To Read Out Loud or Not To . . .

By Bonnie Harris

You know what I've rediscovered this past little while, is the value of reading books out loud. Lately, I've been reading stories to my little one (particularly the scriptures) as he's playing on the floor or I'm trying to get him to sleep. I'm amazed at how my tongue slips up and I insert words that aren't really there. Phrases just come out the way I think they should and not the way they were actually written. It has really thrown me and I've really begun to appreciate the easy flow of well-written stories. Not only are they easier to read out loud, but I don't find myself tripping over my tongue as often.

So, I've taken that into account as I work on my writing. I've even found myself whispering my sentences and smile when I realize what I'm doing. It's also a great way to get out of a writing slump. Things have become a bit overwhelming (what? overwhelming this time of year? Never!) and my brain doesn't want to function when I sit down to write. More and more in the past few days, I'm turning to reading a chapter or two in order to escape, calm myself, get inspiration, and any other word you'd like to plug in right there.

Remember, part of writing is reading. So don't feel bad when a book calls you rather than your characters. Or you choose to ignore your characters and dive into a good novel. Whatever you do this holiday season, enjoy and Happy Writing or Reading, whichever it may be!