On Writing Well - How to Distinguish Sound in Writing

By Robert L. Bacon

The most obvious idea that works for the majority of people is to read material aloud. Unfortunately, many writers get so close to their work that it's often difficult if not impossible to get a fair "hearing." Everything sounds good because of familiarity. And this is the real problem, not the purported inability to distinguish word tempo. If a writer--who claims imperceptibility to the nuances of his or her own work--reads somebody else's material, will the same issues persist? It's probably worth finding out.

A Second Step is to Listen as Someone Else Reads Your Material Out Loud

A lot of people can't sing a note, but can readily distinguish the slightest miscue from a vocalist on stage. I've found that most writers can pick up flaws in their work when it's read to them. Personally, I pay attention to the slightest hesitation on the part of the speaker, because when this occurs, in almost every instance this can be attributed to an inadequate word choice or syntax issue on my part.

One Warning: Find Someone to Read the Work Who is Not a Professional Speaker

A short while ago I conducted a workshop series in which a woman who attended possessed a fabulous voice and was a public speaker by vocation. I think she could read the names and addresses from a telephone directory and spellbind an audience. Needless to say, when she read her own writing, it sounded solid if not quite good at times. But without the benefit of her audio assist, when I parsed her material later, the writing was mediocre, at best. So, even if you know a Katie Couric or Sam Donaldson type, you're better off with Irene the Secretary or Joe the Salesman for this exercise, just as long as they're decent readers to begin with.

One Rule, and What a Writer Should Listen For

Once someone is willing to read material aloud for the writer who created it, I strongly suggest asking the reader not to preview any of the text, but to start right in with the narrative. Then pay attention to any breaks that indicate obvious needs for a touch up, but also listen to the ease or difficulty the reader is having pronouncing the words. Listen for repeating words or phrases that might have been ignored. Pay particular attention to repeating sounds made by the letters "p" and "c," along with runs of sibilant sounds that make passages seem to be hissed rather than enunciated.

Make an Honest Evaluation

Did some of the sentences sound clipped? Were connectives utilized that enabled clauses to blend fluently with one another? Did the reader ever seem to be running out of breath? How well did the material transition from sentence to sentence, character to character, and scene to scene? As for the dialogue, did the words sound natural? And with respect to dialogue, was there adequate interior monologue to enable the reader to catch his or her breath now and then? Was there variety in the construction of the overall narrative? And perhaps most important of all, did the reader seem to enjoy the material?

A Writer Will Have Answers

If a writer pays attention to the points I made in the previous paragraph, picking up the rhythm of the overall narrative will not be that difficult. And once the gremlins are eradicated, a revision will often produce a draft so superior to its predecessor that even the most challenged ear will appreciate the improved pitch.

About the Author: Robert L. Bacon, Founder The Perfect Write®  New Free Service for Serious Writers!, The Perfect Write® is now providing a Free Manuscript Opening Chapter Critique and Line Edit. Paste the first chapter of your manuscript (up to 5000 words) to [mailto:theperfectwrite@aol.com]theperfectwrite@aol.com (no attachments). In addition to the critique, The Perfect Write® will line edit, if applicable, the first three pages of your double-spaced material also at no charge. Also Free! Receive The Perfect Write® Newsletters that feature articles on writing at a publishable level. Click here http://www.theperfectwrite.com and scroll to the bottom of The Perfect Write® Home Page for the simple two-step sign-up box.