At every pm meeting, authors read from their works before opening the floor to critiques. It is a long-standing practice for the GFWG and serves two purposes. Kay has long argued, and rightfully so, that it helps some authors overcome stage fright, that is, of reading in public. Authors are often called on to this, and the GFWG has, from time to time, put on public readings of our work. No idea when the next one will be, but it's always a fun event.
The other purpose, and it's far more subtle and I fear often missed, is that it reveals poor writing. Work meant for the written page frequently sounds different. Someone often says, "I didn't like it when I read it, but it sounded perfectly natural when you read it out loud." That's because the author has made the mistake of writing as s/he speaks. He has written for the ear and not the eye. Having written the story as he would speak it, right down ro the phrasing, is a problem masked by public readings. What the eye catches, the ear ignores.
In other words, don't read your work out loud when you're creating it or editing it. The vast majority of stories will never be read that way, and stories that work well in print will almost always sound good when written. There are three exceptions to this rule, the Three P's.
Picture Books -- these are read by adults to children. That said, the author will read the work as intended. If writing one of these, have someone who's never glanced at the ms read it out loud and see if it still sounds natural, because that's how parents will read it to their children the first few times until they get the rhythms down.
Plays -- plays are also meant to be spoken, and should be read aloud to capture pacing, voice, and emotion. If you're a playwright or actor with theater friends willing to try a dry run, get them, otherwise you may be on your own. Still, it's OK to read plays out loud.
Poetry -- IF intended to be read publicly, at open mics and jams and the like. Poetry is in a separate category because it is intended to be read quietly as well as openly. It's OK for poets to read their work aloud as they write and edit.
But novelists and short story writers -- DON'T DO IT!!! Make sure the written word works. The spoken word will follow.
Attend a GFWG meeting. We'll make sure you get to read it out loud!
2 comments:
Hmmm. Interesting buck to the conventional wisdom. It's usually looked on as good to read out loud to catch awkward wording and other glitches as well as omissions that the eye can make believe are on the page.
That said, I can't recall the last time I did that for my own stuff.
You're right--we shouldn't write like we would talk. That's dictation. And writing should, I believe, involve more art than that.
Even professional storytellers offer listeners more depth, panache and flair when they're on stage than when they're in a casual conversation.
I tend to note in critiques how a certain piece captures a person's "voice." It might be good for you to cover "voice" at some point here to distinguish one's way of talking from one's "personality"--tone, cadence, style, etc.--on the page.
Great! Now I have homework. Thanks, Kay... I will definitely add "voice" to the list of future posts.
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