The next Blenz Reading is coming up on Friday, February 9 (you're invited, of course), and this time, we've got some first-time readers from the 2007 class of SFU's The Writer's Studio participating. I remember some advice I was given when I first started giving literary readings that helped me tremendously: record yourself. I attach a microphone to my computer and read into it. Not only do I get practice reading my piece, I also get a pretty accurate estimate of how long a particular story is going to take (which can be important if you're given a time limit). After recording, I play it back and listen. I hear where I should be speeding up, where I should be slowing down, where I should be pausing for effect, and where I should be emphasizing a given passage. All in all, excellent advice for literary readers.