David Prete

Off The Page — Readings Coach

Contact David Prete

Photography by John Zibell

Readings Coach

“After working with David for just a half hour, I felt my reading and writing blossom.”

 

“After one session with David Prete, my senior undergraduate creative nonfiction students were reading their work aloud with confidence & animation. In fact, they were finally aware of the notion that giving readings is an art, in some ways like writing, that requires discipline &

dedication.” — Lee Gutkind, award-winning author & Professor of English, University of Pittsburgh  

 

 

"In a single visit to our writers' group, David Prete helped us make remarkable improvements to the way we read aloud. Skillfully and sensitively, he led each of us to performances that were much more compelling and engaging than they'd been before. I would recommend him highly to any writer who wants to wow audiences with the spoken word."

— Annie Murphy Paul, Psychology Today columnist and author of "The Cult of Personality."

Actor, writer and director David Prete teaches authors to bring their

written words to life for live audiences.

Giving public readings is a crucial part of being a writer — regardless of whether you’re a

long-established author, a journalist reading an article, or someone embarking on a first book 

tour.  Readings are a chance to talk with your audience face-to-face, a chance to show them

how good your writing really is.  With more than 150,000 books published every year, readers

are overwhelmed by the options on bookstore shelves — giving a good reading is a great

opportunity for making your book stand out.  

If a reading goes well, audiences will take your book home from the store and ensure it gets

the readership (and sales) it deserves.  But giving readings is an art form that takes training

and practice, though it’s rarely taught.

In just a few sessions, actor, writer and director David Prete helps writers turn their readings

into inspiring experiences for audiences and powerful marketing tools for themselves. He

travels to writing programs and writing groups around the country to give readings 

workshops, coaches beginning and advanced writers at conferences, and offers either group or

one-on-one coaching for writers of any genre and experience-level.   He teaches a graduate

course at The New School in New York City called “The Art of Public Readings.”   

Drawing from a variety of simple techniques, David helps authors:

          *Relax and be present in front of an audience

          *Expand their vocal variation to keep listeners captivated

          *Effectively express the emotional life of their characters and    

            narratives

          *Break habitual speech patterns and let the rhythms of their writing 

            come alive

          *Clarify the meaning of each sentence by choosing operative and  

            inoperative words. 

          *Create a personal connection to the audience, so the listeners 

            don’t feel they’re being read to, but being told a story one-on-one.

 

See student and professor testimonials about Prete’s workshops, and email him for

information on individual or group coaching, classroom visits and more.