Write With Your Ears

I've been revising today, and as I was re-reading the story, something remarkable happened: I had a Eureka! moment. Praise be to the writing gods.

It was a funny thing--I was reading my story out loud, which I don't often do (even though I recommend it to my own students), because I know how something your eyes run right over will jump out and strangle you if you're reading aloud--and while I did catch some clunkers and errors, the important thing that happened was that I began to recognize patterns.

Thematic patterns, tonal patterns, pacing patterns--it was glorious. Because now, I see the patterns and know even more clearly what this story is about, and, more importantly, what it needs. Strangely enough, by hearing the story, I can now see it so clearly, almost concretely. I see the structure, I see blocks of language needing this or that. Amazing. Maybe it gives some credence to people who take off their sunglasses when someone is talking to them? I wonder: Exactly how closely linked is our sense of hearing with our sense of sight?

And I don't think I could have discovered these things by just reading silently. Therefore, I will now take my own advice and always read drafts aloud. And I will now count my ears and my sense of hearing as essential writing equipment. (And I will continue to recommend this method to my students, but now as a true believer.) Hallelujah!