Book Goodies

Connecting Readers and Authors

  • Home
  • Authors: Tell Readers About Your Book
  • Advertising
    • Buy Home Page Features
    • Advertise Your Bargain Book
    • List Your Free eBook
    • Feature Your PermaFree Book
    • BookGoodies Multi-site Landing Pages And Book Buyer’s Guides
    • Author Advertising PrePay and Save!
  • Deals Newsletter
  • Featured Books
    • Buyer’s Guides
  • Book and Kindle Sleeves
  • Use Coupon Code BookGoodies10 for 10% off your purchase from the BookGoodies Store!
  • Free Books
  • PermaFree Books
  • Featured Free and Bargain Books
  • Bargain Books Under $3
  • Buyer’s Guides
  • Interviews With Authors
    • Podcasts with Authors
  • Authors Start Here
    • Authors: Tell Readers About Your Book
    • BookGoodies MEGA Submit Book Buyers Guide
    • Submit Your Interview
    • Feature Your Free Books
    • Feature Your Bargain Books
  • Giveaways from BookGoodies
You are here: Home / Guest Posts / The Benefits of Reading Your Writing Out Loud – Guest Post by Katie McCoach @katiemccoach

The Benefits of Reading Your Writing Out Loud – Guest Post by Katie McCoach @katiemccoach

By Book Goodies Leave a Comment

I have never been a fan of reading writing out loud.

A) It makes me uncomfortable, and B) What’s the point?

Recently I joined a writing group that meets in person every Sunday. It is a wonderful group of writers. I am truly impressed, not just by their writing, but at the immense amount of helpful and positive support and critiques each member gives.

I was a little thrown off my first time however when I learned the set up. A couple people share each week: each writer has ten minutes to read their work out loud and then immediately after every person in the group has two minutes to provide a critique.

Immediate critiquing aside, one thing I noticed was how pieces sounded different when read aloud. Certain repetitive words are caught, grammar is noticed, flow sounds right or off, dialogue makes sense or doesn’t quite click. There are a lot of little nuances that aren’t picked up when reading silently that are when read out loud.

I still was weary however. I knew eventually I would be ready to share some of my work with this group and reading aloud frightens me. I get shaky, my heart races the entire time, my mouth dries up and I tumble over my words – it is quite chaos. So I decided to give it a try on a short story I wrote a couple years back, one that I really want to perfect but am aware that it still needs work. I began reading aloud to my empty room when no one was home and was shocked at how often I would stop and find myself rewriting a line here and there. Oh, that doesn’t sound right. Did I really just use the word dull three times in one paragraph? And, the interesting part is – I have read this piece so many times over the past couple years. I’ve read it after taking a break for a few months and still I never noticed these issues. It was amazing what reading aloud did for my story.

Last night I came across best-selling author Claire Cook’s website and one of her pages is dedicated to Aspiring Writers (http://clairecook.com/writing/). When asked is she has any tips for self-editing, Cook answers:

“The best one I know is to read your work out loud. You’ll absolutely pick up mistakes you’d otherwise miss. This is particularly helpful with dialog. If it doesn’t sound like something someone would actually say, it won’t come out of your mouth right. But this technique also helps me hear other mistakes and to find the rhythm of my work. Try it — I think you’ll like it!”

So, give reading your work out loud a try, and see what you come up with. Do you already have great flow but overuse words? Is your dialogue off or just on point? Reading aloud won’t only help you find mistakes or inconsistencies – it may even help show you the areas you are strongest.

Another thing to keep in mind with reading your writing out loud – if you do become a published author, attending events and readings, this is a skill set you will want to perfect early on. Master it before you have to face a larger audience – practice with writing groups and in the comfort of your own room. You’ll find your rhythm and learn to love your writing that much more. You wrote it, so why shouldn’t you feel great reading it?

*If you haven’t practiced this before, I encourage you to try it now, or as soon as you can! Pull out your recent story and read a chapter, or couple pages out loud. What things did you pick up on that you may have otherwise missed?


About the Post Author:
Katie McCoach holds a Bachelor’s of Arts in Creative Writing and Communications from Arizona State University. She is a freelance developmental editor working on full-length manuscripts, query letters, proposals, and website content.

Originally from the East coast, Katie has a great appreciation for changing seasons and cold weather. Which is exactly why she currently lives in Los Angeles. However she does miss autumn, the smell of an entire neighborhood with lit fireplaces, and cracking open an Old Bay covered Maryland blue crab in the summertime.

Katie has had essays published in TrainWrite and Kalliope. You can check out her blog here (http://katiemccoach.com/blog/) and visit her on twitter @katiemccoach

Katie McCoach Home Page Link

Katie McCoach Social Media Links
https://www.facebook.com/KatieMcCoachEditorial
https://twitter.com/katiemccoach
http://pinterest.com/katiemccoach/
http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/6826434-katie

Filed Under: Guest Posts Tagged With: editing, Katie McCoach, publishing, Writing

 

Sign up for our email newsletter to get daily notices about free, bargain and featured books.Be notified of instant access to free books AND Amazon Gift Card and book giveaways.

 

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

fifteen − five =

Join Our Newsletter

Fiction

  • Fiction
  • Action & Adventure
  • Drama
  • Fantasy
  • Historical
  • Horror
  • Mystery/Suspense
  • Paranormal
  • Romance
  • Romance – Erotica
  • Science Fiction
  • Women’s Fiction
  • Fiction Audio Books

Try Kindle Unlimited Today

Listen to Your Favorite Books

Nonfiction

  • Art/Photography/Coffee Table
  • Biographies & Memoirs
  • Body/Mind/Spirit
  • Business Books
  • Cooking and Food Books
  • Crafts and Hobbies
  • Educational/How-to
  • Essays
  • Faith and Religion
  • Gardening Books
  • Health & Fitness
  • Humor
  • Inspiration and Photography Books
  • Pet and Animal Books
  • Science and Math
  • Travel
  • Nonfiction Audio Books

More Good Stuff

  • Featured Books
  • Children and Young Adult Books
  • *Reading Room
    • Interviews With Authors
    • Audio Books
      • Nonfiction Audio Books
      • Fiction Audio Books
  • Spanish
  • Giveaways from BookGoodies
  • Readers: What Podcasts Do You Listen To?
  • Readers: What Devices do You Use to Read eBooks?
  • Readers: What Do You Like on an Author’s Website?

For Authors

  • Authors: Tell Readers About Your Book
  • Author Interview – Tell Us About Yourself
  • BookGoodies MEGA Submit Book Buyers Guide
  • Advertise Your Bargain Books
  • Advertise Your Free eBook
  • Advertise Your PermaFree Book
  • Universal Link Tool for Amazon Books
  • Subscribe to Our Newsletters
  • BookGoodies News

Copyright © 2021 BookGoodies Network