Monologue Guidance

Many thanks for considering recording a short monologue for The Cycling Europe Podcast. 

Please find below a few guidance notes. 

They are not rules, just a few pointers that you may find of use and that will hopefully help you record something that is both interesting and clear. 

Monologue Content:

  • 100% your choice. 
  • It might be about a country that you cycled in or that you live in, a ride that you have embarked upon, an aspect of cycling that you specialise in or anything cycling related. It doesnโ€™t have to connect with โ€˜Europeโ€™ but if does, great!
  • Aim to talk for around 5-10 minutes.
  • You may want to write a script prior to recording. If you prefer not to read from a script, itโ€™s probably a good idea to have a few notes in front of you. 
  • At the start of the monologue, donโ€™t forget to introduce yourself.
  • At the end, donโ€™t forget to add any contact information (website, social mediaโ€ฆ) if thatโ€™s relevant.

Monologue Recording:

  • If you have a digital recording device, great! If you donโ€™t, use your mobile phone audio recording function. The quality of most modern smartphone audio is excellent.
  • Whatever device you are using, avoid holding it in your hand when you record. Put it on a table and donโ€™t touch it after you have pressed โ€˜recordโ€™.
  • Avoid echoey rooms. A room with lots of soft furnishings is best.
  • Natural background noise (birds, running water, people chatting in the distanceโ€ฆ) is fine. Try to eliminate unnatural background sounds (your dishwasher, your neighbourโ€™s chainsawโ€ฆ)
  • Avoid windy days if you choose to record outside.
  • Before you record the monologue, have a practice first.
  • When you record, do it in one take. If you make a mistake, pause, go back to the start of the sentence or the section and start again. Mistakes can easily be edited out.

Monologue Sending:

  • You will probably find that the audio file you have created is too big to email. Itโ€™s best to upload to Google Drive or Drop Box or something similar and send me the link so that I can then download the recording.

Once Iโ€™ve edited your recording, Iโ€™ll send you a link so that you can hear how it sounds before it gets published in the podcast. If thereโ€™s anything you donโ€™t like, just let me know and weโ€™ll make the necessary changes.

Good luck with the recording!

Best wishes & happy cyclingโ€ฆ

Andrew P. Sykes

office@cyclingeurope.org

@CyclingEurope