scenes. I use the Natural Reader male voice Ryan for narration and for the Supervisor and the gods description and dialogue and the Natural Reader female voice Heather for the chapter description for and dialogues by the human dead. This is the way Amorella wanted it though it was my tendency to have the Supervisor and gods and goddesses have a female voice as Amorella is to me a female writing personality.

It took me a while to realize that each scene is similar to having a real reader. Pronounciation, particularly of the Greek names, is not perfect and I make do by finding a phonetic spelling that will get me by. For instance, Merlyn, in the Prologue is spelled Mrrlyn. Each voice, the male and female, pronounces the Greek character names slightly different and it is only through continued trial and error that I come up with something, though not satisfactory, will work. Thales is Thal-lees for instance. I worked up through fourteen scenes from text to fourteen aiff files on iTunes last night and once I finish them I will begin work on learning how to string them all together on Wire Tap. Once this is accomplished I will burn a CD of the chapter for my aunt and uncle to listen to.

Both, by the way, are sharp-minded critical thinkers and tell me what they think of my work and how to make it better from their particular points of view. I am finding that working with audio I am also finding ways to clarify and edit  the flow of my translation of Amorella’s writing. I have not yet made corrections, but I will for the final draft. I would have never thought I would have this new approach for final tinkering and editing. Anyone who writes might try this device and see if it works for them.   rho