Don’t Let Uncle Naysayer Write Your VO Story

When you first get into voiceover, it’s easy to decide what you’re not good at before you’ve truly explored it. You might assume character work isn’t your thing, your voice isn’t right for documentary narration, or you could never pull off a theme park promo.

Maybe those assumptions are accurate, but they could also be based on fear, insecurity, or one uncomfortable attempt behind the microphone when you weren’t sure what you were doing. The truth is, you don’t really know which voiceover genres fit you until you give yourself permission to explore them.

You may think you’re destined for corporate narration and then discover that you’re fantastic at playing a cranky wizard, a nervous spaceship mechanic, or an overly enthusiastic theme park announcer. You might enter the business dreaming about animation and realize that your natural gift is warm, thoughtful documentary narration.

There could be a hidden gem buried inside you, but you’ll never discover it if you’re too afraid to let it come out.

The Negative Voices Can Stay With Us

Sometimes our fear and insecurity begin long before we step into a recording booth. Maybe you grew up around people who told you that you weren’t talented enough, your dreams were unrealistic, or you were wasting your time. Perhaps Uncle Naysayer had a few drinks before Thanksgiving dinner and informed you that it was time to grow up and do something practical. Those voices can stick with you for years. Believe me, they’ve stayed with me.

I attended public school in the ’80s, when many educators had no idea how to support kids with neurodivergent issues. Instead of helping us understand how our brains worked or encouraging us to discover our strengths, the message was often that we simply weren’t good enough.

Thankfully, young people have more options today. Many schools and programs now recognize the importance of art, music, theater, skilled trades, creativity, and different learning styles. Students can receive a well-rounded education while also exploring the interests and abilities that make them unique.

For example, I was required to take wood shop, and I struggled badly. There’s nothing wrong with wood shop. For some students, it may be exactly where they discover their talents. The problem is assuming every kid belongs in the same educational mold instead of helping them find the path that brings out the best in them.

Unfortunately, the negative messages we hear when we’re younger don’t automatically disappear when we become adults. They can follow us into auditions, classes, recording sessions, and creative decisions. Before we try something new, that old voice starts whispering that we’ll embarrass ourselves, sound ridiculous, or prove everyone right. That voice is usually full of shit.

Give Yourself Time to Discover What You Can Do

Another obstacle in voiceover is believing you should immediately sound great at everything you try. Your first character performance may feel awkward. Your first documentary read might sound like a bad impression of a nature-show narrator. Your first promo could sound like you’re announcing a monster truck rally from inside a closet. That doesn’t mean you’re incapable of doing the work. It means you’re learning.

Exploration isn’t about instantly mastering every genre. It’s about discovering what interests you, what connects with your natural abilities, and what could become a strength with training and practice. You have to experiment without criticizing every word that comes out of your mouth.

Nobody walks into their first improv class and instantly becomes Robin Williams. Nobody records one animation script and immediately develops twelve believable characters. Nobody reads a few paragraphs of medical narration and suddenly understands its terminology, pacing, and reassuring delivery.

You learn by experimenting, and you improve by sticking with it.

It’s perfectly fine to begin with a specific goal. Maybe you’ve always dreamed of voicing video game characters. Perhaps commercials excite you, audiobooks feel natural, or documentaries have always fascinated you. Start there, but stay open.

Try eLearning, commercial, documentary, and character scripts. Work with a coach who can help you explore different areas, and experiment with radio imaging, audio dramas, theme park promos, animation, medical narration, or anything else that catches your attention. Throw a few darts and see where they land. You may discover a strength you never knew you had.

I’ve worked with voice actors who were convinced they couldn’t perform characters until they stopped overthinking and allowed themselves to play. I’ve also coached people who had little interest in narration until they discovered that they possessed a warm, trustworthy, and engaging storytelling voice.

Sometimes other people recognize our potential before we do. That’s one reason an experienced coach can be valuable. A good coach doesn’t simply follow a syllabus. They listen for qualities in your performance that you may not hear yet and encourage you to explore possibilities outside the box you’ve built around your abilities.

As for Uncle Naysayer...

Uncle Naysayer doesn't get to write your story. Do your thing. Work at it, study with a qualified coach, practice, take direction, and be willing to sound imperfect while you learn. Don’t walk away from something meaningful simply because another person couldn’t recognize your potential. Other people’s fear does not have to become your limitation.

Feeling meant to do something doesn’t guarantee overnight success or an easy road. It simply means you feel a pull toward something and decide to give yourself an honest opportunity to pursue it, rather than letting old criticism, insecurity, and other people’s expectations make your decisions for you.

When you’re new to voiceover, it’s fine to aim for one destination, but don’t refuse to explore the roads around it. Stay curious and allow yourself to be surprised. There may be a narrator, storyteller, announcer, hero, villain, wizard, theme park guide, or completely unhinged cartoon squirrel hiding somewhere inside you.

Block out the noise and let them out. You may be amazed by what you discover.