Dervla McTiernan

There are books that I enjoy in audiobook that I might not enjoy in paperback and vice versa.

So I kind of do a bit of both.

I do because I think it's, you know, look, every time you come back to redraft a book, it's hard.

You're reading words you've read a hundred times already.

You're going through the draft again and again.

And it just brings another dimension.

I walk around in a little room just outside my study with the manuscript and I read it aloud and I'm finding awkward notes, unnecessary explanations, you know, parts where the pace maybe sags.

And I might, this might be draft seven or eight, but I haven't heard it until I hear it aloud.

I think so.

I think I'm more aware of the rhythm of the words and the fact that I always want to feel like a storyteller anyway.

I want to sort of say, come here, lean in, I've got something to tell you.

You know, that's how I wanted to feel when I'm writing a novel.

And if I think about someone listening to it in audio, I can think about that.

I've written a few Audible exclusives for Audible over the years as well.

And when I'm writing those, because they're specifically only for audiobook,

I change it even further.

So I reduce the attributions, you know, the he said, she said's become less necessary.

And also when I'm trying to find discrete or subtle ways to let you know how a character is feeling, some of that is not needed.

I can take it out and put it in parentheticals or square brackets for the narrator to let her know how the character is feeling and she can express that in the performance.

So it's not bringing it into radio play territory, but it's giving it maybe a little flavor.