Jake Whalley

I love my Voice Over work and particularly my romance narration.  Being a true romantic I have always enjoyed reading these gloriously engrossing books. Having been lucky enough to find my own Happy Ever After I also know that despite them being works of dreamy fiction they can be a reality. As well as entertaining us they provide us with escapism, fantasy and some passionate stimulations. They don’t just pass the time they touch our hearts and souls and remind us of our beautiful humanity and our capacity for love and sensuality.  And in that respect I’ve certainly learnt a thing or two from them ;) which my partner has been delighted to explore with me! 

I love the first read of a novel I am going to narrate.  Seeing the plot unfold through twists and turns and surprises and gradually the characters reveal themselves in all their humanity. Some character voices burst forth immediately desperate to be heard whilst others take time and need to be nurtured. And always in the back of my mind are the practical questions - How will the voices sit beside each other? Will they give the listener a clear image of the character? Will they clearly tell the story the writer has written? Once that first read is over I sit and relish the satisfaction of a story well told.

Then the real work begins! Prepping the book, re-reading it, clarifying character choices, honing down the voices, marking up the text.  All this before I can start to record and the part I love the most, narrating. Finally I am locked in my booth and it’s time for my heart to soar, for my emotions to feed the dialogue and the words to be brought to life. It really is a magical time. 

I tend to record in the afternoon as my voice is more alive and then the next morning I edit what I have recorded. I take regular breaks and try to get outside in the fresh air, often to play with our three dogs or if I have been struggling with a section I take a longer walk with the dogs down our fields to see the horses. The animals ground me and usually by the time I’m back in the studio my head is clear and any creative problems resolved. We are so blessed to live out in the country, able to be at one with nature plus it’s quiet for my recording! 

My journey so far with audio books has been short and I’m a pup in this genre of audio narration but I look forward hugely to developing my portfolio and polishing my technique as I narrate more and more. I relish the opportunity to bring more romance and sensuality into your lives.