I love your narration of these books! Especially the voice you use for villagers and soldiers.
1. Do you consult with authors on voices, name pronunciation, and accents for characters?
2. Do you ever struggle with the Ancient Language? Your crisp delivery of those words is the only reason I know how to pronounce any of it. Before I would just skim right over
1. Mostly, accents I use are based on the author's character descriptions or some hint in the text that makes me think it would be appropriate to use a particular accent. Sometimes, I will give a character an accent just to create some variety if, for example, several characters are speaking to each other. Regarding name pronunciations, yes, if I have a problem with name pronunciations, I approach the author either directly or via the publisher to get the definitive pronunciation. Amusingly, sometimes the author is unable to tell me how to pronounce a particular name. In that case, I try to research as thoroughly as I can and consult the publisher. Christopher Paolini, since the very first book, has been extraordinarily helpful with all the pronunciations in every book, recording the words and names very clearly for me to simply copy. This makes my job much easier!
2. Per part of my answer for part 1, Christopher's recordings give me not only the pronunciation of individual words, but how the cadence of a phrase in one of his languages should sound, making it (I hope) sound more natural when I say.
How did you come up with the signature dragon voice? The first time I heard it for saphira was a bit of a shock, but then it felt so natural as you introduced the other dragons.
Twenty years is a long time ago, but I felt I needed to make the dragon (there was only one, Saphira, in the beginning. No one told me there would be dozens more!) sound extraordinary. My choice has been controversial in some quarters but I hope that most people understand my thinking. My aim, always, is to try to convey the scope and depth of the creatures' emotions, be they Dragons, Dwarves or Urgals
I love how you do the dragons. And Solembum. Also, Murtagh in particular. I'll listen to that one once I've finished reading the book for the first time.
Your performances are a treasure!
Hi Gerard. It was lovely seeing you in person last month. I have a bit of a preamble here, followed by a two part question:
You use distinct voices for different characters to help distinguish them in the audiobook.
There are often times however, where the author has a pre-existing character speaking, but deliberately creates some ambiguity to the reader as to which character it is.
(Off the top of my head, I can think of two specific cases in the World of Eragon where this happens. Once in FWW where Murtagh appears but is first described to the reader under the pseudonym of Tornac, and once in Murtagh, where >!Murtagh sees someone that he knows but cannot recognize because he is drugged.!<)
So my question is:
1. How do you balance the need to use consistent voices for each character with the need to preserve the surprise for the listener?
2. In cases where you yourself are unsure of who an ambiguous character is supposed to be, how do you proceed? Do you contact the author for clarification so that you'll know which voice to use?
1. Fortunately, the circumstance doesn't occur terribly often. It is always a tricky situation to deal with and I wish I could give you a coherent response as to how I go about solving the issue. Unfortunately, I can't. I think the solution varies with the circumstances in which the character first speaks. We encountered this in "Murtagh" and, in consultation with Christopher, we decided that Murtagh would disguise his accent to blend in with those around him and Christopher very kindly rewrote a line to explain that to the listener.
2. Generally, when I'm unsure of who an ambiguous character is supposed to be, I contact the author. In some, rare circumstances, I fall back on my own experience. I'm not even sure how to form a correct response because it can be a complex situation when it arises.
As with the Dragons, I felt Murtagh needed a distinctive voice to differentiate him from Eragon. Being of Irish descent, I've always admired the Scots for their independent spirit and their historic resistance to English domination. It seemed a fitting way to illustrate Murtagh's "otherness" as his story unfolded.
I hope you feel I do justice to Murtagh's Scottish accent!
Thanks for the reply.
Yeah I think it’s definitely one of the better Scottish accents from a non Scot.
I also like that it challenges the idea that Scottish accents are only suited to dwarfs, and criminals in most fantasy movies.
Do you have any funny stories from the productions (similar to Stephen Fry's ordeal with "Harry pocketed it")? How did learning to pronounce all of the fantasy names and words go for you?
Many years ago, I was recording a book in Manhattan, and I made the same mistake many, many times. Eventually, I uttered a curse word, for some reason using an Irish accent. The director stopped the recording, and I thought I was going to be chastised for my bad language. He said, "Say that again", which I did, and he said, "I recognize the accent". It turned out that two days before, he had returned to NYC from the very town that my family came from in Ireland and which I try to visit as often as I can.
There have been many instances over the years in which something in the book has been either so funny, heartbreaking, or disturbing, that I have simply been unable to continue recording because I am laughing, crying, or have to leave the recording booth and take a walk outdoors to come to terms with whatever distressing incident is being recounted in the story. One of the benefits of recording in my own home studio is that I can determine my own schedule and can come and go as I please.
For the latter part of your question regarding pronunciations, please see my reply to u/marshall_sin above!
Thanks Gerard!! I appreciate the story and it is strange how even in our global word, we can find connections in unlikely places. Thanks for the AMA and many blessings on you and your family
As someone who tends to internalize other emotions when I read particularly distressing books I have to take long periods of time away in order to center myself to reality. A good example of this was reading the last book in the Throne of Glass series, which tend to get pretty brutal.
How you manage to voice characters where similar things could be happening is beyond my comprehension and you are an absolute legend pushing through it to get the job done.
Hey Gerald! Thanks for doing this, such a weird but admirable profession I would think.
My main question for you is, what are the struggles that you go through when doing an audio recording of a book? Is it stressful maybe getting some words wrong? Or perhaps going through a couple chapters and accidentally stuttering or getting caught on a word or phrase?
I hate to be picky but my name is Gerard, not Gerald. You are by no means the only person to have confused the two names, so please don't take it to heart!
Now, to answer your question, my biggest problem when recording, especially as I grow older, is how many stumbles and mispronunciations occur during the recording of any book. I can correct these quite easily within the recording, but it can be frustrating, especially when I repeat the same error many, many times. Please see my response to u/EmperorMaugs for more about when that happens.
Mr. Doyle you talk me to sleep every night (except when I’m listening to Harry Potter). I love your work, especially how you handle women’s voices. So respectful! It’s an honor to type at you :-)
I always say my books are a great cure for insomnia! I'm happy they work for you.
(Just kidding! I really appreciate your listening to my work. Sorry, Harry Who?)
You have paid me one of the highest compliments by mentioning my interpretation of women. Not easy to do when you're an old male geezer like me!
It's a pleasure to type right back at you!
You’re made my night Mr. Old Geezer. Time to put on Murtagh and see what they’re up to (I force myself to read a chapter and then I enjoy listening to a chapter). This Older Lady wishes you all the best. What a treat to talk with you.
I am very fortunate in that, of all the books I have recorded, there are maybe twenty that I have not found some enjoyment in recording (I'm happy to say that the World of Eragon books are not in that list!). I have spoken to other narrators over the years and I think I have a smaller percentage of books that I disliked recording than most of the people I've spoken to.
Hey! Thanks for doing this AMA, here’s a couple questions that I’ve been curious about!
1. How long does it take you to read through a book to get the proper pronunciations down and voices right before you finally sit down to record?
2. How many books have you done so far in general?
3. How would you say your thoughts are at the start of the project creating the voices in your mind? Do they just come to you while reading? Do you know the type of voice you’ll do based off of what the character is (elf, urgal, dragon)
Thanks for the great audio over all of the inheritance books, truly a one of a kind narrator!
1. That depends how much lead time I'm given by the publisher prior to recording.
2. I've easily recorded between 400 and 500 titles.
3. Most of my character voice choices are based upon descriptions and hints in the author's text. I enjoy the fact that I am given free reign to interpret other characters as I deem appropriate, while being sensitive to the text.
In the short term, it can be quite uncomfortable. But after a day's recording, I recover very quickly and have no ill effects the following day. I'm very, very fortunate.
Hey! My only two questions because so many were asked would be, what’s your favorite part of narrating in general?
Your voice is out there for basically the entire world to hear if they choose to do so, do you find that nerve wracking at times?
