Sound & Voice — The Story Studio

The Story Studio

Give your words a voice. Leave room to listen.

The repairer · Completed example

Explore the repairer’s completed sound plan

Move between the six parts to see how each choice supports the story. The completed fields are read-only.

The parcel with no return address

Your sound plan in six parts

1. Let us hear what changes

Give the listener a moment to notice the change.

From Words & Meaning

A brown-paper parcel waited outside Mara’s repair shop with no return address, and Mara wondered if its sender was afraid to be found.

Spoken words

A brown-paper parcel waited outside Mara’s repair shop with no return address, and Mara wondered if its sender was afraid to be found.

Delivery notes (not spoken)

George’s synthetic narration; requested pace 5% slower. A 1.5-second pause was requested after this sentence.

Optional sound cue (not spoken)

Silence after this part. No door knock is used in the finished recording.

2. Establish the time and place

Let the listener settle into the time and place.

From Words & Meaning

When Mara opened the shop at nine, she carried it to her workbench and untied the string.

Spoken words

When Mara opened the shop at nine, she carried it to her workbench and untied the string.

Delivery notes (not spoken)

George’s synthetic narration; requested pace 5% slower. A 1.5-second pause was requested after this sentence.

Optional sound cue (not spoken)

Silence after this part. Let the move into the workshop register.

3. Give the telling detail room

Leave space for a small detail to carry meaning.

From Words & Meaning

The wooden bird inside had its left wing missing, and Mara decided Kit’s note—“Can it fly again?”—deserved a careful answer.

Spoken words

The wooden bird inside had its left wing missing, and Mara decided Kit’s note—“Can it fly again?”—deserved a careful answer.

Delivery notes (not spoken)

George’s synthetic narration; requested pace 5% slower. A 1.5-second pause was requested after this sentence.

Optional sound cue (not spoken)

Silence after the question. The finished recording leaves this pause clear.

4. Let the choice land

Give the decision room to register before moving on.

From Words & Meaning

Mara chose a cedar scrap because its grain ran like the feathers on the bird’s good wing.

Spoken words

Mara chose a cedar scrap because its grain ran like the feathers on the bird’s good wing.

Delivery notes (not spoken)

George’s synthetic narration; requested pace 5% slower. A 1.5-second pause was requested after this sentence.

Optional sound cue (not spoken)

Soft workshop brushing after the choice of cedar, in the pause before part 5. Keep it quiet beside the voice. Source: existing synthesized workshop cue.

5. Show feeling in the delivery

Let the delivery suggest feeling without naming it for the listener.

From Words & Meaning

The next morning, she fitted the new wing and wound the small brass key beneath the bird’s tail.

Spoken words

The next morning, she fitted the new wing and wound the small brass key beneath the bird’s tail.

Delivery notes (not spoken)

George’s synthetic narration; requested pace 5% slower. A 1.5-second pause was requested after this sentence.

Optional sound cue (not spoken)

Two quiet bird chirps after the brass key is wound, before part 6 begins. Keep them clear of the next sentence. Source: existing synthesized bird cue.

6. Leave room for what comes next

Finish the moment while leaving space for another one.

From Words & Meaning

When the bird chirped and a child outside pressed both hands to the glass, Mara knew the sender had come back, so she opened the door.

Spoken words

When the bird chirped and a child outside pressed both hands to the glass, Mara knew the sender had come back, so she opened the door.

Delivery notes (not spoken)

George’s synthetic narration; requested pace 5% slower. Let the final sentence finish without another cue.

Optional sound cue (not spoken)

No added cue. Let the voice carry the child’s arrival and the opening of the door.

The complete sound plan

The repairer’s viewpoint

1. Let us hear what changes

A brown-paper parcel waited outside Mara’s repair shop with no return address, and Mara wondered if its sender was afraid to be found.

George’s synthetic narration; requested pace 5% slower. A 1.5-second pause was requested after this sentence.

Silence after this part. No door knock is used in the finished recording.

2. Establish the time and place

When Mara opened the shop at nine, she carried it to her workbench and untied the string.

George’s synthetic narration; requested pace 5% slower. A 1.5-second pause was requested after this sentence.

Silence after this part. Let the move into the workshop register.

3. Give the telling detail room

The wooden bird inside had its left wing missing, and Mara decided Kit’s note—“Can it fly again?”—deserved a careful answer.

George’s synthetic narration; requested pace 5% slower. A 1.5-second pause was requested after this sentence.

