We’re finishing up the first six weeks of the school year, and normally I would say I was busy either working on classes or planning or writing my next book. Well, actually, I am working on classes and I AM planning my next book. But that’s not what’s got my attention these days.
I’m taking a class.
Readers have been after me for several years to turn my books into audio books, and tightwad that I am, I figured I wouldn’t do it until I learned how to do it myself. So that’s what I’m doing. Learning how to do it. Myself.
First thing I learned was that going back to school at age 64 isn’t quite the same as it was at age 20. Or 40. Or even 50. I finished my PhD when I was 50, mostly because I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to function much after that age, not having been old before. At first, things came a little harder for me, and I found myself reading the first chapter on audio production four times to grasp the physics they were talking about.
But then I started getting into it. Now I am a couple of weeks ahead of the rest of class, especially since the projects they have us doing are directly related to what I want to learn. I finished up the assignment, and then I started recording some of my own short stories with plans to record them and add music and sound effects. I found out I really enjoyed it, but it takes a lot of time. Here’s my latest endeavor:
It’s 13 minutes long, so listen to it when you have time. I think it’s pretty good, even though I still have a lot to learn. So don’t be afraid to tell me what you think.
My plan is to keep learning and improving. I need to determine how to make them as good as possible with the least possible time invested. I am, after all, a writer, not an audio book person.
The Great Adventure 