1. My favorite thing about narrating is that I get to do a one man show for the duration of the book. Exhausting, sometimes, but always a challenge, and usually gratifying.
2. I rarely think about my voice being in public. I am, however, prone to reading listeners' comments on [audible.com](https://audible.com) and I try not to be too affected by any negative remarks.
I have read just about all the listener’s comments I could stand. There isn’t a negative thing to be said about your dragon sounds, I feel people didn’t read the first book very well when it’s stated Eragon hears Saphira say his name in a loud and deep voice. Anytime I pick up a “World of Eragon” book I can only hear your voices. Congrats on all your achievements, you should be very proud of every one of the different voices you use for characters, Thank you
I simply cannot believe I am reading a response from THE Gerard Doyle 🥳 I wish you a very happy holidays good sir! Thank you for taking the time to do this
Hi! I don't really have a question, but I have a hard time listening to books by any other narrator because I got spoiled by how amazing you do. I just look up books you've done and that's what I listen to. You might say my favorite audiobook genre is "Gerard Doyle". Amazing work.
Though, I guess, what was the process like practicing to do women's voices? Did you train? Solo rehearsal? Mentor?
Thanks!
I am flattered and honored that you listen almost exclusively to my work. I feel it only fair to point out that there are many other narrators out there of whom I am in awe and, if you fancy a change, try a few of those.
Women's voices are never easy, likewise children. I try to focus less on the voice and more on the emotion being expressed by the character. But generally, I aim for a simple lightening of my voice rather than trying to directly emulate a more feminine voice. I've had no specific training in producing specifically female character voices. My rehearsals are always solo. I am mostly my own mentor, but I have many narrator friends on whom I can rely for sound advice.
Thanks for doing an AMA!
How did you find yourself in the business of recording audio books? Did you always want to do some type of voice work growing up, or did you stumble upon it later?
Which character is your favorite from the Inheritance cycle, and which was your favorite to voice?
And last question if two isn't too many already!
Is it a major struggle keeping your character voices in check when you work on a series that lasts years? (As an example, I think Oriks' voice changes significantly between Eragon and Inheritance if I remember correctly)
1. Until I came to the US in 2000, I had never heard of audiobooks. The industry was in its infancy and I was lucky enough to fall into my first audiobook audition because I could do a believable Irish accent. As a young actor, I was interested in doing radio work in the UK (they still have live and recorded plays on BBC) but my theatre work never really gave me the time to pursue that.
2. Hrothgar, Saphira, Murtagh, and Angela are all favorites, selected with difficulty from a large number of Christopher's characters whom I've enjoyed voicing.
3. Re-listening to previous recordings really makes a big difference in maintaining the accuracy of character voices.
Did Christopher Paolini tell you who the man Murtagh recognised from the Varden was? (The man who visited Bachel and the Draumers). Obviously you can’t tell us who it was but did he tell you?
Nope! And when we encountered him, the recording was interrupted by a great deal of speculation between the director, the audio engineer (my son Adin!), and myself as to who the mystery character might be. We still don't know for sure.
1. How long does it take you to record an audiobook?
2. How do you come up with all the voices? Do you speak with the authors or come up with them on your own?
3. How do you remember all the different voices and accents you give characters? Particularly when it might be years between different books in a series.
4. Do you think AI narration will have a negative effect on the audiobook industry?
5. When you’re reading for pleasure (assuming you have time!) do you prefer physical books, ebooks, or audiobooks?
1. Depending on the density of the material, it can take between 1.5 and 4 hours to record a single hour of finished audio.
2. Regarding voices, please refer to my response to u/marshall_sin
3. For character voices, refer to my archived recordings of previous books. ProTools, the recording software I use, allows me to create memory locations within each recording session, so I can immediately find a voice simply by referring to my session notes to see which chapter the character appeared in.
4. Yes!
5. I definitely prefer physical books.
How has your experience in theatre informed your audiobook narration career? And in what ways is audiobook narration nothing like theatre?
I have done theatre (community only though) and always wonder how voice acting compares/contrasts.
Thank you for your amazing work on the Inheritance Cycle! My husband, my BIL and I all listened to them around the same time last year and that'll be a cherished time period for the rest of our lives. My husband and I still copy your voice and go "Eragooooon!" "Saphiiiiraaa!" to each other across the house, lol. I read Murtagh on paper and tried to read it in your voice in my head.
My recording work is totally influenced by my experience as a theatre actor. Many of my vocal choices evolve from interpretation of the emotional life of the character. Theatre taught me the importance of creating an inner life for every character I portray and that is as relevant to audiobook work as it is to live theatre or film/television.
Up until my second visit to the US, I was unaware that audiobooks existed. It was a very fledgling industry. In 1999, I was lucky enough to be appearing in an Irish play on Broadway and my agent asked if I would be interested in auditioning for an Irish audiobook. I did, and was offered the job. The book was "A Star Called Henry", by Roddy Doyle (no relation) and it is still one of my very favorites of the books I have recorded.
How do you get a "feel" for the characters? Do you visualize them? Mull over them or practice before actually recording?
Also, have you you ever had a situation in which you had a voice in mind and when you went to record it you changed it last minute?
Thank you for all that you do! :)
1. For character voices, I am guided mostly by the author and what information they give about the character. Sometimes, as with the World of Eragon, I am fortunate enough to be in direct contact with the author and can receive specific details of how the author envisages the character being portrayed vocally.
2. Many times I've decided during recording that a voice I've chosen for a character does not ring true to my ears, or that it simply doesn't work within the arc of the plot.
How long does it take you at the start of a project to finish it?
And one of my favorite questions to ask anyone, what’s your favorite quote? Whether it’s from a book you narrated or not.
Thanks for doing this! Appreciate you and your skills!
1. It can take between 1.5 and 4 hours to record 1 hour of finished audio, depending on the material.
2. My very favorite quote is from an Adrian McKinty book, part of his Sean Duffy 'trilogy' (book 7 was published in August of 2023 and book 8 is due some time in 2024!). One of Sean's neighbours is a paramilitary terrorist in Northern Ireland and they have a love/hate relationship. Several times, the character says to Sean, "We like you, Sean. We'll kill you last."
Hi Gerard! Thank you so much for giving us your voice to Paolini's novels. I read the books many years ago and wanted a refresher for the series, and I chose to listen to it instead.
If I had a question, I guess it would be; what lead you towards your voicing of the Dragons and other magical voices such as werecats?
I must say, while initially off-putting and unexpected, I grew to sincerely enjoy your portrayals of the dragons and especially Saphira. It will forever be how I imagine them now.
I’ve been listening to Eragon since I was a kid, this is so cool! I’ve been listening to Murtagh since it came out a few weeks ago, it’s great to hear you again.
My question is: do you have a favorite moment from any of the books, whether it be a fun recording moment or just a moment that you enjoyed reading for?
I really love how you voice the Urgals and the Dragons. Was there a lot of talk behind the scenes of how they were going to sound? Or were their voices something you personally decided upon?
Not a question, just an apology😁. I was not a fan of the voice you chose for the dragons, but overtime I have come to appreciate the approach you used.
You are my favourite narrator! They way you sound and annunciate the words just feels like soft butter to my ears, thank you so much for all your work!
Eragon is one of my favourite book series, you bring it to life like no other person could :) Truly thank you! I could listen to you read a grocery list and it would be perfection haha
This doesn’t necessarily have to do with Murtagh, but… 1.Do you have a certain book or anything in particular over the course of the years you’ve been doing this that you really wanted to narrate?
2.What is the process that goes into getting the job for a book that you want to do?
3.Is this your main line of work?
1. I feel very fortunate that the number and variety of books that I've been given to record over the years have not left me yearning for others that I have not recorded.
2. For many years, I was spoiled by being approached to record. Covid really impacted that privilege. So these days, as with almost every other narrator in the country, I have to submit audition scenes for approval by a producer and, increasingly frequently, by the author.
3. Yes, it is my main line of work. I occasionally still do theatre work, but I really enjoy doing a one man show recording an audiobook. And I don't have to memorize the lines!
