How to Prep for Open Mic

Mastering the OPEN MIC Process

Adapted from Geri Spieler’s Essay

That’s right. Step up and take your place.

When we put together two of the scariest things a writer can do, we would expect to be nervous, right? And yet, writers in clubs, in bookstores, on the radio and on television everywhere face the double-headed monster of public speaking and presentation of their writing, their “children”, for others to hear and judge.

How do you get ready for such an ordeal? In what I like to call its basic, or practice form, the “Open Mic” session, as it is done in the Fremont Area Writers Club, is your chance to present your work to a small, safe audience of writers like yourself.

Wait! You say. I’m a writer, not an actor. I’m not a performer.

Scary or not, public speaking is a large part of the life of a successful writer. You do want to be successful, don’t you? Once you’ve sold your breakthrough novel, had your short-story optioned for a film, or published an award-winning poem or book of them, you have become a celebrity.

Both Alexandre Dumas and Oscar Wilde vie for the quote, “nothing succeeds like success”. But, whoever said it, public speaking is the thing that will push your brilliant writing to the next level. Being confident in front of a crowd, difficult at first, is a skill worth cultivating.

The Open Mic is your opportunity to practice that skill.

Let’s look at some of the Tips, Tricks and Techniques for reading and discussing your work in public.

Step One: Choosing your material.

If there is a really wonderful part of your initial experiences with Open Mic, it is this: Youget to choose what you will read.

At an FAW Open Mic Night the reader is given up to 10 minutes for their presentation. Planning your reading so it falls within the allotted time is a good idea. Occasionally a reader will be allowed to go beyond time, but you should not count on that.

Look through your existing work to find something that:

1. Positively represents you and your writing
2. Lends itself to being read aloud
3. Would not exceed the posted time limit.

Long, complex pieces which require prior knowledge for the audience to understand may not be the best choice. Although you will be able to introduce the piece you’ve chosen to read–a sort of verbal prologue–I recommend something that can stand-alone without a lot of explanation.

Keep in mind that your choice of material should be something that you will not stumble over. Neither you nor your reader should come away from the experience uncomfortable or confused.

Step two: Prepping your material

While some presenters at an Open Mic session read from their published books, laptops or netbooks, most by far use a printed page. There is an excellent reason for this, even if you are reading published material. You control the page.

Start by printing out a copy of the poem, short story, chapter, or excerpt you intend to read. Use a larger font–I use 14 pt., you may want to go even bigger–and double space the document. Even if you’ve done this before, you’ll find that turning your manuscript into something “script-like” will make the task easier, less prone to error.

Read your work aloud, and notice where you stumble. Keep in mind that anything that catches you up when you are reading privately is likely to be even more problematic when you are standing in front of a group.

If after the second or third read you still have places that give you problems, go back to your computer and use a BOLD FONT on just those sections. Later, as you read, you’ll see the bold sections coming up and you’ll be able to narrow your attention, and smooth out the rough spots.

Finally, consider actually rewriting certain parts of your presentation. Changing a word here or there, simplifying a complex sentence, using shorter words in action scenes, all help transform something designed to be read into something to be spoken aloud.

Step Three: Polish and Rehearse

Your document is now printed and ready. It’s time to start rehearsing.

Did you say rehearse? Yes. This is a performance. This is your way to encourage readers and sell yourself as an author. You need to rehearse, you need to be ready.

Special Note: Be sure your pages are Numbered and NOT STAPLED together.

Read through your document–aloud!–paying close attention to the BOLD sections. When you see BOLD text coming up, be prepared to narrow your concentration and read carefully. Your listeners will not know you’ve shifted focus. They will just hear another smoothly delivered sentence.

Now, as you read this aloud listen for places where you speed up or where you drag a bit. Listen for places where a change in intonation would make the piece more interesting or pleasing to the ear. If you find such a place, STOP READING and make notes to speed up, slow down, pause for effect, and so forth, on the pages immediately. Do not assume you will remember the issues later.

When I do this, I often go through 3 or 4 versions of the document, scanned, fixed and reprinted each time, so each new reading is with a clean copy. This gives me experience seeing the page as it will be (or will nearly be) on the night of the Open Mic.

If you are comfortable with shifting tone or even doing different voices when reading dialogue, your audience will love it. But THEY DON”T EXPECT IT. So don’t push yourself, especially in your first several Open Mic sessions. Get comfortable with standing, with the microphone, and with the group before you get too fancy.

While you’re rehearsing, be sure to practice changing pages quietly, and without too much lag between sheets. Make sure the page numbers are large, and in the same place on each page.

Step Four: Yet MORE Rehearsal

Having read your script through several times, having polished and tweaked, you’re ready for the fine-tuning of your performance.

It’s time to recruit a live listener to help in this process. Cats, dogs, birds rabbits and gerbils don’t count. You need a human being to sit and listen. You need to get some feedback, see the reaction, and more importantly, learn to make eye-contact with your audience.

Up to this point the process has been mechanical, easy to see, easy to do. Now, as they say, the rubber meets the road.

Have your volunteer sit about as far away from you as the audience will at the Open Mic session. Oh, and be prepared to lean on the good nature of your friend for at least three read-throughs.

Standing comfortably, and taking care not to sway or walk in place (believe me, that happens), go through your piece the first time. Smile as you read (you may need to practice that part in front of a mirror).

Be sure to look up at your “audience”–at different places in the room–3 or 4 times each page. Keep in mind that you’re reading to your audience, not at them. You must connect with them.

Have your friend time you as you read, and give you a signal as you approach the time limit. If you have edited carefully during your private practice sessions, you’ll have the timing down pretty well. In most cases the person “MCing” the Open Mic will watch carefully and give a signal as you approach the end of your time.

At the end of each practice run with your friend, drill down for more in the way of response than “cool”, or “that was good”. Be sure to ask how you looked. Was your posture OK? Was your voice even and interesting. Did you look around the room often enough. Did you speak clearly. The more of these notions you deal with in rehearsal, the better you will be at show time.

Step Five: Time for the Show!

You’ve done your homework. You’ve tailored your presentation, and you’ve rehearsed. Those places where your tongue naturally tripped have been changed. You’re timing is accurate, and you’re ready to start.

Wait a minute. With all of this preparation, why am I so nervous?

Oh, yeah. That. Let’s put this into perspective. You’re in the room at Open Mic Night, waiting your turn. That in itself makes all the difference in the world. Most people, and this includes most of the people you know personally, would never have taken the first step on this nerve-wracking road. You did. You decided that learning to read your own work to a group of people was the thing to do. Then you took the time to get advice, to learn some tricks, and to practice.

Most people would be terrified to do what is only making you nervous. Oh, and here’s an actor’s trick: feel the nervousness. Let it soak in. Then, redirect that jittery feeling into the energy to deliver your speech in a powerful way.

Realize right up front that going as far as you have puts you in a very special class of people. You, who are willing to stand up, take a chance, face embarrassment and bare your soul to a room full of people, have gone where very few venture.

Now, as you “wait in the wings” so to speak, allow me to offer one last little bit of encouragement. The rest of the people in the room are waiting their turn to stand and deliver as well. And they’re nervous, too. But, get this, the chances are they did not rehearse, they did not prepare.

You’re gonna shine!