Comments on: John Hewitt’s Writing Tips: Read it out loud http://www.poewar.com/john-hewitt%e2%80%99s-writing-tips-read-it-out-loud/ Writing Career Center Sat, 20 Mar 2010 01:51:48 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: David Bowman http://www.poewar.com/john-hewitt%e2%80%99s-writing-tips-read-it-out-loud/comment-page-1/#comment-143997 David Bowman Tue, 01 Jan 2008 01:09:10 +0000 http://www.poewar.com/archives/2005/12/10/john-hewitt%e2%80%99s-writing-tips-read-it-out-loud/#comment-143997 Even as editors, we follow this strategy for all types of documents. Not only does this help us to hear the flow and clarity of the language for editing purposes, it also helps in the proofreading process because it forces us to concentrate on every word and punctuation mark. Thanks for providing this great tip. Even as editors, we follow this strategy for all types of documents. Not only does this help us to hear the flow and clarity of the language for editing purposes, it also helps in the proofreading process because it forces us to concentrate on every word and punctuation mark.

Thanks for providing this great tip.

]]> By: Richard http://www.poewar.com/john-hewitt%e2%80%99s-writing-tips-read-it-out-loud/comment-page-1/#comment-5256 Richard Sat, 14 Jan 2006 18:11:36 +0000 http://www.poewar.com/archives/2005/12/10/john-hewitt%e2%80%99s-writing-tips-read-it-out-loud/#comment-5256 Great advice! I have a television background, so it never occured to me NOT to read (especially dialogue) out loud. My books are Civil War novels and I do a great deal of research and I went to hear David Herbert Donald (foremost Lincoln expert) speak at the Carter Center one night and he -- writing nonfiction -- does the same thing. Reviewers have complimented me on my dialogue skills. It's not as easy as it might seem and bad dialogue can ruin an otherwise good book. Another problem is TOO MUCH dialogue. Professional editors HATE dialogue because so many people use it as a crutch. Minimize it -- and read it out loud. Editors will love you for it! Great advice! I have a television background, so it never occured to me NOT to read (especially dialogue) out loud. My books are Civil War novels and I do a great deal of research and I went to hear David Herbert Donald (foremost Lincoln expert) speak at the Carter Center one night and he — writing
nonfiction — does the same thing. Reviewers have complimented me on my dialogue skills. It’s not as easy as it might seem and bad dialogue can ruin an otherwise good book.
Another problem is TOO MUCH dialogue. Professional editors HATE dialogue because so many people use it as a crutch. Minimize it — and read it out loud. Editors will love you for it!

]]> By: melinda cherry http://www.poewar.com/john-hewitt%e2%80%99s-writing-tips-read-it-out-loud/comment-page-1/#comment-2716 melinda cherry Sun, 11 Dec 2005 18:12:46 +0000 http://www.poewar.com/archives/2005/12/10/john-hewitt%e2%80%99s-writing-tips-read-it-out-loud/#comment-2716 I have primarily been an actor but I do have experience in writing and directing. The "read through" is the 1st step of production after casting. Obviously, in casting, the director must heavily weigh an actor's intonation, dialog, ect. On the stage you can see facial expressions and many times the face is not supposed to match the dialog. Since the writer's audiance does not have the ability to "see", the writer must be able to convey the same thing through words. I think your suggestion of reading out loud is brilliant in it's significance and simplicity. Excellent. I have primarily been an actor but I do have experience in writing
and directing. The “read through” is the 1st step of production after
casting. Obviously, in casting, the director must heavily weigh an
actor’s intonation, dialog, ect. On the stage you can see facial
expressions and many times the face is not supposed to match the
dialog. Since the writer’s audiance does not have the ability to
“see”, the writer must be able to convey the same thing through
words. I think your suggestion of reading out loud is brilliant
in it’s significance and simplicity. Excellent.

]]>