Silence after the question. The finished recording leaves this pause clear.

4. Let the choice land

Mara chose a cedar scrap because its grain ran like the feathers on the bird’s good wing.

George’s synthetic narration; requested pace 5% slower. A 1.5-second pause was requested after this sentence.

Soft workshop brushing after the choice of cedar, in the pause before part 5. Keep it quiet beside the voice. Source: existing synthesized workshop cue.

5. Show feeling in the delivery

The next morning, she fitted the new wing and wound the small brass key beneath the bird’s tail.

George’s synthetic narration; requested pace 5% slower. A 1.5-second pause was requested after this sentence.

Two quiet bird chirps after the brass key is wound, before part 6 begins. Keep them clear of the next sentence. Source: existing synthesized bird cue.

6. Leave room for what comes next

When the bird chirped and a child outside pressed both hands to the glass, Mara knew the sender had come back, so she opened the door.

George’s synthetic narration; requested pace 5% slower. Let the final sentence finish without another cue.

No added cue. Let the voice carry the child’s arrival and the opening of the door.

Listen to the finished story and compare two readings

The complete repairer reading uses George’s synthetic voice, with workshop and bird cues.

A brown-paper parcel waited outside Mara’s repair shop with no return address, and Mara wondered if its sender was afraid to be found. When Mara opened the shop at nine, she carried it to her workbench and untied the string. The wooden bird inside had its left wing missing, and Mara decided Kit’s note—“Can it fly again?”—deserved a careful answer. Mara chose a cedar scrap because its grain ran like the feathers on the bird’s good wing. The next morning, she fitted the new wing and wound the small brass key beneath the bird’s tail. When the bird chirped and a child outside pressed both hands to the glass, Mara knew the sender had come back, so she opened the door.

Short reflective and hurried comparison readings

Mara found a parcel outside her repair shop. Inside was a wooden bird with one wing missing. She set it beside the window. By morning, someone was waiting on the other side of the glass.

From your script to a listening copy

Prepare the words and directions
Read your six parts aloud and adjust any words that are hard to follow by ear. Spoken words are what the listener hears. Director’s notes are instructions for a human reader or an AI voice tool: the feeling, pace, pronunciation, pauses, and emphasis you want. They are not spoken.
For example, the spoken words might be “Zoë opened the door.” The director’s note might be “Say Zoë as Zoh-ee. Read gently, pause after the sentence, and give opened a little emphasis.”
Use one playbook
Choose Download director’s playbook to keep one text file with your spoken words, director’s notes, optional sound cues, and credits in separate sections. Keep it in a folder for this story. You do not need a separate text file for every part; make one only if your recorder, voice tool, or collaborator needs it.
The playbook is a set of instructions, not a recording. Copy spoken words selects the narration without notes or cues. Copy director’s notes selects the delivery instructions separately.
Make the recording
For a short story, begin with one recording of all six parts. If you or another person reads it, use the director’s notes as performance guidance and record only the spoken words. If you use an AI voice tool, paste only the spoken words into its script field. Put the notes in a separate direction control if it supports one. If it does not, try punctuation, shorter passages, or an audio editor; do not paste directions into the spoken script.
The DIY voice guide explains the available paths. Use your own story in place of its sample passage. Record the tool or recorder, voice, settings, and any pronunciation choices in your listening notes.
Keep useful takes
Save the first complete reading as narration-take-01.wav, or use the file format your tool exports, such as .mp3. A take is one attempt at a recording. Keep the original, listen for meaning and pronunciation, then change one thing and save another take. Changing the filename extension does not convert a file.
If one part needs correction, you can record the parts separately. Name them in story order, such as part-01-take-01.wav and part-02-take-01.wav. Save a revised attempt as part-01-take-02.wav. Keep the earlier takes and note which version you chose.
Finish one listening copy
If you recorded separate parts, place the chosen takes in story order in an audio editor, trim unwanted starts and ends, and adjust the pauses between them. If you recorded the story together, trim and review that recording. Sound cues are optional: record, find, or create them using the DIY sound-effects guide, and keep their sources and credits. Put each cue on a separate track at the intended moment and lower it until every word stays clear. Compare with the cue muted.
Listen to the complete story, then export one finished audio file, such as narration-final.wav or narration-final.mp3, for Film & Time. Keep the original takes, sound files, editable audio project, playbook, and credits in your story folder. Record the chosen filename and what you changed in your listening notes. The audio files stay where you save them; Story Studio stores your text plan, not those recordings.

