Reading competition - Kathrin

When I saw my name on the list of participants in the nationwide reading competition, I felt a mixture of excitement and nervousness rise up inside me. It was a moment I had been working towards for months. The idea that my voice would now be heard on the stream made me proud and anxious at the same time.

I love to read. Since I was a child, books have enriched my world and opened up new horizons for me. The opportunity to share my passion with others has always been a source of joy for me. And now I had the chance to prove my skills in a competition that was held throughout Germany.

My voice has often been described as pleasant and lively. I learned how to bring the words of a text to life, imbue them with emotion and give the audience an unforgettable reading experience.

What if I make a mistake? What if I put the wrong emphasis or don't read the text as vividly as I would like? These questions plagued me as I prepared for the big day. But I knew that I had to overcome my doubts if I wanted to be successful. I usually started to put myself in the characters' shoes. I visualized their surroundings, their movements, their gestures. I let their voices resound in my head, heard their laughter, felt their fear, their passion, their despair. I didn't just want to read out the words of the text, I wanted to bring them to life, to infuse them with my own feelings and interpretations. In the end, I was usually one with the protagonist. I thought like him, I felt like him. In the end, I myself was the main character in my story.

I was determined to win, and I knew that I had to use not only my voice, but also my ability to mobilize people. So I started posting the registration link everywhere. On my social media channels, in group chats with friends and family, even in online communities for literature fans. I wanted to make sure that anyone who was interested had the opportunity to sign up and listen to me read aloud.

The days went by and slowly but surely the registrations began to pile up. Each time I received a notification of a new registration, my anticipation for the competition grew. It wasn't just the prospect of presenting my voice to a wide audience, but also the certainty that I could reach people who shared my passion for literature, or who simply liked me.

The clock ticked on inexorably and the day of the competition drew closer. The number of registered listeners grew steadily, and I could hardly believe how far my message had reached. It was an uplifting feeling to know that so many people were willing to listen and support me.