
Interview with narrator: Sarah Edwards
This month, I caught up with my amazing narrator for the Omensford series; Sarah Edwards to get her take on Fiona and the gang and how she became a narrator. Read on to find out more.
Hi Sarah, Thank you so much for narrating Bedsocks and Broomsticks. You did an amazing job with the cast of characters. What drew you to the project?
Thank you for the lovely compliments! I love a good murder mystery, and I’m a fan of all things supernatural so the two combined was a match made in heaven for me! Plus the characters were so beautifully written that I was sold as soon as I read the first few lines.
I’m so glad you enjoyed them, I had such fun writing these books and when I heard your audition, I knew you were the perfect choice to bring the series to life. Why did you decide to become a book narrator / voice actor?
Like a lot of people my usual way of working was paused during the pandemic, so I decided to try to use my training in a slightly different way. I set up my home studio and began narrating. I trained as an actor and have always loved reading stories so the two things just seemed to merge.
Sounds like it was meant to be. You have a gorgeous voice, did you have to do any special training to become a voice actor?
Thank you! I went to drama school for 3 years to train to be a professional actor, and I’ve spent hours learning how to edit and master audio files. There’s still a lot more to learn so it never ends!
I bet! What’s the first thing you do when you start an audiobook?
I read the book all the way through, making notes on each character and important moments in the story. Then I rehearse the first few chapters so that I’m prepared when I come to start recording.
That preparation really comes across in your work. What tips do you have for would-be narrators?
Train, train, and train some more! I’d always recommend drama school to anyone wanting to be a narrator because it has everything you’ll need; acting, breath and voice control, diction, microphone technique, sight reading, and how to interpret the clues in a script to create believable characters. Narrating involves long hours of preparation and concentration so you need focus and stamina. I’d also suggest taking courses in audio mastering because many of us do that ourselves. Narrating and producing is often a lot more complex than many people think.
Wow – that’s a lot to think about. I bet it’s easier when you’re really enjoying the story you’re narrating. What’s your favourite genre to narrate and why?
I don’t really have a favourite genre to be honest, just anything with a gripping story and characters who leap off the page at you, because it’s so much fun to bring them to life! As I say, I particularly enjoy anything with a supernatural slant though so if I had to pick just one I’d say that’s it.
I agree, supernatural or fantasy stories are the best (not that I’m biased!). Have you ever had any unusual requests for narration?
I once had to create a voice for an alien character in a book who was described as looking and sounding like a Walrus… so that was interesting!
Wow! I wouldn’t even know where to start with that! Where can people find more of your work?
I’ve narrated lots of titles which people can find on Audible and if you enjoy Bedsocks and Broomsticks then keep an eye out for the book 2 of the series Cream Teas and Crystal Balls because I’m thrilled to announce I’ll be narrating that too! [GC: Woohoo!]
If you want to hear Sarah in action, check out the Bedsocks and Broomsticks audiobook.