Open the DIY voice guide · Open the DIY sound-effects guide

Opening a guide does not transfer your draft. Copy the words or sound brief you choose to use. Check the tool’s privacy, consent and cost information before uploading or paying.

Listen, change one thing, compare

Listening and revision notes

George synthetic voice; requested pace 5% slower. Workshop cue after part 4; bird cue after part 5. Keep the original narration and finished mix.

The sender · Guided walk-through

Discover the sender’s sound plan, one part at a time

Consider each moment, then reveal it. Watch how the story takes shape.

The parcel with no return address

Your sound plan in six parts

1. Let us hear what changes

Kit has left a question on the doorstep. How could a voice suggest hesitation without making it melodramatic?

From Words & Meaning

Before dawn, Kit left a brown-paper parcel outside Mara’s repair shop with no return address, because asking face-to-face felt impossible.

Spoken words

Before dawn, Kit left a brown-paper parcel outside Mara’s repair shop with no return address, because asking face-to-face felt impossible.

Delivery notes (not spoken)

Begin quietly, without whispering. Give “no return address” a little space, then let the reason arrive. Pause after “impossible.”

Optional sound cue (not spoken)

Choose silence. Keep our attention on Kit’s hesitation, not on an imagined door knock.

2. Establish the time and place

Kit watches from across the street. Let the distance and the waiting come through in the pace.

From Words & Meaning

At nine, from across the street, Kit watched Mara carry it to her workbench and untie the string.

Spoken words

At nine, from across the street, Kit watched Mara carry it to her workbench and untie the string.

Delivery notes (not spoken)

Keep the pace measured, as if watching from a distance. A small breath after “At nine” establishes the time.

Optional sound cue (not spoken)

Try silence first. If the place feels unclear, compare a very faint street ambience with the same passage without it.

3. Give the telling detail room

The note carries the question Kit cannot ask in person. What changes when the voice reaches those words?

From Words & Meaning

The box held Kit’s wooden bird with its left wing missing, and a note with Kit’s name beneath the only question Kit could manage: “Can it fly again?”

Spoken words

The box held Kit’s wooden bird with its left wing missing, and a note with Kit’s name beneath the only question Kit could manage: “Can it fly again?”

Delivery notes (not spoken)

Read the question simply. Give “Can it fly again?” room on either side; do not turn it into a performance of distress.

Optional sound cue (not spoken)

Silence around the question. No extra sound is needed to explain the missing wing.

4. Let the choice land

The choice of cedar is a sign that Mara is taking care. Where would a pause let Kit—and the listener—notice that?

From Words & Meaning

Through the window, Kit saw Mara select a cedar scrap whose grain matched the feathers on the good wing.

Spoken words

Through the window, Kit saw Mara select a cedar scrap whose grain matched the feathers on the good wing.

Delivery notes (not spoken)

Let the sentence warm slightly as Kit notices the care in Mara’s choice. Pause after “good wing.”

Optional sound cue (not spoken)

Optional: a brief, soft brush of wood after “good wing.” It suggests work continuing inside. Compare it with silence; keep the words clear.

5. Show feeling in the delivery

Kit returns to watch the repair. Let anticipation grow through the action, leaving room for the bird’s reply.

From Words & Meaning

The next morning, Kit returned as Mara fitted the new wing and wound the small brass key beneath the bird’s tail.

Spoken words

The next morning, Kit returned as Mara fitted the new wing and wound the small brass key beneath the bird’s tail.

Delivery notes (not spoken)

Build anticipation through the actions, not by speeding up. Leave a short silence after “tail” for the bird to answer.

Optional sound cue (not spoken)

Optional: two quiet bird chirps in the pause after the key is wound. Keep the cue under two seconds and clear of the next sentence. Record its source and credit when chosen.

6. Leave room for what comes next

Relief becomes an action: hands on glass, then an open door. How much sound does this moment need?

From Words & Meaning

The bird chirped; relief carried Kit’s hands to the glass, and Mara opened the door.

Spoken words

The bird chirped; relief carried Kit’s hands to the glass, and Mara opened the door.

Delivery notes (not spoken)

Let the first words release the tension. Pause at the semicolon, then finish “Mara opened the door” with room for what comes next.

Optional sound cue (not spoken)

Choose silence after the last line. Avoid a door effect that competes with the invitation to meet.

