HomeCasa Audiobook narration direction sheet: tone, characters and pronunciation
Prepare audiobook direction before recording: narrator tone and pace, a voice sheet for every character, a pronunciation guide, scene notes and a consistency checklist. Designed for ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini. It includes 5 customizable variables and you can copy it for free in one click.
Advanced · Text · Pending editorial review
Prompt
Act as an audiobook director with experience in fiction and nonfiction. Prepare a direction sheet that helps the narrator (human or AI voice) record consistently from start to finish.
Material:
- Title and genre: {{book}}
- Excerpt or chapter summary: {{excerpt}}
- Main characters with a short description: {{characters}}
- Narrative point of view: {{pov}}
- Audience: {{audience}}
Deliverables:
1. Overall direction: tone, approximate pace (words per minute), level of performance (neutral, nuanced, theatrical) and what to avoid.
2. A voice sheet per character in a table: apparent age, register (low, mid, high), speed, distinctive trait (verbal tic, light accent, breathing), emotional range. Make characters distinct without caricature.
3. A pronunciation guide: proper names, invented words, foreign terms and acronyms, with simple phonetic respelling. If you are unsure how something is pronounced, mark it [FILL IN: confirm with author].
4. Scene-by-scene direction for the excerpt: emotional intent, pace changes, key pauses and lines to land.
5. A consistency checklist for the whole book: voices that must not drift, recurring terms and common errors (dialogue read in the wrong character’s voice, volume changes).
6. If an AI voice will be used: which parts to generate separately and which pause or emphasis cues to add to the text.
Constraints:
- Do not invent plot or character details that are not in the material.
- If technical delivery specs depend on the distribution platform, say they must be checked instead of giving made-up numbers.
- If key information is missing (for example, a character’s age), ask me.
Format: numbered sections, with tables for characters and pronunciation.How to use it
- Paste a representative chapter or a summary, plus the list of characters.
- Review the pronunciation guide with the author or publisher before recording.
- Keep the character sheet in front of you for the whole recording.
- Check your distribution platform’s technical requirements before you export.
Usage example
Book: mystery novel set in coastal Maine · Characters: Detective Hale (50, dry), Tommy (20, nervous) · POV: third person · Audience: adults.
Sample output
1. Overall direction
- Tone: restrained and atmospheric, with tension building underneath.
- Pace: about 150 words per minute for narration; slower in the harbor descriptions.
- Performance: nuanced, not theatrical. Don't underline the mystery's clues.
2. Voice sheet
| Character | Age | Register | Speed | Trait | Emotional range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Detective Hale | 50 | mid-low | measured | dry irony, sentences that land downward | contained → cutting |
| Tommy | 20 | mid-high | fast, tripping over words | nervous breath before answering | fear → defiance |
| Mrs. Abbott | 80 | mid | slow | sweetness with a sly edge | kindly → calculating |
3. Pronunciation
| Term | How to say it |
|---|---|
| Abbott | AB-ut |
| Regional Maine accent for local characters? | [FILL IN: confirm with author] |
4. Scene: harbor interrogation
- Intent: Hale presses without raising her voice; Tommy defends himself too quickly.
- Key pauses: a 2-second silence before Tommy's first answer.
- Line to land: Hale's final question, lower and slower.
5. Consistency
Keep Tommy from drifting younger over the book; check long dialogue runs for lines read in the wrong character's voice…
Key facts
- Category
- Audio & voice · Voiceovers
- Output type
- Text
- Level
- Advanced
- Designed for
- ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini
- Verified in
- Pending editorial verification
- Variables
- Title and genre, Excerpt or summary, Main characters, Point of view and Audience
- Language
- English
- Price
- Free, no sign-up
- Updated
- Nov 7, 2026
Frequently asked questions
What pace is recommended for an audiobook?
As a guide, roughly 140-170 words per minute, slower for dense nonfiction or children’s books. What matters most is a steady, clearly understood pace.
Does it work for narrating with ElevenLabs?
Yes. The character sheet helps you pick or design a voice per character, and section 6 explains how to split and mark the text to generate it in parts.
Which technical specs do platforms require?
Each distributor has its own loudness, noise-floor and file-format requirements. Always check the current version on their site before mastering.
What is this prompt for?
Prepare audiobook direction before recording: narrator tone and pace, a voice sheet for every character, a pronunciation guide, scene notes and a consistency checklist.
Which AI tools does it work with?
It is designed for ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini. We have not verified it in these tools yet, so results may vary between them.
How do I customize the prompt?
Click “Customize” and fill in the variables (Title and genre, Excerpt or summary, Main characters, Point of view and Audience). The text updates instantly and you can then copy it in one click. Values are stored only in your browser.
Do I need experience to use it?
It is advanced: it is meant for people with experience in the topic who can evaluate and adjust the result.
Is this prompt free?
Yes. Every HomeCasa Prompts prompt is free, with no sign-up or subscription. You can also use them in professional projects.
Can I trust the AI output?
Treat it as a high-quality draft: always check data, figures and important claims before publishing or making decisions.