Reading by Deb: NARRATOR INTERVIEW with LUCINDA GAINEY

I want to thank Lucinda Gainey for taking the time for this interview!

BIO:

Lucinda recorded her first audiobook in 1965 at the ripe old age of nine. That Christmas she received a reel-to-reel tape recording and a copy of Edgar Allen Poe’s short stories. She spent the rest of her vacation recording (and re-recording) The Tell-Tale Hear—complete with sound effects.

She is a classically trained actress with a passion for books and for giving voice to the ideas, images, and characters that fill them. She earned a BFA (with Honors) from Carnegie-Mellon University in Drama (Acting Emphasis) and continues her stage training by studying with Shakespeare & Company.

She has recorded over 30 audiobooks. She has greatly enjoyed telling stories of Historical Fiction, small-town Romance, Thrillers, and Paranormal Romance with Amish vampires.

How did you get into narrating books?

My background and training is for the stage. I got into voice acting when I needed a job that would allow me to work from home. I signed onto one of the online sites thinking there might be data entry or something similar and found they were looking for voice actors too. Given my experience as a stage actor I thought, well, certainly I can do that. It wasn’t easy as I thought it would be.
I didn’t get into audiobook narration until ACX got started and it became possible to connect with authors online and to produce audiobooks in your own home studio. I’ve always loved reading and reading out loud so being able to tell these stories and play all the characters was something of a dream come true.

What genres of books do you narrate? And why is this your preference?

In the beginning I was narrating mostly mystery/thrillers. Currently, I seem to be doing mostly Romance but I am still working the authors writing mystery/thrillers and some historical fiction. When I have a chance I want to take on narrating some classical fiction that’s in the public domain.
One of the things I like most about Romance is there’s always a happy ending.

How many books have you narrated?

36

Are you able to read the books in advance to get their personalities? And how long do you have to prepare?

I always read the book before I start recording. Ideally I like to read it twice: once to get the overall sense of the story and then to take note of the things that are important to tell the story and portray the different characters.

Do you do anything special to get into character when you are narrating?

I take some time to remember who I am as the narrator, who I’m talking to, and why it is important for me to tell the story.

When switching from character to character in dialogue, I find I use different things to switch. Sometimes a gesture or a change in posture.

Do you narrate in different dialects? If so, what do you find to be your best research tool for accents?

I have done a number of different dialects over the years. I have self-study courses from Accent Help by Jim Johnson and Accents & Dialects by Paul Meier.

The IDEA (International Dialects of English Archive) website is where I go to listen to real people.

Tell me something about yourself outside of narrating. Jobs, accomplishments, family, quirky trait...what led to you being you?

I am a long-time role-player and board gamer (and video gamer as well). We played a lot of D&D and other games with our kids as they were growing up. I taught Drama to elementary school students for a few years. I have been involved in theatre throughout my life as an adult: as an actor, stage hand, voice coach, stage manager, and director.
I had two children (who are now adults) and my husband and I acquired a couple more adult children who were in difficult home situations. Our family currently consists of 5 adults and 4 cats.

Who have you partnered with in narrating?

I have only done one dual narration book. My partner was Thomas Bestwick.

When you narrate a book, do you narrate with your book partner or do they record separately?

We recorded our chapters separately.

Can you take us through your typical day at work? I would guess that you are in a sound studio. How does that work?

I start with a 5-10 minute mindfulness meditation. I do some physical stretching to release tension. I go into the booth (I have a Studiobricks One Plus soundbooth) and do a 15-20 minute vocal warm-up.

I’m Linklater trained and adapted the warm-up I use for stage to fit the confines of the booth. I spend another 15-20 minutes re-narrating the last few pages I narrated the day before. This helps me focus and get into the world of the story I’m telling.

I start recording and continue for about 3 hours with a couple of short breaks. I take a lunch break of about an hour and then it’s back in the booth to either continue recording or to start editing what I’ve previously recorded.

How long does it typically take to narrate a novel?

It depends on the book. It usually takes me about 2-3 hours to record 1 finished hour of audio.

What advice would you give to an aspiring narrator?

Get training and coaching.

Take an acting class if you haven’t any experience as an actor.

Seek out professional engineers for advice on how to set up your space for recording.

How do you deal and process negative reviews?

After years in the theatre, I’ve learned that some people are going to love your performance and some people are going to hate it. I took a bit of wise advise from one of my coaches, “Not everybody is going to like the way I narrate so I’m going to narrate for the ones that do.”

Sometimes the negative reviews are just funny. Recently I had one that complained that the protagonist was 23 and I was “ancient.”

What do you need to keep you focused?

Silence and solitude. My booth is really very quiet and when I’m in there I can pretty much block out the real world and focus on the imaginary world of the story I’m telling.

What is the most difficult part of narrating?

Staying energized and involved through the long sessions.

Narrating audiobooks is a marathon and it is sometimes a struggle to stay focused and on top of your game.

If you could spend a day with a popular author, whom would you choose? And why?

Lois McMaster Bujold. I love her writing, her characters, and especially the fantasy world she created.

Is there an author that you would love to narrate for?

Lois McMaster Bujold for all the above reasons.

What is your kryptonite as a narrator? What totally puts you off your game?

Any word that ends in ‘asped’ or ‘asps.’ I always stumbled over it.

Is there such a thing as a narrator’s blooper reel?

There could be if I didn’t use Punch and Roll. Then folks could hear me mangle the same phrase over and over again.

Do you have a hard time keeping a straight face when you read? If so, what sets you off?

Keeping a straight face isn’t difficult.

The hard part for me is when I reach a point in the story that makes me cry. Romance novels always have one or two places there that happens. Sometimes it gets me hard enough that I have to take a break before having another go at it.

How do you keep your game face (voice lol)?