You'll be reading this when I'm out of town, visiting my
daughter. She's the one who prompted these thoughts, though.
We had a discussion at least a year ago, maybe more, on
contractions. I was saying that, of course, one writes a lot of contractions in
dialog because that's how people speak. The more casual and regional the
speech, the more contractions, at least for Texas-speak. My daughter replied
that contractions slow her down when she reads.
Huh? I asked how that happened. Turns out, she doesn't
actually hear the words as she reads. She reads super fast and is capable of
reading a whole novel in a sitting, if it isn't extra long. She quickly scans
the pages and takes in the meaning, but doesn't feel any rhythms.
I'm exactly the opposite. I read my stuff out loud as I'm
writing it. Sort of like reciting it to my fingers on the keyboard. In fact,
when I read books by Garrison Keillor, it takes me forever. I know how slowly
he talks, delivering his Prairie Home Companion monologs, and I hear his
writing in his voice.
I must say, I was astonished to learn this. I thought
everyone heard the words and the rhythms. Not so! The only way I can write is
to the rhythm, so that won't change, but I appreciate that not everyone will
care whether my sentences have cadence or not. Some of them might be slowed
down by my dialog.
Wow, that's me too - I hear words as I read them. Some words come with very specific accents that aren't mine, some I hear as "incorrect"(not quite the way they're really said). I also find certain punctuation (eg single vs double quotation marks) and type of font also affect the way the words "sound" in my head.
ReplyDeleteI thought this was everyone too.
I thought for a moment that I hear the words because of my musical background, but that can't be it because my daughter and I are both musicians. She's just a speed-reader and I'm not, I guess.
ReplyDeleteI guess I knew that some people didn't hear the words in their heads when they read, but I always have. I would love someone to do a study on this. My bet would be that most writers hear them, reading and writing. Except those who are strict with themselves about following the "rules." Some of the rules I found make the writing lack rhythm, and I can't get into it. This is particularly true of some (not all) of the hardboiled stories and some male writers. I even hear the words when reading nonfiction.
ReplyDeleteI don't think all writers do, and you can tell by the writing. Not that it's a bad thing, just different. Writers--and readers--concentrate on different things, I think.
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