The sound plan so far

The sender’s viewpoint

1. Let us hear what changes

Before dawn, Kit left a brown-paper parcel outside Mara’s repair shop with no return address, because asking face-to-face felt impossible.

Begin quietly, without whispering. Give “no return address” a little space, then let the reason arrive. Pause after “impossible.”

Choose silence. Keep our attention on Kit’s hesitation, not on an imagined door knock.

2. Establish the time and place

At nine, from across the street, Kit watched Mara carry it to her workbench and untie the string.

Keep the pace measured, as if watching from a distance. A small breath after “At nine” establishes the time.

Try silence first. If the place feels unclear, compare a very faint street ambience with the same passage without it.

3. Give the telling detail room

The box held Kit’s wooden bird with its left wing missing, and a note with Kit’s name beneath the only question Kit could manage: “Can it fly again?”

Read the question simply. Give “Can it fly again?” room on either side; do not turn it into a performance of distress.

Silence around the question. No extra sound is needed to explain the missing wing.

4. Let the choice land

Through the window, Kit saw Mara select a cedar scrap whose grain matched the feathers on the good wing.

Let the sentence warm slightly as Kit notices the care in Mara’s choice. Pause after “good wing.”

Optional: a brief, soft brush of wood after “good wing.” It suggests work continuing inside. Compare it with silence; keep the words clear.

5. Show feeling in the delivery

The next morning, Kit returned as Mara fitted the new wing and wound the small brass key beneath the bird’s tail.

Build anticipation through the actions, not by speeding up. Leave a short silence after “tail” for the bird to answer.

Optional: two quiet bird chirps in the pause after the key is wound. Keep the cue under two seconds and clear of the next sentence. Record its source and credit when chosen.

6. Leave room for what comes next

The bird chirped; relief carried Kit’s hands to the glass, and Mara opened the door.

Let the first words release the tension. Pause at the semicolon, then finish “Mara opened the door” with room for what comes next.

Choose silence after the last line. Avoid a door effect that competes with the invitation to meet.

From your script to a listening copy

Prepare the words and directions
Read your six parts aloud and adjust any words that are hard to follow by ear. Spoken words are what the listener hears. Director’s notes are instructions for a human reader or an AI voice tool: the feeling, pace, pronunciation, pauses, and emphasis you want. They are not spoken.
For example, the spoken words might be “Zoë opened the door.” The director’s note might be “Say Zoë as Zoh-ee. Read gently, pause after the sentence, and give opened a little emphasis.”
Use one playbook
Choose Download director’s playbook to keep one text file with your spoken words, director’s notes, optional sound cues, and credits in separate sections. Keep it in a folder for this story. You do not need a separate text file for every part; make one only if your recorder, voice tool, or collaborator needs it.
The playbook is a set of instructions, not a recording. Copy spoken words selects the narration without notes or cues. Copy director’s notes selects the delivery instructions separately.
Make the recording
For a short story, begin with one recording of all six parts. If you or another person reads it, use the director’s notes as performance guidance and record only the spoken words. If you use an AI voice tool, paste only the spoken words into its script field. Put the notes in a separate direction control if it supports one. If it does not, try punctuation, shorter passages, or an audio editor; do not paste directions into the spoken script.
The DIY voice guide explains the available paths. Use your own story in place of its sample passage. Record the tool or recorder, voice, settings, and any pronunciation choices in your listening notes.
Keep useful takes
Save the first complete reading as narration-take-01.wav, or use the file format your tool exports, such as .mp3. A take is one attempt at a recording. Keep the original, listen for meaning and pronunciation, then change one thing and save another take. Changing the filename extension does not convert a file.
If one part needs correction, you can record the parts separately. Name them in story order, such as part-01-take-01.wav and part-02-take-01.wav. Save a revised attempt as part-01-take-02.wav. Keep the earlier takes and note which version you chose.
Finish one listening copy
If you recorded separate parts, place the chosen takes in story order in an audio editor, trim unwanted starts and ends, and adjust the pauses between them. If you recorded the story together, trim and review that recording. Sound cues are optional: record, find, or create them using the DIY sound-effects guide, and keep their sources and credits. Put each cue on a separate track at the intended moment and lower it until every word stays clear. Compare with the cue muted.
Listen to the complete story, then export one finished audio file, such as narration-final.wav or narration-final.mp3, for Film & Time. Keep the original takes, sound files, editable audio project, playbook, and credits in your story folder. Record the chosen filename and what you changed in your listening notes. The audio files stay where you save them; Story Studio stores your text plan, not those recordings.

