A Cast of In My Head Actors

As I continue down my humble journey of voiceover and narration, I'm discovering that I sometimes to use some voices over again. But to me, they seem to be like actors in my head with their own personalities. For instance, I noticed in one of my first book narrations, "Forneus Corson", the "actor" that played "Artie, Steve's agent" is now a tough owner of the Blue Aster, a high class entertainment venue in 1940's NYC. They are very different characters, but the same voices filtered through their circumstance.

I have other voices that walk on different books too.  Some that only had supporting roles are the leads, and vice versa.   Perhaps it is part of my illustration background, but I can see these people. I increasingly know how tall they are, the color of their eyes, their age, how they are wearing their hair for the parts I play. 

I know that the "actor" who played Artie isn't handsome, but he's an actor who's done hundreds of character parts, and is well respected amongst his peers. Other characters may have been action heroes, but are now coming into their own as versatile actors now that they are ensconced in middle age. Some of the women may have been classically trained in theater, others are just human eye candy. The little boy I may play is an acting prodigy. He comes from a home though that is cold and unloving.

Voiceover keeps giving back to me in other ways too. I actually want to illustrate these characters, and goodness knows, if I ever get the time, to set chapters to music and sound effects. Someday I think, when I get pockets of time, I'll do this, even if for myself. 

I have a tendency to fall in love with the characters I act, be they ones I create, or ones that have been created for me by the authors. I love them all, I feel for them.  The heroes, villains and all those in between.

As my experience and confidence has grown, I really believe that what I have been doing all these previous years has led to this. The art, the non-art, just living has forged me into something that can give and do these characters that the authors have entrusted me justice.  If a character cries in a book, I cry too, genuinely.  Because living on this planet, if one pays attention has known great amounts of love, joy and loss.  When I channel these emotions into the characters I play, some slice of me goes into them, and I can feel them, and I become a part of them, and they me.

Over time, I look forward to working with these "actors" in my mind.  Be it in reprisals in sequels, or in new roles.  I really look at them in my mind's eye, and want to see what they can do. Yes, the character that sounds a bit like Clint Eastwood, he's played a secret agent, but can he play a half-drunk investigative reporter? Can he play a timid man from Iowa? Can the woman I voiced, who was the sweet love interest in one book, can she also play a stern ice goddess from the frozen north? Yes, she can speak in standard north american accent, but she also now has to speak with a thick Russian one. The list goes on and on. I'm really excited for them.

​I'm not just their voice, I'm also a gushing fan. 

Now, if you'll excuse me, I'll have to indulge in my happy realm of latent schizophrenia. I hope you'll continue to listen in.