Why I haven't used Substack's Audio/Video features (yet...)?
An honest conversation with myself (and you)
Buried within that conversation was a blanket question to many of us Substack users whose creative endeavors are predominantly fiction: Why aren’t we using the Substack tools (namely audio/video) that are so easily and readily at our disposal? Especially, those of us who write micro fiction. The very art and purpose of micro fiction is to write stories that are very very short short. And with vertical videos being the “in thing” it stands to reason we (ie me) should be recording ourselves reading our work and then sharing it wherever, right?
To answer this question I have to take you back to Erica 1.2. This Erica of about 8+ years ago discovered Twitch and the art of Live streaming. When she discovered it she went all in. I mean, she would get home from work, eat dinner, and then from about 6pm to midnight, five days a week, she was Live streaming. The weekends would be 12hr streams! Not kidding! She did this for about 3 - 4 years with several burnouts along the way.
Now, if you’ve ever done Live streaming, even for an hour or two once a week, you know the amount of energy it takes. Whether there’s one person in the room or hundreds, the level of “on” you have to be in order to do it is…a lot!
I mention this because, you’d think, coming from that world of Live streaming for several hours with a room full of people, recording myself reading my own stories should be a walk in the park, right? Well, not so much…
Let me go back to Erica 2.1 again real quick. That Erica was writing on stream. No surprise there. And while I had countless hours of conversation with fellow writers who would drop in on my Live stream, never did I ever read my own work aloud during those streams! Weird! I know! But I didn’t. Even as I sit here writing this to you, I feel like this can’t be true. I must’ve at some point even, read aloud whatever it was I was writing while on stream. And perhaps I did and the memory just isn’t there? But from my own recollection, I never did that. I always just typed the story and had casual conversations with viewers.
Okay, so, back to the present day Erica. For the sake of discussion, let’s call her, Erica 3.0? Sure, why not! Erica 3.0 hasn’t Live streamed in years. This is mostly due to lack of time and lack of discipline. It takes both to Live stream. Not only that, but I’ve actually tried to do the very thing that John practically double-dog dared all of us fiction writers to do: I recorded myself reading my 100 word stories. There are even a few (maybe 2 or 3) out in the wild where I recorded the audio and attached it to the story. Don’t ask me which one’s I did that to! I honestly don’t remember!
The thought of recording myself reading my own work makes me feel all icky inside! Maybe it’s a mental thing? I don’t know. All I know is, ask me to stream Live on Twitch and I’m there. Sign me up! Ask me to record myself reading something, whether it’s my work or someone else’s, and I’m the worst impression of a zombie you ever saw/heard! I’m baffled by it myself!
I watch TONS, thousands, of hours of YouTube videos from tech enthusiasts, to authortubers, to illustrators, and more! I would love nothing more than to have even 1/10th the amount of “whatever it is that they have” in order to record myself reading my own work. But for some reason I just don’t have…THAT…whatever that is. If you know, or have some to spare/share, please do!
On a less personal, and all about me, note: I know it’s cliche to say this but I think it’s true (for the most part), but writers, especially fiction writers, are shy and introverted. Now, if my close friends and family were to read this they would think I’m nuts and probably call me a liar! Am I outgoing and outspoken? Yes, but only under certain conditions and circumstances. And those conditions and those circumstances aren’t happening when it comes to sitting in front of a camera and pressing the record button. If I’m in a room full of people or if I’m just doing a one-on-one conversation (such as my podcast,
with ) then I’m animated and the comedian in the room.But, again, ask me to read something off the screen and I freeze up for some reason. The nerves start to kick in and the energy I have when I read my own work in my head just doesn’t translate to the screen or the audio.
Now, none of this is to say, “I’m never going to at least try again.” Oh, trust me, I intend to try again! The only way, and I know this to be true because even my earliest days of Streaming I was a clam shell, to get better is to just keep doing it. And I want to get better at it. It’s a skill others have in spades and I want to have this skill!
No one more than me understands the cost benefit to incorporating audio/visual content into my already high volume creative output. There are people who are more audio and visual learners/listeners and prefer to get their content that way. I am limiting myself by not at least attempting new outlets and avenues.
I am thankful to John for posing the question honestly and I hope my answer, though long winded, is a call for others to step up to the podium and answer the question as well! I’d love to hear your thoughts on taking your story and introducing it to other mediums?
I know there are many of you amazing orators out there who are already turning your serials and stories into audio versions! I tip my hat to you. And maybe you can offer up some words of encouragement or advice to the rest of us who would like to give it a try?
Before the year is out I hope to be reading and recording my 100 word stories. In my head, I have such great plans and ideas, not just for them but for my other stories as well. Ideas that go beyond the normal concept of reading the words on the page and that’s it. But that is a story for another day.
So, who is with me? Shall we set a goal together to record ourselves (whether audio, video, or both) reading our work and then sharing it? Even if it’s just on Notes to get our feet wet. I hear Notes is a pretty awesome place for members of the fiction community to hang out! :wink wink:
I used audio on a few of my first serial episodes, but I stopped because it was hard to get through 6-8 minutes of text without making a mistake. Later I got audio software to slice the good parts together, but I don't like the sound of my voice. So now I am looking for someone else to read it 🤪
Hey Erica, thanks for providing such a well-thought out answer. Obviously, everyone has to do what’s right for themselves. I just feel like there may be an opportunity here that may lead to increased visibility. It feels like the microfiction movement is uniquely positioned to really leverage this simply by virtue of the length of your stories, but again, if you’’re not comfortable doing it, then that’s the answer. I hope someone does step up and seize this chance.