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January 14, 2007

Out and Loud

Almost no exercise will improve your writing more than reading what you write out loud – not just things meant to be spoken such as speeches and scripts, but press releases, letters to the editor, new business proposals, Web site copy, pitch letters, etc. If it can’t pass the read-out-loud test, it fails. Business writing doesn’t mean stiff, uptight, or formal. It doesn’t have to include jargon, lingo, and clichés. Being “conversational” and “serious” aren’t mutually exclusive.

You’ll find that if you read what you write out loud you’ll stumble over awkward phrases, ridiculous words (e.g., utilize, proactive, plethora) and, often, grammatical mistakes. (Joan Didion said, “Grammar is a piano I play by ear. All I know about grammar is its power.) And where you stumble, so will your readers.

Think about contractions, too. Intuitively we use them when we talk, but when we put words to paper all of a sudden we start writing “they will” or “we are” when “they’ll” and “we’re” would sound more natural and make our copy flow better.

In addition, by reading out loud you’ll hear when sentences are meaningless and empty. How many times, after all, have you read a sentence like “We will utilize proprietary methodologies and best practices in order to leverage messaging that breaks through the clutter” and literally not even noticed it? Eyes gloss over (not to mention glaze over) sentences like that. Read it out loud and you’ll notice it, all right, and cringe that you were its author.

Note: Sometimes a great writing tip is right in front of my nose, so speak, and I don’t even realize it. I read a lot of what I write out loud, but never thought to comment on it until a former colleague of mine at Chicago magazine told me she counsels her writing students at Northwestern University to do it. Bingo – this week’s tip.

For those cubicle dwellers who would say, “sure, easy for you to suggest, Mr. I-Have-An-Office-With-A-Door, but I’d sound like a lunatic reading out loud to myself” (think Olivia de Havilland in “The Snake Pit”), I say find an empty office, an unscheduled conference room, or pick up the phone and pretend you’re chatting with your mother. And after you're finished pretending to talk to your mother, call her for real. She misses you.

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Dan Santow, at Word Wise, a blog for public relations professionals, reminds us of a powerful tool for revising your writing: read it aloud. He concludes:. . . by reading out loud you’ll hear when sentences are meaningless and empty. [Read More]

Comments

Ken, point taken, thanks. Love your blog.

Great advice! I frequently use this tip to catch those pesky run-on sentences as well.

I love this tip, but i must comment on your note...if any of the cubicle dwellers know who Olivia de Havilland is, ill buy you lunch…

Danny, I think you underestimate America's cubicle dwellers (I was one until a few years ago and I knew who Olivia de Havilland was - and Ava Gardner, too). Anyhow, since I can always use a free lunch, if any readers/movie buffs out there work in a cubicle AND can identify Olivia de Havilland, please let me know.

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Why "Word Wise"?

  • When I started to send out a weekly writing tip to my Chicago colleagues at Edelman (the world's largest privately owned PR firm), little did I know how quickly the list of those receiving it would grow. But word spread, as word is wont to do, and for the past three years about 1,500 of my 2,400 colleagues worldwide have been receiving it. The tips, which are about grammar, usage and style, have a dual purpose – to remind my colleagues in public relations of the power of the written word (I’m lucky to work for a company that not only prizes, but expects, expert communications skills), and, more generally, to support and perpetuate clear, concise, creative, honest, lively, stylish, compelling writing everywhere. With “Word Wise,” I hope you’ll challenge me, challenge other readers, make suggestions, argue minutiae, add commentary, exchange ideas, and help all of us become the best writers we can be.