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Today, I’m revisiting character work and giving my friend Steve his due ;)

After my last episode on nuance and character choices, Steve, who is both a character actor and a dialect coach, pointed out that genre changes the conversation. And he’s right.

I still think subtlety is king. But subtle doesn’t look the same in every book. A cozy mystery, LitRPG, middle grade adventure, thriller, procedural, romantasy, and mafia romance can all ask for different things from a narrator: different levels of contrast, different pacing, and different ways of building tension.

This isn’t a rulebook. Every book and every author are different. But if you can find the emotional truth FIRST and then understand the world that truth is living in you’ll have a much better sense of how far to take a character choice.

Because genre isn’t a cage.

It’s a clue. ;)

Useful resources

• ACX: narration, pacing, and natural character voices
• ACX: casting and collaborating on character and tone
• Audio Publishers Association resources
• ACX performance and production resources

Good Aural is hosted by audiobook narrator and actor Brenda Scott Wlazlo. We talk craft, business, performance, and the weird little things that make an audiobook actually work.

Come hang out. Let’s talk about it.

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 website: Brendascottwlazlo.com

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