Are you a writer who studied acting? Learned vocal techniques that enhance projection, enunciation, and relaxation? Have you practiced dance or movement? Become an experienced public speaker? Any of these skills can translate into a revenue stream for writers.

Twenty-five years ago, in New York City, I enrolled in acting school. One of my reasons was to become a better writer. Acting is noted for engaging sensory detail, a necessity for writers. As my stories became richer, I took other performance-related classes, including voice, movement, and improvisation. All these techniques resulted in strengthening my reading aloud skills—and most writers at some point have to read their work aloud, be it to try out a chapter or to sell books. Reading aloud is also a great proofreading tool. In time, my public readings were noticed by prospective publishers.

Fast forward ten years. I’m living in Taos, NM with one memoir published, a second one in the works, and various acting roles under my belt. I’m asked to teach “Theater Games” classes as a vehicle to explore and enhance creativity. At the fourth class, Judith, a schoolteacher, asked if she could bring a selection from a children’s book she was writing “so that the class could riff off it.” Great idea, I said, and the following week Judith brought in her “script,” characters from Shakespeare plays written as kids and infants. No one had read the text beforehand. As per my suggestions, the students first performed it seriously, then boisterously, then standing in place like statues. Each game revealed something new in Judith’s writing: nuances of meaning and intent, the role of gesture.

That “Aha!” moment led me to start a “Speak Your Writing to Life” workshop for writers of all genres to hone their craft through playful experimentation: Having them read their story as if to a therapist, start a poem with the words, “Once upon a time…” Tell their story while jogging. The workshop also offered tips on giving a good public reading. Have you timed your selection? Picked the right material? Remembered to bring your reading glasses?

My workshops grew popular and are now a regular source of income, including private instruction for authors preparing a book launch. I teach at the annual Taos Writers Conference and the Tupelo Press Poetry Conferences held in Truchas, NM in May and October, helping poets working on a manuscript. Many gigs have come from referrals: An Artist-in-Residency job at a local elementary school, teaching third graders to use their imaginations to make reading and writing fun; a workshop for the Diné Emerging Writers Conference organized by the Navajo Women’s Commission. I successfully pitched a workshop to the Gemini Ink Writing Conference in San Antonio, TX. Interestingly, at a panel there on Publishing and Marketing, one of the authors related how her strong public reading resulted in her novel being published. “The managing editor of the press just happened to be in the audience!” she exclaimed.

So, again, if you’re a writer with some performance-related talent, you can parley that into earning extra income. Are you a teacher or parent that enjoys play-acting while telling stories to kids? That’s a marketable performance skill also. If none of the above applies to you, consider taking an acting or improvisation class. Hone that skill as you hone your writing. Or just let a class or two activate your imagination and connect with your entire mind, body and soul.

Reading aloud is a vital component of a writer’s life. Why not have it pay?

BIO: David Perez is a writer, editor, actor, radio host, and author of two memoirs: WOW! (2011) and WOW! 2 (2016).  His “Speak Your Writing to Life” and “Theater Games” workshops have drawn people from all walks of life: from writers and visual artists to docents and physicians. David’s acting roles range from Othello to Santa Claus. He lives in Taos, New Mexico. David can be reached through his website: http://www.verdadcreative.com/

Acting Photo – Photo by Kyle Head on Unsplash