You want to sound like you are speaking. You want to write as if you are speaking directly to the reader in front of you.

Words organized properly on the page and screen are meant to be read aloud if one so chooses. The editing process offers the challenge of hearing how those words sound when you speak them out loud. For years I have encouraged newer writers to look at this and practice it. Some people can speak very well yet their words written down might be a jumbled mess of disorganized chaos. Others write well while speaking below the level of their written composition.

I’ve always found myself in the latter category. As a member of the over analyzers society, there are times I’ll be reflecting on why I said this or that. It would have been better written down. Something in writing is something that can be better organized. Editing is the chance to work the phrasing. Old habits crash and burn hard. To this day my main struggle is to practice toning down sentences. Making them wordy and drawn out. Occasionally this annoyance comes through in my speech. To such a point where I find myself stopping mid-sentence to catch my breath and think things out. Surely it leaves a few people thinking I might be a bit crazy.

It’s my attempt to make perfect my phrasing. More over analyzing!

Bring yourself back to square one at any time through the work process. It is important to get everything down to page and screen. Taking a short sidebar to look at everything and how it sounds when you read it back, could prove beneficial as you move through the particular project.

@WriterDann