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DID YOU KNOW AUDIOBOOKS CAN IMPROVE YOUR WRITING?
A) NO SKIMMING ALLOWED
C'mon, admit it: you skim over the "boring parts" as you read print. It's instinctive by now.
But skimming robs you of the power and purpose of the words you skim!
B) AUDIO LETS YOU CATCH THE PACE, THE FLOW OF THE WORDS
The sounds of the words will bleed into your own writing. You will begin to "see" words as images.
It will limit your use of HE SAID/SHE SAID in every line of dialogue.
Don't tell me those words are invisible to readers -- only to you as you block them out as you write.
You'll discover new ways to add pauses to the spoken lines.
C) YOU'LL HEAR THE WORDS AS YOU WRITE THEM
Maybe in your voice. Maybe in the voice of your favorite narrators.
It will spotlight "kinks" in your paragraphs.
The audio's will create a Theater of the Mind letting you see words as images.
D) YOU'LL "READ" MORE
Stephen King stresses that the more you read the deeper your perspective will be in your books.
You'll read in places you couldn't with a print book: in bed, exercising, gardening, commuting.
You'll discover favorite narrators and seek out books they narrate no matter the genre and
your literary horizons will expand, enriching your prose, breathing new ides into your future novels.
E) YOU'LL LEARN
AUDIBLE has its DEAL OF THE DAY:
I got Arthur C Clarke's 2001 for $2! The intro was by Clarke himself, detailing the unique way he wrote the book.
I got BREAKFAST AT TIFFANY'S read by Michael C Hall of DEXTER fame (great narrator) for $2!
Craig Johnson of LONGMIRE fame detailed at the end of one of his books the origin of his hero and how he writes. Great lessons.
F) YOUR OWN AUTHOR READINGS WILL IMPROVE FROM LISTENING TO PROFESSIONALS.
G) YOUR VOCABULARY WILL IMPROVE
You'll learn new words from their use in context of the action of the novels.
You'll repeat crutch words less as you insert the new words into your prose.
OH, BEFORE I FORGET WHY ALL THIS TALK ON AUDIOBOOKS!
I'VE GOT A NEW, AFFORDABLE ONE!
ONLY $3.95!
Voodoo in the Carpathian Mountains of Romania?
A mystic travel trailer
that has a life of its own and takes its name too seriously?
A deadly,
unbeatable worker of dark magic out to unravel the fabric of reality?
A
Hellhound named Puppy?
All in a normal day for the last Lakota Heyoka,
Toomey Starks.
Since Toomey is Lakota
here is John Two Hawks with lyrics
I'll check out your audios, Roland.
ReplyDeletePersonally, I love audios. I even have a bunch of books on old tapes because I used to pick them up at local library sales for $1 or $2. HEARING words spoken, hearing them flow in well-written sentences, is delicious and yes, amazingly good for improving one's writing style. And related to the audio experience is plays. I used to see a live play a month, and the best dialogue would seep down into my consciousness.
Very good points about listening skills and how that translates to writing. Good luck with 'Call Me Tombs' in audio, Roland!
ReplyDeleteI remember that Hellhound named Puppy (perhaps from 'End of Days?')
Tombs is a great story!
ReplyDeleteHearing one's story can really help with dialogue.
Audio books are much more visual for the reader than printed books. Good point.
ReplyDeleteHi Roland .. we do skim when we need to get on .. but with audio we're tied in to the author's imagination .. and definitely we must learn new words and improve our vocabulary and grammar ..
ReplyDeleteI must check mine out .. cheers Hilary
Helena:
ReplyDeleteToday, due to Audible's DEAL OF THE DAY, I got both the Kindle book and the audiobook of LIFE ON THE MISSISSIPPI by Twain for $1.98!
If I had your email address, I would send you the audio download for HER BONES ARE IN THE BADLANDS.
Audio, for me a rare blood courier, is a gift of companionship and delight.
I was just reading on the net how plays teach writers how to compose better dialogue.
May today be a special one for you.
D.G.:
Yes, Puppy and Toomey Starks were both in END OF DAYS, along with Wolf Howl and the Turquoise Woman from THE LAST SHAMAN -- another affordable audiobook from me: you can get BOTH the Kindle book & the audiobook of it for just $2.98! How cool is that?
Alex:
Thanks for saying that about Toomey. Puppy promises NOT to visit you for that. :-)
Richard:
They ARE theaters of the mind, aren't they? A good voice narrator can make the story come alive as mere print cannot. Thanks for visiting!
Hilary:
In audiobooks, you can speed up the pace by tapping the controls to 1.5 and still enjoy the story.
I am always happy when I see you here in my cyber-home! :-)
I have never tried an audio book. Don't know why, maybe because I really don't like to listen and I'm not very good at it. Reading works so much better for me. I'm not a writer, but I still enjoy reading your post for writers. I learn something every time. I just went through my emails and noticed some from you posted in a place I should check more often than I do. So sorry! Will write you soon. Love The Stars Bleed at Midnight, BTW.
ReplyDeleteInger:
ReplyDeleteAs I drive a lot, audio books are a great boon to me. It is like listening to a radio drama. I made the mistake of listening to King's DUMA KEY while driving late at night down isolated rural roads! Brrr! Sam is pleased you are enjoying The Stars Bleed at Midnight! Mark Twain knew you would, but he is humble like that!!
Thanks, Dee Dee, for bringing Maukie back to me. I've missed the little guy!! :-)
ReplyDeleteI'd never thought of those benefits of audiobooks before, Roland. Great post!
ReplyDeleteJennifer:
ReplyDeleteThanks for visiting. As a rare blood courier (I've already driven miles today!!) audiobooks expand my literary horizons and have given me new friends with whom to spend the time! :-)