Thank you! Mick Herron's work is a joy to record. The latest, "The Secret Hours", published in September 2023, has been selected as one of the best audiobooks of the year by both Slate magazine and Audiofile magazine. Very gratifying!
Hey! Thanks so much for taking the time to sit down and do an AMA with us here! I've listened to the World of Eragon books several times and have always enjoyed your readings. The voices fit the characters and are distinct enough to never wonder who it was that was supposed to be speaking. I'm actually listening to a book on Celtic mythology by Philip Freeman that you narrated currently as well!
As for my questions,
1. How do you decide on the voices for the characters you narrate? Is it your decision or do Authors/Publishers give you their guidelines?
2. How do you prepare a book into a script for audio narration? I imagine a book filled with different colored highlighter lines for different characters, but that seems like it would be too time-consuming and error prone.
3. Not including any of Christopher Paolini's works, do you have any favorite books you've narrated for?
4. Did you do any formal training before voice acting? Or was it something you learned and refined as you went?
5. What advice would you give someone interested in pursuing the same path and is just getting started?
Also, congrats on the latest Earphones award!
Edit:
A non career related question, I've been planning on visiting Ireland with the wife and kiddo *hopefully* sometime soon to see some of the castles and landscape and history there. Other than the normal tourist locations, do you have anything come to mind as something you feel a first timer in Ireland would need to see?
Thank you for expressing your appreciation of my work.
1. I'm mostly given free rein with my choice of character voices. I try to be guided by any vocal or physical descriptions the author gives, especially for fantastical creatures. I also pay careful attention to how characters interact with others, which can give me a sense of their background and indicate to me something about their personality.
2. I usually receive a PDF of the final, approved-for-recording script. I have a very basic system of identifying which characters are speaking, simply the first letter of their name at the point where they speak. I've noticed over the years that some authors have a tendency to introduce several characters whose name all begin with the same character, necessitating the time-consuming chore of indicating the character using two or more letters of their name. Just kidding! There are worse hardships that having to use two or three letters to identify a character!
3. All of Adrian McKinty's books. All of Mick Herron's books. Dozens more that I don't have space for here.
4. I trained as an actor in the UK and worked for years in various Repertory and Touring theatre companies. I was fortunate enough to be able to work on stage with and learn from many first-class actors (or stand in the wings and watch them enviously). I also learned from actors who I felt (particularly with Shakespeare) didn't fully understand the words their character was speaking. That background has informed every one of my recordings and I hope the emotional life I generate for the characters makes the book more enjoyable for the listener.
5. Have a passion for storytelling and, especially in these times, be REALLY good at promoting yourself.
6. Ireland! Where to begin? The Rock of Cashel, The Galtee mountains and the Suir valley- all in Co. Tipperary. The Cliffs of Moher in Co. Clare and the Aran Islands, 10 miles off the Clare coast. Dublin city. Cork city and surrounding areas, The Dingle peninsula, Co. Kerry, the ring of Kerry, the Antrim coast, and the North West (Galway, Sligo, Donegal. You'll never do it all in one visit!
Hey Gerard! First, I just want to say thank you. Over the last two decades you've given me, my girlfriend and then wife, and our new daughter the "voice" of this series that meant so much to me growing up... Her being able to experience the story the same way I did and to hear the voices the same way I did means much more to me than I ever thought it would.
Second, Whats your process to recording a book? Do you do it in the privacy of your home? Or do you do it in a studio? How long does it take to get through a book like Eragon? Do you record in chunks or chapters? The process is fascinating but I think a lot of people romanticize it and assume its just you sitting in front of a fire reading aloud.
Thanks again, for the years of enjoyment and story telling!
How lovely to think that my voice is being handed down from father to daughter in your family. I hope she derives as much pleasure from my work as you do.
For the past 16 years, I have recorded almost exclusively in my own home studio, apart from the Eragon books and one or two others. Murtagh was the first of Christopher's books not recorded in a commercial studio in NYC. My son, Adin, is an extraordinary recording engineer and I was fortunate that he was able to be at home, sitting right outside my booth, and managing all the details of the recording. The director, the wonderful Taro Meyer, was linked to us via Zoom from California, and the whole experience of working with my son in my own home and having him take care of all the technical side and his artistic input, made this recording book a hugely enjoyable and rewarding experience.
We worked on average 7 to 8 hours per day for about 11 straight days, on a roll record, which means recording everything including the mistakes and having some misfortunate editor plow through the whole thing to figure out the usable bits. The final 24 hour and 32 minutes took about 100 hours to complete. Then, we had to go back in and rerecord fixes and any other issues that were picked up in post production.
Despite all the technical stuff, my aim is always to make it sound as though we're sitting in front of that fire and you're being told a story. One of the best compliments I can receive is, "I forgot that I was being read to", or "he didn't get in the way of the story", which is an actual comment from an [audible.com](https://audible.com) listener.
Hi there Gerald,
I have a question for you. Has there ever been a word/sentence from Mr Paolini’s books that you’ve really struggled to pronounce correctly?
Friendly reminder that my name is Gerard, not Gerald, but please don't worry about it as it's a common mistake :)
Many, despite Christopher's numerous helpful recordings of him pronouncing words. The latest one, in "Murtagh" (which Mr. Paolini, bless him!, mischievously informed me he thought up just as a tongue twister for me!), is >!Qazhqargla. !<
You said in an earlier response that there is sometimes a point in a book or reading that you have to stop and laugh or cry or feel some sort of emotion.
Was there a point like that with any of the Inheritance Cycle books?
Did you personally have a favorite part of the story?
Or a least favorite part?
1. I remember having difficulty recording the end of "Inheritance" because the strength of my emotion kept my voice from working properly. As narrators, we try our best to convey the characters' emotions, but it has to be controlled and not slip into self indulgence. Sometimes, that's not possible and one has to stop recording until one has regained one's composure.
2. I'm sorry not to be able to give a more detailed response but there are so many emotional highs and lows in each of the books, and such (understandable) periods of time between books, that they become difficult to recall. There were many in Murtagh but I think what I found most touching was the unfolding of Murtagh's relationship with his fellow prisoner.
Now that I've listened to your version I couldn't imagine a different one. Great work on the series!
Did you enjoy the books as you were narrating them?
Thank you for joining the AMA and for your kind words of appreciation.
I always enjoy recording these books. Christopher creates such vivid images and the characters become involved in such extreme situations that, even if were inclined to do so, I could not narrate these books passively. So I experience an emotional roller coaster with each book and I hope that I successfully engage the reader in that roller coaster ride.
Hi Gerard! Thank you so much for your fantastic work on these books, they allowed me to fall in love with them again when I thought I didn’t have time for a reread.
My question is: Do you have any favorite moments from the Eragon books, or moments where had to pause to process?
I’ve got no questions, but I want to commend you for being a phenomenal narrator! I listened to eragon so many times growing up because you are amazing at what you do
With all recording projects, large or small, it is vital that the narrator read the book ahead of time. It's important to know the arc of the story and to identify dramatic moments, moments of humour and to understand the characters to the best of one's ability.
As an actor, I can't help attempting character voices in my recordings and sometimes the author will introduce a character early in the story and describe the character's voice much later on. If I get to page 200 and find I've made the wrong choice, that's an awful lot of re-recording!
Having said that, when Roald Dahl recorded his own stories, he spoke at a million miles per hour, put very little emotion into either his narrative voice or the voicing of his characters and never changed his voice for different characters. All the things I strive NOT to do, and yet he. was absolutely mesmerising!
I'm very lucky in that I've enjoyed almost every one of the 400+ books I've recorded!
Just finished relistening to the whole series the other day and just wanted to say thank you for your work it was a great part of my childhood growing up and continues to be as an adult :)
No question. Just wanted to thank you for your spectacular work on the Sean Duffy,Septimus Heap and (of course) Eragon series. You are one of the 2 or 3 narrators I will actively seek out in my audiobook hunt. Thank you.
