It's not easy to explain, but the best way to write well is to read, and the best way to read is aloud. I don't know why it works, but reading your work aloud allows you to step away from being the writer and be a listener. As such, you'll hear repetitive phrases, awkward constructions, and even plot hitches that silent reading as the author doesn't give you, I suppose because you know the work too well.

One tendency I have is to use my characters' names too often. When I read aloud, I catch that and replace about half the "Janes" with "she" or "her." I also hear wordiness and streamline sentences with too many phrases, too much explanation, or overly-formal word choices. Reading dialogue aloud is especially important; your characters must sound like themselves, each with his own syntax, vocabulary, and cadence.

An author recently told me that he gets someone else to read his work while he listens. I guess that would work too, if you have someone with nothing better to do than read to you. My mom used to help me out with plays I wrote for my drama group. We'd alternate characters' lines to get both a sense of the "rightness" of the dialogue and a good estimate of the time needed to stage a project.

Alone or with help, reading aloud is the best way to get a sense of what the reader will "see" when looking into your work. And when we see what he sees, we can better hone it to what he needs to see, the best possible writing.

Views: 12

Comment

You need to be a member of CrimeSpace to add comments!

CrimeSpace Google Search

© 2024   Created by Daniel Hatadi.   Powered by

Badges  |  Report an Issue  |  Terms of Service