I'm talking about reading what I write. Out loud. I never thought it would make such a difference. But here's what I've learned:
Flow of dialogue. When your characters are actually speaking, you realize they wouldn’t say it quite that way. It helps to make it sound more believeable.
Typo's and mispelled words. My brain skips over these, but I catch more errors this way.
Pacing. In exciting parts where you're building up the suspence, the pace should be faster, the sentences shorter. I realize sometimes i'm too "wordy" or not detailed enough.
Inconsistencies. My character was talking to her mom, but suddenly her dad is responding. Oops!
Do you read your work out loud? Does it work for you?
14 comments:
I read my poetry out loud but never my novels. Eek! My throat would hurt! LOL
PS: I think you've totally forgotten about the drawing I ordered ... :-/
I follow this tip religiously! It's a huge help. :)
I do it, I have to, but I make sure never to get caught!
Yes on the reading out loud and reading it backwards, especially for catching spelling and grammar issues after I've read it a couple hundred times, lol!
I do read my work out loud...but only when no one is listening!
I spend most of my day talking to myself out loud and you're right, reading out loud def. helps catch errors. Even if you sound crazy.
ooo, yes and yes. I do do this (do do!) and it really helps in the exact ways you've described. Particularly w/dialogue. Happy V'day, Rose! :o) <3
I've started reading out loud when I'm looking at stuff for my critique buddies! It really works!
I need to do it on my own stuff too but I'm waiting for the big change stuff to come back from my buddies first.
Yes. I am constantly talking to myself as I write. Which is probably why I prefer to only write when no one else is around--I know I sound insane!
Although it doesn't bode well for my novels/stories to admit this...when I try to read them aloud, I start yawning.
I've done some, but I haven't gone all the way through. I was thinking about doing it with this WiP I'm working on. I think I'll try it for at least a couple chapters to see if it helps.
Been doing it for centuries -- since grade school. Sometimes I guess those teachers do know something. LOL
I catch so much when I read it out loud, but like others have been saying, I make sure no one is around first. Lol!
Love your illustrations by the way! I just came across your blog today. ☺ (I was on J.C. Martin's)
hi miss rose! could you believe reading my stuff out loud is what i been doing from the very first story and for sure it gets me knowing stuff i could need to do better. now i read it out loud lots to my brothers and my sister and they give me real good idea on stuff to change or add or fix or just leave out. its a really good helper for doing a good story.
...hugs from lenny
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