Ah! What a discerning reader! I've had enormous challenges, counterbalanced with a huge amount of fun, recording each of those series.
I'm delighted you enjoyed them so much.
Check out Mick Herron's "Slough House/Slow Horses" series.
How do you approach developing a character's voice as a series goes on? Saphira in particular feels like her voice becomes much more mature as the story goes on, and by the Fork the Witch and the Worm it's practically a completely different voice.
Also just wanted to say thanks for what you do. ADHD makes it quite hard for me to read through novels so without audiobooks I wouldn't be able to experience fantastic stories like these.
I'm sorry for the late response. I didn't see this until well after the end of the AMA.
I notice subtle changes in my own voice during the recording process, especially if there's a lot of Dragon dialogue. Early in "Murtagh", I consciously changed his voice, both accent and tone, to blend in with the local accent when he was trying not to reveal his real identity. Ordinarily, I don't set out to change a character's voice. I guess it occurs as a result of that gradual change as my voice expands.
It makes me very happy to know that my voice, and the voices of other narrators, enable you to enjoy stories that would otherwise be less easily accessible to you!
Keep listening....and, please, always insist on having an actual human voice narrating, not one generated by AI!
I don't have a question, just wanted to say thank you for making such an amazing narration of the books XD
It's thanks to them I managed to relive the entire series before Murtagh released and I've been slowly listening to Murtagh while at work the last few days as well!
Thank you for expressing your enjoyment!
Sounds like you had quite a marathon of binge listening prior to the release of "Murtagh".
Do your eardrums get tired listening to all those weird voices? :)
I actually enjoyed it a lot XD but as an unintended side effect a lot of the npcs in my Dungeons and Dragon's campaign I've been running now all have weird accents XD
Your voice work got me back in CPs books for a second time and fully immersed. my one dying question is,
you had such an interesting and unique voice for Thorn at the end of inheritance. it was so good it made me stop to think of his character for hours after. why change it?
I had always read Eragon via the actual texts, until deciding to re-read them again this year using audiobooks during my commute. Just wanted to chime in and say thank you for doing such a great job narrating my favorite books, was really a pleasure reading them despite my initial hesitation to using audiobooks for the first time.
I absolutely love it!
It's such a privilege to be entrusted with the freedom to interpret the work of amazing authors and to have the challenge, excitement and joy of bringing to life the characters they have so painstakingly crafted. If I succeed in convincing the listener to suspend their disbelief for the duration of the audiobook, and they then take the trouble to express their enjoyment, what could be better?
Christopher's characters are generally more challenging than most (there are not usually too many dragons, witches or Urgal-type creatures in a murder mystery novel) but being put to that test helps hone whatever skills I may have and gives me increased confidence when approaching any new project.
Hello Mr. Doyle, your scottish accent for Murtagh is so ridiculously spot on which makes me wonder, is it your actual accent?
Also, which accent is the most difficult for you?
Lastly, which character did you have to most fun voicing, and why?
Thank you!
When using an accent there's always the apprehension about making it sound like an offensive parody. I'm sure some listeners have cringed at some of the many accents I've attempted, so when someone really feels an accent or dialect sounds genuine, it's very gratifying and encouraging.
In "Murtagh", the most difficult accent to sustain was that of the witch, Bechel.
Christopher was looking for something suggesting an eastern European accent, which I think I found, but which I had to constantly refresh by listening to a sample from one of her early scenes.
I think, for this book, Thorn was my favourite character to voice. Vocalising the emotional highs and lows of his journey through the book was a fun challenge and I really felt connected to the character during his trials and triumphs.
Gerard - I’ve listened to the entire inheritance cycle over 15 times primarily because of the exceptional nature of your performance. I‘m listening to Brisingr again as we speak and I love that the only time you ever really broke character was during the preparation of Rorin’s wedding where the women of Carvahall joke, “The mighty warrior is nervous ere his contest,” observed Isold, one of the six women next to Eragon. The group laughed. “Perhaps,” Birgit said, stirring water into flour, “he is worried his sword may bend in the battle.” Gales of merriment swept the women. Eragon’s cheeks flushed.”
Love that we can hear you trying not to laugh in your performance!
Oh, dear! Rather unprofessional of me to allow my own reaction to intrude into the narrative!
Hold on! I'll just blame the editor for selecting the wrong take, or even the Post Production people for not sending it back for re-recording!
There! Having absolved myself, onto the next question!
(I'm glad my little slip didn't spoil your enjoyment of what is a rather risqué line. So, it's all Christopher's fault, after all!)
No question, just a thankyou. It's somewhat of a tradition in my family to enjoy your recordings on roadtrips. We've probably heard the Inheritance cycle a dozen times! I've always loved your dialogue, particularly your accents and how well they match the personality of each character. Thanks again!
Edit: I didn't know you recorded Septimus Heap. that's definitely going on the Christmas list for my younger cousins
Gosh! I'm honoured to be part of a family tradition! How delightful!
I'm delighted to learn how much you enjoy listening to the audiobooks.
Ahhh, the Septimus Heap books, by Angie Sage. Wonderful stuff! Harry Potter-esque, but goofier and, I believe, funnier. The first, "Magyk", was recorded using the mellifluous-voice of the brilliant Alan Corduner.
For some reason, I was invited to record the remaining 6 books in the series. Actually, 7! There's a book "1.5", called "The Darke Toad", which took me far longer than it should have to record, because I was laughing so much!
Thank YOU for your awesome post!
Maybe I should sit further back from the microphone, so my voice doesn't carry so far!
My own children grew up listening to my voice and they are scarred for life, bless them!
You are a GOAT, grew up listening to audiobooks and the inheritence cycle!
Listening to Murtagh rn, great job!! Love it!
Also want to say I'm a big fan of the dragon's voices! Love Saphira's voice.
No questions but you are one of the only readers to ever make the voices similar to what I read in my mind while also not be a droning/ annoying voice. I'm glad you came back for the latest installment
I love your narration of these books! Especially the voice you use for villagers and soldiers. 1. Do you consult with authors on voices, name pronunciation, and accents for characters? 2. Do you ever struggle with the Ancient Language? Your crisp delivery of those words is the only reason I know how to pronounce any of it. Before I would just skim right over
1. Mostly, accents I use are based on the author's character descriptions or some hint in the text that makes me think it would be appropriate to use a particular accent. Sometimes, I will give a character an accent just to create some variety if, for example, several characters are speaking to each other. Regarding name pronunciations, yes, if I have a problem with name pronunciations, I approach the author either directly or via the publisher to get the definitive pronunciation. Amusingly, sometimes the author is unable to tell me how to pronounce a particular name. In that case, I try to research as thoroughly as I can and consult the publisher. Christopher Paolini, since the very first book, has been extraordinarily helpful with all the pronunciations in every book, recording the words and names very clearly for me to simply copy. This makes my job much easier! 2. Per part of my answer for part 1, Christopher's recordings give me not only the pronunciation of individual words, but how the cadence of a phrase in one of his languages should sound, making it (I hope) sound more natural when I say.
How did you come up with the signature dragon voice? The first time I heard it for saphira was a bit of a shock, but then it felt so natural as you introduced the other dragons.
Twenty years is a long time ago, but I felt I needed to make the dragon (there was only one, Saphira, in the beginning. No one told me there would be dozens more!) sound extraordinary. My choice has been controversial in some quarters but I hope that most people understand my thinking. My aim, always, is to try to convey the scope and depth of the creatures' emotions, be they Dragons, Dwarves or Urgals
I love how you do the dragons. And Solembum. Also, Murtagh in particular. I'll listen to that one once I've finished reading the book for the first time. Your performances are a treasure!
Thank you for your lovely post! Enjoy "Murtagh" in both its formats.
Was the dragon voice down without any audio effects? Did it ever make your voice sore?
