I worked about half the day today working on my Podcasting techniques.  I started by recording a chapter from a book that I have read several times.

I had previously recorded a lot of my own work and found the results to be better than I expected.  However, when I recorded someone else's work (this was for my personal recording and not something I will ever publish, just doing it for the practice), I found it to be much more difficult.

1. I did not know the words as well, even though I've read the book several times.
2. The words did not read aloud as easily as some of my own words had(partly because my words had been cherry picked from writing that was more suitable for recording)
3. I found it difficult to get into a good rhythm and to place the proper emphasis on words and phrases.
4. Editing took about twice as long as it has typically taken for me with my own work.

But I learned oh so much more than I had yet.  I found several flaws in my style and tone and emphasis that only showed evidence of existing when I was less suited for the work.  I found that after practicing with additional chapters I was able to improve greatly.

Then when I went back to my own work the results were much much better.  I suspect its kind of like learning to fly in a simulator and trying to compare that to flying a real plane only to go back and fly the simulator some more after getting some real world experience.  When I was a kid, I always wondered why my dad was so good at Pole Position at the arcade.  I didn't really learn why until after I learned to drive and went back to play driving games at the arcade.  The real life skill teaches you so much more!