Does It Sound Right When You Read It Out Loud?
Well, does it?
You’ve definitely heard people say you should write like you talk.
It’s the most important thing to learn, but also the most difficult one. The best way to get close is by reading it out loud.
So how do you make it sound right?
For starters, every sentence should lead to the next. And each sentence should be connected with the previous one.
The easiest way to do this is by using words you commonly use while talking: “so, but, and, like …”
These are the words you weren’t allowed to start sentences with in school. Now you can. And you should.
And when you really can’t connect sentence A to B, think about the other options: deleting one sentence, changing position, completely rewriting it, or in the worst-case scenario: adding a subtitle between.
Another important thing is the antecedent. This is a fancy word to say “what you are referring to”.
Whenever you use words like “it, this, that, he”, you refer to someone or something. Make sure it’s clear who or what you’re referring to. By reading out loud, it’s easier to discover when your sentences get confusing.
Next, reading out loud helps you find breaks. It shows you where sentences get too long or where you should add or remove a comma or period. Furthermore, it will show you where your text gets too monotonous. For example, by stacking too many sentences of the same length.
Find more free writing advice in the 7Q Writing Framework.