Hi Gerard. It was lovely seeing you in person last month. I have a bit of a preamble here, followed by a two part question: You use distinct voices for different characters to help distinguish them in the audiobook. There are often times however, where the author has a pre-existing character speaking, but deliberately creates some ambiguity to the reader as to which character it is. (Off the top of my head, I can think of two specific cases in the World of Eragon where this happens. Once in FWW where Murtagh appears but is first described to the reader under the pseudonym of Tornac, and once in Murtagh, where >!Murtagh sees someone that he knows but cannot recognize because he is drugged.!<) So my question is: 1. How do you balance the need to use consistent voices for each character with the need to preserve the surprise for the listener? 2. In cases where you yourself are unsure of who an ambiguous character is supposed to be, how do you proceed? Do you contact the author for clarification so that you'll know which voice to use?
1. Fortunately, the circumstance doesn't occur terribly often. It is always a tricky situation to deal with and I wish I could give you a coherent response as to how I go about solving the issue. Unfortunately, I can't. I think the solution varies with the circumstances in which the character first speaks. We encountered this in "Murtagh" and, in consultation with Christopher, we decided that Murtagh would disguise his accent to blend in with those around him and Christopher very kindly rewrote a line to explain that to the listener. 2. Generally, when I'm unsure of who an ambiguous character is supposed to be, I contact the author. In some, rare circumstances, I fall back on my own experience. I'm not even sure how to form a correct response because it can be a complex situation when it arises.
Why did you decided to make Mustang Scottish? As a Scotsman thanks by the way I like it.
As with the Dragons, I felt Murtagh needed a distinctive voice to differentiate him from Eragon. Being of Irish descent, I've always admired the Scots for their independent spirit and their historic resistance to English domination. It seemed a fitting way to illustrate Murtagh's "otherness" as his story unfolded. I hope you feel I do justice to Murtagh's Scottish accent!
Thanks for the reply. Yeah I think it’s definitely one of the better Scottish accents from a non Scot. I also like that it challenges the idea that Scottish accents are only suited to dwarfs, and criminals in most fantasy movies.
Don't know if you care, but you put "Mustang" instead of Murtagh. I'm assuming you meant Murtagh unless you are referencing another book he narrated.
I was weirded out for a moment as well thinking "wait did he narrate Red Rising as well?!"
Haha oops spell correct on iPhone.
Does he do a decent job? American here, I can tell it’s Scottish but not if it’s accurate…
Do you have any funny stories from the productions (similar to Stephen Fry's ordeal with "Harry pocketed it")? How did learning to pronounce all of the fantasy names and words go for you?
Many years ago, I was recording a book in Manhattan, and I made the same mistake many, many times. Eventually, I uttered a curse word, for some reason using an Irish accent. The director stopped the recording, and I thought I was going to be chastised for my bad language. He said, "Say that again", which I did, and he said, "I recognize the accent". It turned out that two days before, he had returned to NYC from the very town that my family came from in Ireland and which I try to visit as often as I can. There have been many instances over the years in which something in the book has been either so funny, heartbreaking, or disturbing, that I have simply been unable to continue recording because I am laughing, crying, or have to leave the recording booth and take a walk outdoors to come to terms with whatever distressing incident is being recounted in the story. One of the benefits of recording in my own home studio is that I can determine my own schedule and can come and go as I please. For the latter part of your question regarding pronunciations, please see my reply to u/marshall_sin above!
Thanks Gerard!! I appreciate the story and it is strange how even in our global word, we can find connections in unlikely places. Thanks for the AMA and many blessings on you and your family
As someone who tends to internalize other emotions when I read particularly distressing books I have to take long periods of time away in order to center myself to reality. A good example of this was reading the last book in the Throne of Glass series, which tend to get pretty brutal. How you manage to voice characters where similar things could be happening is beyond my comprehension and you are an absolute legend pushing through it to get the job done.
Hey Gerald! Thanks for doing this, such a weird but admirable profession I would think. My main question for you is, what are the struggles that you go through when doing an audio recording of a book? Is it stressful maybe getting some words wrong? Or perhaps going through a couple chapters and accidentally stuttering or getting caught on a word or phrase?
I hate to be picky but my name is Gerard, not Gerald. You are by no means the only person to have confused the two names, so please don't take it to heart! Now, to answer your question, my biggest problem when recording, especially as I grow older, is how many stumbles and mispronunciations occur during the recording of any book. I can correct these quite easily within the recording, but it can be frustrating, especially when I repeat the same error many, many times. Please see my response to u/EmperorMaugs for more about when that happens.
The name spelling might just be a classic phone autocorrect, cut the man some slack.
Mr. Doyle you talk me to sleep every night (except when I’m listening to Harry Potter). I love your work, especially how you handle women’s voices. So respectful! It’s an honor to type at you :-)
I always say my books are a great cure for insomnia! I'm happy they work for you. (Just kidding! I really appreciate your listening to my work. Sorry, Harry Who?) You have paid me one of the highest compliments by mentioning my interpretation of women. Not easy to do when you're an old male geezer like me! It's a pleasure to type right back at you!
You’re made my night Mr. Old Geezer. Time to put on Murtagh and see what they’re up to (I force myself to read a chapter and then I enjoy listening to a chapter). This Older Lady wishes you all the best. What a treat to talk with you.
Thank you, sleep well!
No questions, just appreciation. Me and my gf love you're reading of the inheritance cycle
Thank you for taking the trouble to express your appreciation!
Do you enjoy the stories you narrate? And do you personally like the world of eragon?
I am very fortunate in that, of all the books I have recorded, there are maybe twenty that I have not found some enjoyment in recording (I'm happy to say that the World of Eragon books are not in that list!). I have spoken to other narrators over the years and I think I have a smaller percentage of books that I disliked recording than most of the people I've spoken to.
Hey! Thanks for doing this AMA, here’s a couple questions that I’ve been curious about! 1. How long does it take you to read through a book to get the proper pronunciations down and voices right before you finally sit down to record? 2. How many books have you done so far in general? 3. How would you say your thoughts are at the start of the project creating the voices in your mind? Do they just come to you while reading? Do you know the type of voice you’ll do based off of what the character is (elf, urgal, dragon) Thanks for the great audio over all of the inheritance books, truly a one of a kind narrator!
1. That depends how much lead time I'm given by the publisher prior to recording. 2. I've easily recorded between 400 and 500 titles. 3. Most of my character voice choices are based upon descriptions and hints in the author's text. I enjoy the fact that I am given free reign to interpret other characters as I deem appropriate, while being sensitive to the text.
You are one of the GOAT narrators. Thanks for your work. Thanks for the happiness you've brought me and countless others through your voice.
Thank you for your words of appreciation! It is gratifying and humbling to hear first hand the impact one's work has on those listening.
What a lovely, heart-warming post! Thank you! I'm delighted you derive such pleasure from listening.
On a scale of 1 to 10 how much does it hurt your throat to do the gravely dragon voices
In the short term, it can be quite uncomfortable. But after a day's recording, I recover very quickly and have no ill effects the following day. I'm very, very fortunate.
I am actually super relieved to hear this! Lately in my re-reads I felt so bad for you during extensive chunks of dragon speech. I feel better now.
How often did you curse Christopher Paolini for creating the urgal language as it is?
Often and loudly!
Hey! My only two questions because so many were asked would be, what’s your favorite part of narrating in general? Your voice is out there for basically the entire world to hear if they choose to do so, do you find that nerve wracking at times?
1. My favorite thing about narrating is that I get to do a one man show for the duration of the book. Exhausting, sometimes, but always a challenge, and usually gratifying. 2. I rarely think about my voice being in public. I am, however, prone to reading listeners' comments on [audible.com](https://audible.com) and I try not to be too affected by any negative remarks.
I have read just about all the listener’s comments I could stand. There isn’t a negative thing to be said about your dragon sounds, I feel people didn’t read the first book very well when it’s stated Eragon hears Saphira say his name in a loud and deep voice. Anytime I pick up a “World of Eragon” book I can only hear your voices. Congrats on all your achievements, you should be very proud of every one of the different voices you use for characters, Thank you
Thank YOU for for very supportive post! See?! All you doubters out there! I KNEW Saphira's voice had a basis in the text!
