In This Story Might Save Your Life, best friends Joy and Benny run a podcast together—until Joy disappears. Julia Whelan and Sean Patrick Hopkins share their experiences crafting this unique, dual-narrator audiobook production, featuring duet-narrated podcast segments in addition to alternating chapters in which Whelan reads for Joy and Hopkins reads for Benny.
What was it like working together on This Story Might Save Your Life?
Sean Patrick Hopkins: We live on different coasts, so that presents some slight logistical challenges, but we were lucky enough to record simultaneously (over Zoom) for the podcast portions of the audiobook, which I think really injects more life into them. But that was the first and only time we’ve “met” in real-time. Otherwise, we were recording separately, though our producer, Elishia Merricks, directed the program, which helped keep us consistent in terms of certain character choices.
Did author Tiffany Crum give any input into the recording process? What did you keep in mind to try to remain faithful to her vision for the story?
Julia Whelan: Both Tiffany and the producer, Elishia, worked so conscientiously to make sure this would be a standout audio production, from crafting the podcast scenes to answering any pedantic questions I had along the way. Tiffany’s writing is so strong and the characters are so complex that it’s almost impossible not to remain faithful to her vision simply because there’s no other book like it. She blazed a trail and all I had to do was follow it.
Part of the appeal of This Story Might Save Your Life lies in the mystery of what the lives of our favorite podcast hosts might be like out of the recording booth. Are you a podcast listener yourself? If so, what are your favorites?
SPH: I used to be a constant podcast listener, mostly NPR-style shows (“Radiolab,” “This American Life,” “Revisionist History”), but over time I slowly turned more to audiobooks—though, a favorite in our house, to this day, is “Spooked.” I miss Dennis Mahoney’s short-lived “Equinox Society Radio,” but now you can get some of those stories in his audiobooks. And I’ve recently been enjoying the true crime satire “The Murderer Killings” for a good laugh.
JW: I unfortunately don’t have a lot of free listening time (occupational hazard) so I’m not very well versed in podcasts. But my longtime favorite has been “Fated Mates,” a romance novel podcast with author Sarah MacLean and reader/editor Jen Prokop. They break down the romance genre in such a smart, funny, incisive and inviting way. Absolutely essential listening for book people.
“Tell me I’m going to be able to get my hands dirty, play in the sandbox, actually get to act? I’m in.”
What did you do to get into the heads of Benny and Joy? Do you have any rituals that help you get in character?
JW: Not with this one. Maybe I just had an affinity for Joy, but she was incredibly clear to me from page one and all her complexities are precisely what make her so accessible.
SPH: Morning coffee. Mid-day coffee. Afternoon coffee. Those are my biggest rituals. Honestly, my character work happens mostly during my prep in reading the manuscript. Once I have that character arc in my head, I can allow myself to play within that world when I step into the booth.
Your performances in This Story Might Save Your Life run the gamut of emotion. What do you find to be the trickiest emotional state to convey as a narrator, or, what was the hardest section of the book to record?
SPH: What an interesting question I’ve never thought about. I think the trickiest emotions to convey are the really layered ones, because you want to get all the colors in there. Like, when you’re mad at someone you hate, that’s often straightforward; but when you’re mad at someone you love, there are levels of exasperation or hurt or humor or any number of things that might come into play and illuminate that relationship. And there’s nothing I love more than finding those nuances that make moments hit home in a more personal way.
JW: What makes this book so unique is that it’s so many genres in one. So while you have sections of rom-com banter, you also have a domestic thriller and also a deep psychological exploration of abuse. That was the hardest bit to record. In so many cases like the one in this story, people will ask, “Well, why didn’t they just leave?” And the answer here is so humanizing. Heartbreaking, but humanizing in a way that I think goes beyond simple story work; I think it will actually have an impact in real life, will engender deeper empathy and compassion. I know it did for me.
You’re both veteran audiobook narrators, each with numerous awards and acclaimed productions under your belt. What’s one takeaway from your years in the industry, or, what’s one of your favorite productions you’ve been part of?
SPH: My biggest takeaway I’m regularly reminded of is that nothing compares to the community of narrators, authors, producers, editors and others that come together to make audiobooks come to life. I’ve been lucky to be a part of many great communities throughout my life, but these creative, supportive, generous, hardworking individuals are truly second to none.
In terms of favorite productions, I narrated a book called I See You’ve Called In Dead by John Kenney last year, and I’ve never connected with an author’s voice and sense of humor quite at the level I did with that one. It’s a special thing when that happens. And then there are books like Fan Fiction and The Making of Another Major Motion Picture Masterpiece where I got to tell stories alongside some of the people I admired growing up, like Tom Hanks and Brent Spiner and Patrick Stewart and LeVar Burton, and it’s truly a dream come true.
JW: Watch me neatly dodge this question: I don’t have a favorite child. But my takeaway, as someone who’s been on both sides of this equation, is that casting is the most important thing. Marrying the voice of the author with the perfect narrator is where the magic lies. That’s what creates unforgettable listening experiences.
“Books are literally magic: They transport you, they transform you.”
What do you look for when you’re considering taking on a project? Any preferences or pet peeves?
JW: I love projects like this, where the author and producer come in knowing exactly what they want and how they are going to make it happen. Take big swings. Try something new. Tell me I’m going to be able to get my hands dirty, play in the sandbox, actually get to act? I’m in.
SPH: A good editor is worth their weight in gold.
Do you get a lot of feedback from listeners? What’s the most memorable comment you’ve received?
SPH: I love getting messages from listeners, and so many stick with me. There was the long haul driver in Australia who appreciated an 18-book mystery-thriller series I had narrated keeping him company. The couple who lost a daughter and three out of four parents in a short period of time who said one of my narrations had helped them work through their grief. The voracious reader who was devastated to lose her eyesight late in life and found new joy discovering audiobooks and connected with my narration. Books are literally magic: They transport you, they transform you . . . and to play a small part in lighting that spark for people all over the world is one of the greatest joys of my life.
JW: You cannot print the most memorable comment I’ve received. But let’s just say it had to do with my guy voice.
Do your friends and family listen to your audiobooks?
SPH: I do have many friends who are avid audiobook listeners, and it’s always fun to reconnect with people from my past who write to me to say they just listened to one of the stories or articles I narrated. My sister has recently gotten big into audiobooks, but always asks me the “spice level” of my books before listening to my narrations. Interestingly, my mom is one of my biggest supporters, but hadn’t listened to any of my audiobooks until last year, about 600 books into my career; it just wasn’t her dominant reading mode. But she and my father are going on a road trip next week and have This Story Might Save Your Life queued up to listen to together!
JW: Yes. For their sins.
Read our starred review of the audiobook version of This Story Might Save Your Life.