I’ve published thousands of words but never read them aloud. Short story writers don’t get as many opportunities as novelists do to do public readings. So when my local library announced an open mic night, I decided to participate. I figured it would be a low-stakes way to dip a toe into sharing my work with a live audience.
The event was hosted by a woman
who teaches writing classes at the library, and many of the participants were
her students. Others, like me, were simply local authors eager to share their
work. More than one said it was their first reading. Whatever path led us there,
we each got seven minutes at the microphone.
I signed up with no worries about
that time limit. How long could it take to read a short story out loud? As it turns
out, more than seven minutes. Even my shortest published story took longer than
that to read. I eventually turned to an unpublished piece that was languishing
on my laptop. With some diligent editing, I managed to get it down within the
allotted timeframe. Barely.
The timing was less of a
challenge for the poets in the group. The first person at the mic had plenty of
time for a dramatic reading of his poem, switching accents and pacing the
stage. One writer lingered over her marvelous imagery, while another paused to emphasize
the passion she felt for the themes in her work.
I’m happy to say that my reading
did not exceed seven minutes. Maybe next time I will have a different time
limit. Maybe I’ll read an excerpt of a longer piece. Maybe I’ll start writing
flash fiction. Whatever the circumstances turn out to be, I’m ready for another
turn at the mic.
What do you enjoy about readings,
as either an author or an audience member?