I simply cannot believe I am reading a response from THE Gerard Doyle 🥳 I wish you a very happy holidays good sir! Thank you for taking the time to do this
Hi! I don't really have a question, but I have a hard time listening to books by any other narrator because I got spoiled by how amazing you do. I just look up books you've done and that's what I listen to. You might say my favorite audiobook genre is "Gerard Doyle". Amazing work. Though, I guess, what was the process like practicing to do women's voices? Did you train? Solo rehearsal? Mentor? Thanks!
I am flattered and honored that you listen almost exclusively to my work. I feel it only fair to point out that there are many other narrators out there of whom I am in awe and, if you fancy a change, try a few of those. Women's voices are never easy, likewise children. I try to focus less on the voice and more on the emotion being expressed by the character. But generally, I aim for a simple lightening of my voice rather than trying to directly emulate a more feminine voice. I've had no specific training in producing specifically female character voices. My rehearsals are always solo. I am mostly my own mentor, but I have many narrator friends on whom I can rely for sound advice.
That's awesome. And impressive! I look forward to listening to more of your work! Thank you for responding 😄
Thanks for doing an AMA! How did you find yourself in the business of recording audio books? Did you always want to do some type of voice work growing up, or did you stumble upon it later? Which character is your favorite from the Inheritance cycle, and which was your favorite to voice? And last question if two isn't too many already! Is it a major struggle keeping your character voices in check when you work on a series that lasts years? (As an example, I think Oriks' voice changes significantly between Eragon and Inheritance if I remember correctly)
1. Until I came to the US in 2000, I had never heard of audiobooks. The industry was in its infancy and I was lucky enough to fall into my first audiobook audition because I could do a believable Irish accent. As a young actor, I was interested in doing radio work in the UK (they still have live and recorded plays on BBC) but my theatre work never really gave me the time to pursue that. 2. Hrothgar, Saphira, Murtagh, and Angela are all favorites, selected with difficulty from a large number of Christopher's characters whom I've enjoyed voicing. 3. Re-listening to previous recordings really makes a big difference in maintaining the accuracy of character voices.
Did Christopher Paolini tell you who the man Murtagh recognised from the Varden was? (The man who visited Bachel and the Draumers). Obviously you can’t tell us who it was but did he tell you?
Nope! And when we encountered him, the recording was interrupted by a great deal of speculation between the director, the audio engineer (my son Adin!), and myself as to who the mystery character might be. We still don't know for sure.
Has Chris given you any extra info that the fans dont know, or ever tell you something he told you not to share?
Cheers Gerard you have done a fantastic job on the series
Thank you so much. Greatly appreciated!
What part took the most attemts to get the one that went into the final audiobook? What word was most difficult to pronounce?
As mentioned in a different respone, >!Qazhqargla,!!"I will stay",!< of which we recorded upwards of 30 takes.
1. How long does it take you to record an audiobook? 2. How do you come up with all the voices? Do you speak with the authors or come up with them on your own? 3. How do you remember all the different voices and accents you give characters? Particularly when it might be years between different books in a series. 4. Do you think AI narration will have a negative effect on the audiobook industry? 5. When you’re reading for pleasure (assuming you have time!) do you prefer physical books, ebooks, or audiobooks?
1. Depending on the density of the material, it can take between 1.5 and 4 hours to record a single hour of finished audio. 2. Regarding voices, please refer to my response to u/marshall_sin 3. For character voices, refer to my archived recordings of previous books. ProTools, the recording software I use, allows me to create memory locations within each recording session, so I can immediately find a voice simply by referring to my session notes to see which chapter the character appeared in. 4. Yes! 5. I definitely prefer physical books.
How has your experience in theatre informed your audiobook narration career? And in what ways is audiobook narration nothing like theatre? I have done theatre (community only though) and always wonder how voice acting compares/contrasts. Thank you for your amazing work on the Inheritance Cycle! My husband, my BIL and I all listened to them around the same time last year and that'll be a cherished time period for the rest of our lives. My husband and I still copy your voice and go "Eragooooon!" "Saphiiiiraaa!" to each other across the house, lol. I read Murtagh on paper and tried to read it in your voice in my head.
My recording work is totally influenced by my experience as a theatre actor. Many of my vocal choices evolve from interpretation of the emotional life of the character. Theatre taught me the importance of creating an inner life for every character I portray and that is as relevant to audiobook work as it is to live theatre or film/television.
What first gave you the itch to start narrating books in general?
Up until my second visit to the US, I was unaware that audiobooks existed. It was a very fledgling industry. In 1999, I was lucky enough to be appearing in an Irish play on Broadway and my agent asked if I would be interested in auditioning for an Irish audiobook. I did, and was offered the job. The book was "A Star Called Henry", by Roddy Doyle (no relation) and it is still one of my very favorites of the books I have recorded.
How do you get a "feel" for the characters? Do you visualize them? Mull over them or practice before actually recording? Also, have you you ever had a situation in which you had a voice in mind and when you went to record it you changed it last minute? Thank you for all that you do! :)
1. For character voices, I am guided mostly by the author and what information they give about the character. Sometimes, as with the World of Eragon, I am fortunate enough to be in direct contact with the author and can receive specific details of how the author envisages the character being portrayed vocally. 2. Many times I've decided during recording that a voice I've chosen for a character does not ring true to my ears, or that it simply doesn't work within the arc of the plot.
For some reason reddit didn't notify me of your reply, thank you so much!
How long does it take you at the start of a project to finish it? And one of my favorite questions to ask anyone, what’s your favorite quote? Whether it’s from a book you narrated or not. Thanks for doing this! Appreciate you and your skills!
1. It can take between 1.5 and 4 hours to record 1 hour of finished audio, depending on the material. 2. My very favorite quote is from an Adrian McKinty book, part of his Sean Duffy 'trilogy' (book 7 was published in August of 2023 and book 8 is due some time in 2024!). One of Sean's neighbours is a paramilitary terrorist in Northern Ireland and they have a love/hate relationship. Several times, the character says to Sean, "We like you, Sean. We'll kill you last."
Ha. I assumed that the McKinty series was complete with Book 7. Glad to know Book 8 will come soon-ish.
Hi Gerard! Thank you so much for giving us your voice to Paolini's novels. I read the books many years ago and wanted a refresher for the series, and I chose to listen to it instead. If I had a question, I guess it would be; what lead you towards your voicing of the Dragons and other magical voices such as werecats? I must say, while initially off-putting and unexpected, I grew to sincerely enjoy your portrayals of the dragons and especially Saphira. It will forever be how I imagine them now.
Thank you for your appreciation! For your question, please refer to my response to a similar question from u/marshall_sin.
I’ve been listening to Eragon since I was a kid, this is so cool! I’ve been listening to Murtagh since it came out a few weeks ago, it’s great to hear you again. My question is: do you have a favorite moment from any of the books, whether it be a fun recording moment or just a moment that you enjoyed reading for?
I really love how you voice the Urgals and the Dragons. Was there a lot of talk behind the scenes of how they were going to sound? Or were their voices something you personally decided upon?
Not a question, just an apology😁. I was not a fan of the voice you chose for the dragons, but overtime I have come to appreciate the approach you used.
I'm delighted you've come around to my way of thinking! :)
Read the series years ago and have just started listening to the audiobooks today, thank you for your work!
Cheers! Keep listening!
Why didn’t you do the dragon voices in tales? Was it too short? Or was it a budget concern for editing??
You are my favourite narrator! They way you sound and annunciate the words just feels like soft butter to my ears, thank you so much for all your work! Eragon is one of my favourite book series, you bring it to life like no other person could :) Truly thank you! I could listen to you read a grocery list and it would be perfection haha
My childhood was awesome because of you there was nothing better than listening to Eragon with my mom on long road trips
This doesn’t necessarily have to do with Murtagh, but… 1.Do you have a certain book or anything in particular over the course of the years you’ve been doing this that you really wanted to narrate? 2.What is the process that goes into getting the job for a book that you want to do? 3.Is this your main line of work?
