A.A. Abbott

GREAT CRIME STORY WRITER

brewsmiths

Bringing Literature to Life – Five Reasons Authors Should Read Their Work Aloud

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One of the best decisions I ever made was joining a writing group. It’s given me the support to raise my game, and it’s helped me find my voice. I don’t mean just choosing to write crime thrillers, but being prepared to read them to an audience – injecting drama and suspense.

Here are 5 reasons why writers should read their work aloud:

#1. It can help the writing process. Grammatical errors, typos and other mistakes are much easier to spot when you’re reading aloud. You’ll still need help from beta readers (who read the first draft for you) and an editor, of course. Although I read the first draft of my last crime thriller The Bride’s Trail, out loud to myself, it was still immeasurably improved by the feedback I received from beta readers and editor Katharine D’Souza.

 

#2. Being prepared to read your work in front of an audience opens up a whole world of live fiction events, with the chance to meet other authors like you, and share your writing with a wider audience. I’ve read at some great live events, including evenings at Brewsmiths in Birmingham, Foyles in Bristol and the Big Comfy Bookshop in Coventry.

 

#3. Social media is a powerful tool for almost any profession, and authors are no exception! Reading live means plenty of picture and video opportunities to share on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube, which is great for building a profile and an audience. Check out this story about school tutors, cocaine and gambling….

 

#4. Just as a poem comes to life when performed, a spoken story often takes on new dimensions and meanings when read aloud rather than from a page. This review of a Halloween fiction evening at Brewsmiths says it all. Richard Clay’s use of Black Country accents enhanced his gritty thriller, while Pat Spence dimmed the lights and brought a magic crystal for her chilling supernatural tale.

 

#5. It’s good for your health! Reading aloud has been shown to help with memory and depression, and even dementia. Check out this article from The Scottish Book Trust about authors reading their work at a care home for the elderly and why spoken literature is beneficial to author and audience alike.

 

Have you attended or performed at a live fiction event? I’d love to hear about your experiences – drop me a line on Twitter, Facebook or to aaabbottstories[at]gmail.com.

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I’m a British crime thriller writer. My latest thriller, The Bride’s Trail, is available on Amazon and through bookshops. I love reading short stories and chapters from my thrillers at live fiction events. Please get in touch if you’re planning one!

Great Ghost Stories

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Rumour has it that ghosts walk abroad on Hallowe’en, the night before All Souls Day. While garish Hallowe’en goods have been on sale for months, a good old-fashioned ghost story is surely the best way to mark the unquiet night. Here are a few that will send a shiver down your spine…

The Greatcoat, by Helen Dunmore. Beautifully written like all of Dunmore’s books, unease building gently until the shocking finale.

Oh, Whistle and I’ll Come For You, My Lad, by Wilkie Collins. A classic British Gothic chiller, and available in an anthology of Classic Ghost Stories by other leading Victorian fiction writers like Charles Dickens and the marvellous J Sheridan Le Fanu. Le Fanu wrote Carmella, the first vampire story. and one of the best – it has a fabulous dreamlike quality.

The Little Stranger, by Sarah Waters. Although a supernatural thread runs through the novel, what sets it apart from others is its focus on class tension. A bestseller, and deservedly so.

Edgar Allan Poe is the grandfather of horror, and all his poems and short stories are available on the Kindle for just 99p! The Tell Tale Heart is an exquisite tale – but the stuff of nightmares…

…and from the grandfather of horror to the modern world’s undisputed maestro – Stephen King. The Shining, a story of a haunted hotel, sets hairs on end. The film was awesome too!

Ghost stories are even better when they’re told live in the best campfire tradition. I’ll be joining Twitter’s @TheCultureHour for an evening of ghost and horror stories at Brewsmiths in Birmingham on 26th October – tickets are free and spinechillers guaranteed!

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Although I usually write crime thrillers, I’m taking a break to bring a ghost story along to Brewsmiths! I hope you’ll be there – book your free tickets here.