Open the DIY voice guide · Open the DIY sound-effects guide

Opening a guide does not transfer your draft. Copy the words or sound brief you choose to use. Check the tool’s privacy, consent and cost information before uploading or paying.

Listen, change one thing, compare

Listening and revision notes

George synthetic voice; requested pace 5% slower. Workshop cue after part 4; bird cue after part 5. Keep the original narration and finished mix.

Your Turn · Make it your own

Plan the sound of your story

Work in any order. Return to Example or Walk-Through whenever you need them; your work stays here.

Your story

Optional sound cue (not spoken)

From your script to a listening copy

Prepare the words and directions
Read your six parts aloud and adjust any words that are hard to follow by ear. Spoken words are what the listener hears. Director’s notes are instructions for a human reader or an AI voice tool: the feeling, pace, pronunciation, pauses, and emphasis you want. They are not spoken.
For example, the spoken words might be “Zoë opened the door.” The director’s note might be “Say Zoë as Zoh-ee. Read gently, pause after the sentence, and give opened a little emphasis.”
Use one playbook
Choose Download director’s playbook to keep one text file with your spoken words, director’s notes, optional sound cues, and credits in separate sections. Keep it in a folder for this story. You do not need a separate text file for every part; make one only if your recorder, voice tool, or collaborator needs it.
The playbook is a set of instructions, not a recording. Copy spoken words selects the narration without notes or cues. Copy director’s notes selects the delivery instructions separately.
Make the recording
For a short story, begin with one recording of all six parts. If you or another person reads it, use the director’s notes as performance guidance and record only the spoken words. If you use an AI voice tool, paste only the spoken words into its script field. Put the notes in a separate direction control if it supports one. If it does not, try punctuation, shorter passages, or an audio editor; do not paste directions into the spoken script.
The DIY voice guide explains the available paths. Use your own story in place of its sample passage. Record the tool or recorder, voice, settings, and any pronunciation choices in your listening notes.
Keep useful takes
Save the first complete reading as narration-take-01.wav, or use the file format your tool exports, such as .mp3. A take is one attempt at a recording. Keep the original, listen for meaning and pronunciation, then change one thing and save another take. Changing the filename extension does not convert a file.
If one part needs correction, you can record the parts separately. Name them in story order, such as part-01-take-01.wav and part-02-take-01.wav. Save a revised attempt as part-01-take-02.wav. Keep the earlier takes and note which version you chose.
Finish one listening copy
If you recorded separate parts, place the chosen takes in story order in an audio editor, trim unwanted starts and ends, and adjust the pauses between them. If you recorded the story together, trim and review that recording. Sound cues are optional: record, find, or create them using the DIY sound-effects guide, and keep their sources and credits. Put each cue on a separate track at the intended moment and lower it until every word stays clear. Compare with the cue muted.
Listen to the complete story, then export one finished audio file, such as narration-final.wav or narration-final.mp3, for Film & Time. Keep the original takes, sound files, editable audio project, playbook, and credits in your story folder. Record the chosen filename and what you changed in your listening notes. The audio files stay where you save them; Story Studio stores your text plan, not those recordings.

Open the DIY voice guide · Open the DIY sound-effects guide

Opening a guide does not transfer your draft. Copy the words or sound brief you choose to use. Check the tool’s privacy, consent and cost information before uploading or paying.

Listen, change one thing, compare

Listening and revision notes

Sound sources and credits

Sound sources and creditsHow the sound was made or changed

Explore voice, silence, and sound — optional

The parcel with no return address

Your sound plan in six parts

1. Let us hear what changes

2. Establish the time and place

3. Give the telling detail room

4. Let the choice land

5. Show feeling in the delivery

6. Leave room for what comes next

Prepare the words and directions

Use one playbook

Make the recording

Keep useful takes

Finish one listening copy

The parcel with no return address

Your sound plan in six parts

1. Let us hear what changes

2. Establish the time and place

3. Give the telling detail room

4. Let the choice land

5. Show feeling in the delivery

6. Leave room for what comes next

Prepare the words and directions

Use one playbook

Make the recording

Keep useful takes

Finish one listening copy

Your story

Your sound plan in six parts

1. Let us hear what changes

2. Establish the time and place

3. Give the telling detail room

4. Let the choice land

5. Show feeling in the delivery

6. Leave room for what comes next

Prepare the words and directions

Use one playbook

Make the recording

Keep useful takes

Finish one listening copy