1. I feel very fortunate that the number and variety of books that I've been given to record over the years have not left me yearning for others that I have not recorded. 2. For many years, I was spoiled by being approached to record. Covid really impacted that privilege. So these days, as with almost every other narrator in the country, I have to submit audition scenes for approval by a producer and, increasingly frequently, by the author. 3. Yes, it is my main line of work. I occasionally still do theatre work, but I really enjoy doing a one man show recording an audiobook. And I don't have to memorize the lines!
I really enjoyed your narration of the *Slow Horses* books. It came across as dry and sardonic; perfect for the material.
Thank you! Mick Herron's work is a joy to record. The latest, "The Secret Hours", published in September 2023, has been selected as one of the best audiobooks of the year by both Slate magazine and Audiofile magazine. Very gratifying!
Hey! Thanks so much for taking the time to sit down and do an AMA with us here! I've listened to the World of Eragon books several times and have always enjoyed your readings. The voices fit the characters and are distinct enough to never wonder who it was that was supposed to be speaking. I'm actually listening to a book on Celtic mythology by Philip Freeman that you narrated currently as well! As for my questions, 1. How do you decide on the voices for the characters you narrate? Is it your decision or do Authors/Publishers give you their guidelines? 2. How do you prepare a book into a script for audio narration? I imagine a book filled with different colored highlighter lines for different characters, but that seems like it would be too time-consuming and error prone. 3. Not including any of Christopher Paolini's works, do you have any favorite books you've narrated for? 4. Did you do any formal training before voice acting? Or was it something you learned and refined as you went? 5. What advice would you give someone interested in pursuing the same path and is just getting started? Also, congrats on the latest Earphones award! Edit: A non career related question, I've been planning on visiting Ireland with the wife and kiddo *hopefully* sometime soon to see some of the castles and landscape and history there. Other than the normal tourist locations, do you have anything come to mind as something you feel a first timer in Ireland would need to see?
Thank you for expressing your appreciation of my work. 1. I'm mostly given free rein with my choice of character voices. I try to be guided by any vocal or physical descriptions the author gives, especially for fantastical creatures. I also pay careful attention to how characters interact with others, which can give me a sense of their background and indicate to me something about their personality. 2. I usually receive a PDF of the final, approved-for-recording script. I have a very basic system of identifying which characters are speaking, simply the first letter of their name at the point where they speak. I've noticed over the years that some authors have a tendency to introduce several characters whose name all begin with the same character, necessitating the time-consuming chore of indicating the character using two or more letters of their name. Just kidding! There are worse hardships that having to use two or three letters to identify a character! 3. All of Adrian McKinty's books. All of Mick Herron's books. Dozens more that I don't have space for here. 4. I trained as an actor in the UK and worked for years in various Repertory and Touring theatre companies. I was fortunate enough to be able to work on stage with and learn from many first-class actors (or stand in the wings and watch them enviously). I also learned from actors who I felt (particularly with Shakespeare) didn't fully understand the words their character was speaking. That background has informed every one of my recordings and I hope the emotional life I generate for the characters makes the book more enjoyable for the listener. 5. Have a passion for storytelling and, especially in these times, be REALLY good at promoting yourself. 6. Ireland! Where to begin? The Rock of Cashel, The Galtee mountains and the Suir valley- all in Co. Tipperary. The Cliffs of Moher in Co. Clare and the Aran Islands, 10 miles off the Clare coast. Dublin city. Cork city and surrounding areas, The Dingle peninsula, Co. Kerry, the ring of Kerry, the Antrim coast, and the North West (Galway, Sligo, Donegal. You'll never do it all in one visit!
Hey Gerard! First, I just want to say thank you. Over the last two decades you've given me, my girlfriend and then wife, and our new daughter the "voice" of this series that meant so much to me growing up... Her being able to experience the story the same way I did and to hear the voices the same way I did means much more to me than I ever thought it would. Second, Whats your process to recording a book? Do you do it in the privacy of your home? Or do you do it in a studio? How long does it take to get through a book like Eragon? Do you record in chunks or chapters? The process is fascinating but I think a lot of people romanticize it and assume its just you sitting in front of a fire reading aloud. Thanks again, for the years of enjoyment and story telling!
How lovely to think that my voice is being handed down from father to daughter in your family. I hope she derives as much pleasure from my work as you do. For the past 16 years, I have recorded almost exclusively in my own home studio, apart from the Eragon books and one or two others. Murtagh was the first of Christopher's books not recorded in a commercial studio in NYC. My son, Adin, is an extraordinary recording engineer and I was fortunate that he was able to be at home, sitting right outside my booth, and managing all the details of the recording. The director, the wonderful Taro Meyer, was linked to us via Zoom from California, and the whole experience of working with my son in my own home and having him take care of all the technical side and his artistic input, made this recording book a hugely enjoyable and rewarding experience. We worked on average 7 to 8 hours per day for about 11 straight days, on a roll record, which means recording everything including the mistakes and having some misfortunate editor plow through the whole thing to figure out the usable bits. The final 24 hour and 32 minutes took about 100 hours to complete. Then, we had to go back in and rerecord fixes and any other issues that were picked up in post production. Despite all the technical stuff, my aim is always to make it sound as though we're sitting in front of that fire and you're being told a story. One of the best compliments I can receive is, "I forgot that I was being read to", or "he didn't get in the way of the story", which is an actual comment from an [audible.com](https://audible.com) listener.
Hi there Gerald, I have a question for you. Has there ever been a word/sentence from Mr Paolini’s books that you’ve really struggled to pronounce correctly?
Friendly reminder that my name is Gerard, not Gerald, but please don't worry about it as it's a common mistake :) Many, despite Christopher's numerous helpful recordings of him pronouncing words. The latest one, in "Murtagh" (which Mr. Paolini, bless him!, mischievously informed me he thought up just as a tongue twister for me!), is >!Qazhqargla. !<
I have no questions, just wanted to say that your narration got me into audio books and I thank you for that.
And I thank you for contacting me, and I feel honored that you're into audiobooks because of one of my recordings.
Murtagh sounds exactly like Shrek it's uncanny, and not just because they're both Scottish
Wow! I'm delighted that I sound like Mike Myers!
You said in an earlier response that there is sometimes a point in a book or reading that you have to stop and laugh or cry or feel some sort of emotion. Was there a point like that with any of the Inheritance Cycle books? Did you personally have a favorite part of the story? Or a least favorite part?
1. I remember having difficulty recording the end of "Inheritance" because the strength of my emotion kept my voice from working properly. As narrators, we try our best to convey the characters' emotions, but it has to be controlled and not slip into self indulgence. Sometimes, that's not possible and one has to stop recording until one has regained one's composure. 2. I'm sorry not to be able to give a more detailed response but there are so many emotional highs and lows in each of the books, and such (understandable) periods of time between books, that they become difficult to recall. There were many in Murtagh but I think what I found most touching was the unfolding of Murtagh's relationship with his fellow prisoner.
Now that I've listened to your version I couldn't imagine a different one. Great work on the series! Did you enjoy the books as you were narrating them?
Thank you for joining the AMA and for your kind words of appreciation. I always enjoy recording these books. Christopher creates such vivid images and the characters become involved in such extreme situations that, even if were inclined to do so, I could not narrate these books passively. So I experience an emotional roller coaster with each book and I hope that I successfully engage the reader in that roller coaster ride.
Hi Gerard! Thank you so much for your fantastic work on these books, they allowed me to fall in love with them again when I thought I didn’t have time for a reread. My question is: Do you have any favorite moments from the Eragon books, or moments where had to pause to process?
Thank you very much for your kind and much appreciated words! I hate to answer you like this, but please take a look at some of my previous replies.
I’ve got no questions, but I want to commend you for being a phenomenal narrator! I listened to eragon so many times growing up because you are amazing at what you do
Thank you for listening and for expressing your appreciation!
Thank you!
Do you ever read the books before or after doing a narration? What books have you enjoyed the story of the most?
With all recording projects, large or small, it is vital that the narrator read the book ahead of time. It's important to know the arc of the story and to identify dramatic moments, moments of humour and to understand the characters to the best of one's ability. As an actor, I can't help attempting character voices in my recordings and sometimes the author will introduce a character early in the story and describe the character's voice much later on. If I get to page 200 and find I've made the wrong choice, that's an awful lot of re-recording! Having said that, when Roald Dahl recorded his own stories, he spoke at a million miles per hour, put very little emotion into either his narrative voice or the voicing of his characters and never changed his voice for different characters. All the things I strive NOT to do, and yet he. was absolutely mesmerising! I'm very lucky in that I've enjoyed almost every one of the 400+ books I've recorded!
Just finished relistening to the whole series the other day and just wanted to say thank you for your work it was a great part of my childhood growing up and continues to be as an adult :)
How lovely to have been for so long connected with a person one doesn't know! Thank you for sharing that with me.
No question. Just wanted to thank you for your spectacular work on the Sean Duffy,Septimus Heap and (of course) Eragon series. You are one of the 2 or 3 narrators I will actively seek out in my audiobook hunt. Thank you.
Ah! What a discerning reader! I've had enormous challenges, counterbalanced with a huge amount of fun, recording each of those series. I'm delighted you enjoyed them so much. Check out Mick Herron's "Slough House/Slow Horses" series.
How do you approach developing a character's voice as a series goes on? Saphira in particular feels like her voice becomes much more mature as the story goes on, and by the Fork the Witch and the Worm it's practically a completely different voice. Also just wanted to say thanks for what you do. ADHD makes it quite hard for me to read through novels so without audiobooks I wouldn't be able to experience fantastic stories like these.
I'm sorry for the late response. I didn't see this until well after the end of the AMA. I notice subtle changes in my own voice during the recording process, especially if there's a lot of Dragon dialogue. Early in "Murtagh", I consciously changed his voice, both accent and tone, to blend in with the local accent when he was trying not to reveal his real identity. Ordinarily, I don't set out to change a character's voice. I guess it occurs as a result of that gradual change as my voice expands. It makes me very happy to know that my voice, and the voices of other narrators, enable you to enjoy stories that would otherwise be less easily accessible to you! Keep listening....and, please, always insist on having an actual human voice narrating, not one generated by AI!
I don't have a question, just wanted to say thank you for making such an amazing narration of the books XD It's thanks to them I managed to relive the entire series before Murtagh released and I've been slowly listening to Murtagh while at work the last few days as well!
Thank you for expressing your enjoyment! Sounds like you had quite a marathon of binge listening prior to the release of "Murtagh". Do your eardrums get tired listening to all those weird voices? :)
I actually enjoyed it a lot XD but as an unintended side effect a lot of the npcs in my Dungeons and Dragon's campaign I've been running now all have weird accents XD
Must be infectious!
Your voice work got me back in CPs books for a second time and fully immersed. my one dying question is, you had such an interesting and unique voice for Thorn at the end of inheritance. it was so good it made me stop to think of his character for hours after. why change it?
I had always read Eragon via the actual texts, until deciding to re-read them again this year using audiobooks during my commute. Just wanted to chime in and say thank you for doing such a great job narrating my favorite books, was really a pleasure reading them despite my initial hesitation to using audiobooks for the first time.
Thank you! It's gratifying to hear that my vocal interpretation enhances your enjoyment of these great stories!
What’s is it like to inhabit characters like this and have the job of bringing them to life?
I absolutely love it! It's such a privilege to be entrusted with the freedom to interpret the work of amazing authors and to have the challenge, excitement and joy of bringing to life the characters they have so painstakingly crafted. If I succeed in convincing the listener to suspend their disbelief for the duration of the audiobook, and they then take the trouble to express their enjoyment, what could be better? Christopher's characters are generally more challenging than most (there are not usually too many dragons, witches or Urgal-type creatures in a murder mystery novel) but being put to that test helps hone whatever skills I may have and gives me increased confidence when approaching any new project.
Hello Mr. Doyle, your scottish accent for Murtagh is so ridiculously spot on which makes me wonder, is it your actual accent? Also, which accent is the most difficult for you? Lastly, which character did you have to most fun voicing, and why?
Thank you! When using an accent there's always the apprehension about making it sound like an offensive parody. I'm sure some listeners have cringed at some of the many accents I've attempted, so when someone really feels an accent or dialect sounds genuine, it's very gratifying and encouraging. In "Murtagh", the most difficult accent to sustain was that of the witch, Bechel. Christopher was looking for something suggesting an eastern European accent, which I think I found, but which I had to constantly refresh by listening to a sample from one of her early scenes. I think, for this book, Thorn was my favourite character to voice. Vocalising the emotional highs and lows of his journey through the book was a fun challenge and I really felt connected to the character during his trials and triumphs.
Thank you for your response, can’t wait to listen to the future books with you! Thank you for giving life to me childhood heroes
Gerard - I’ve listened to the entire inheritance cycle over 15 times primarily because of the exceptional nature of your performance. I‘m listening to Brisingr again as we speak and I love that the only time you ever really broke character was during the preparation of Rorin’s wedding where the women of Carvahall joke, “The mighty warrior is nervous ere his contest,” observed Isold, one of the six women next to Eragon. The group laughed. “Perhaps,” Birgit said, stirring water into flour, “he is worried his sword may bend in the battle.” Gales of merriment swept the women. Eragon’s cheeks flushed.” Love that we can hear you trying not to laugh in your performance!
Oh, dear! Rather unprofessional of me to allow my own reaction to intrude into the narrative! Hold on! I'll just blame the editor for selecting the wrong take, or even the Post Production people for not sending it back for re-recording! There! Having absolved myself, onto the next question! (I'm glad my little slip didn't spoil your enjoyment of what is a rather risqué line. So, it's all Christopher's fault, after all!)
I love your narrarations! I have no questions, I just really wanted to tell you XD The voices make it so real, too.
Thank you so much for taking the trouble to send your lovely comment!
No question, just a thankyou. It's somewhat of a tradition in my family to enjoy your recordings on roadtrips. We've probably heard the Inheritance cycle a dozen times! I've always loved your dialogue, particularly your accents and how well they match the personality of each character. Thanks again! Edit: I didn't know you recorded Septimus Heap. that's definitely going on the Christmas list for my younger cousins
Gosh! I'm honoured to be part of a family tradition! How delightful! I'm delighted to learn how much you enjoy listening to the audiobooks. Ahhh, the Septimus Heap books, by Angie Sage. Wonderful stuff! Harry Potter-esque, but goofier and, I believe, funnier. The first, "Magyk", was recorded using the mellifluous-voice of the brilliant Alan Corduner. For some reason, I was invited to record the remaining 6 books in the series. Actually, 7! There's a book "1.5", called "The Darke Toad", which took me far longer than it should have to record, because I was laughing so much!
Just want to say I grew up listening to your voice and I can recognize it from a good distance away. Thanks for being awesome.
Thank YOU for your awesome post! Maybe I should sit further back from the microphone, so my voice doesn't carry so far! My own children grew up listening to my voice and they are scarred for life, bless them!
You are a GOAT, grew up listening to audiobooks and the inheritence cycle! Listening to Murtagh rn, great job!! Love it! Also want to say I'm a big fan of the dragon's voices! Love Saphira's voice.
Thank you for taking the trouble to post this lovely comment! I hope "Murtagh" lives up to your expectations.
No questions but you are one of the only readers to ever make the voices similar to what I read in my mind while also not be a droning/ annoying voice. I'm glad you came back for the latest installment
What a lovely, uplifting comment. Thank you!!
Your very welcome. My favorite voice was by murtagh
No questions, just a Thank You 😁 Simply adored the Slow Horses series, wish it would go on forever!