1 00:00:03,480 --> 00:00:09,680 Speaker 1: Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of iHeartRadio. Good Morning, 2 00:00:11,119 --> 00:00:17,000 Speaker 1: This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. Today's 3 00:00:17,079 --> 00:00:21,959 Speaker 1: tip is to write for the ear. If you assume 4 00:00:22,000 --> 00:00:25,080 Speaker 1: that whatever you write will be read out loud, and 5 00:00:25,120 --> 00:00:28,960 Speaker 1: you structure your writing to make that possible, your writing 6 00:00:29,040 --> 00:00:34,400 Speaker 1: will be more compelling and clear. This week, I'm sharing 7 00:00:34,440 --> 00:00:38,159 Speaker 1: several of my favorite writing tips. Whether you write for 8 00:00:38,200 --> 00:00:41,280 Speaker 1: a living or not, you may have to write reports 9 00:00:41,400 --> 00:00:46,680 Speaker 1: or emails or articles for industry publications. Certain tactics can 10 00:00:46,720 --> 00:00:51,400 Speaker 1: make all writing better. When I write these podcast scripts, 11 00:00:51,440 --> 00:00:54,120 Speaker 1: I am obviously writing them to be read out loud. 12 00:00:55,080 --> 00:00:59,160 Speaker 1: That is the whole point of a podcast script. But 13 00:00:59,320 --> 00:01:03,720 Speaker 1: even writing that isn't designed to be recorded benefits from 14 00:01:03,760 --> 00:01:08,120 Speaker 1: approaching it as if it would be. That's because of 15 00:01:08,160 --> 00:01:13,600 Speaker 1: how people actually process written language. Many years ago, an 16 00:01:13,720 --> 00:01:17,759 Speaker 1: editor told me almost in passing, that when people read 17 00:01:17,840 --> 00:01:22,920 Speaker 1: things silently, they are actually saying them in their heads. 18 00:01:24,280 --> 00:01:27,680 Speaker 1: As a result, writing that sounds better to the ear 19 00:01:28,600 --> 00:01:34,119 Speaker 1: reads better even if you never actually hear it. When 20 00:01:34,160 --> 00:01:36,800 Speaker 1: I write these scripts, I practice reading them out loud. 21 00:01:37,720 --> 00:01:41,039 Speaker 1: When I do, I immediately see things that need to 22 00:01:41,040 --> 00:01:46,080 Speaker 1: be edited. Sometimes sentences are too long, they need to 23 00:01:46,120 --> 00:01:49,160 Speaker 1: be broken up so I can get through them without 24 00:01:49,240 --> 00:01:54,080 Speaker 1: gasping for breath. Sometimes sentences are all the same length, 25 00:01:55,160 --> 00:01:58,040 Speaker 1: too many long sentences, or for that matter, too many 26 00:01:58,040 --> 00:02:03,400 Speaker 1: short sentences in a row boring. Finally, certain words and 27 00:02:03,440 --> 00:02:08,079 Speaker 1: sentence structures sound stronger than others. It turns out that 28 00:02:08,440 --> 00:02:12,880 Speaker 1: ending a sentence on a solid one syllable word generally 29 00:02:12,880 --> 00:02:16,639 Speaker 1: feels more satisfying than ending it on a long one. 30 00:02:17,000 --> 00:02:21,079 Speaker 1: So rather than writing being clear and compelling, you want 31 00:02:21,080 --> 00:02:26,640 Speaker 1: it to be compelling and clear. Some of this becomes 32 00:02:26,639 --> 00:02:29,840 Speaker 1: habit over time. If you want an example of what 33 00:02:29,960 --> 00:02:33,919 Speaker 1: good spoken language sounds like, try listening to a really 34 00:02:33,919 --> 00:02:38,600 Speaker 1: good preacher. These people often have it down because they're 35 00:02:38,639 --> 00:02:42,880 Speaker 1: talking to crowds many times a week. But even in 36 00:02:42,919 --> 00:02:46,720 Speaker 1: the absence of that, if you simply commit to reading 37 00:02:46,840 --> 00:02:50,440 Speaker 1: your own writing out loud before you publish it or 38 00:02:50,520 --> 00:02:55,320 Speaker 1: hit send, you will likely spot problems. You will see 39 00:02:55,320 --> 00:02:58,880 Speaker 1: that some words sound better than others, you will see 40 00:02:58,880 --> 00:03:01,880 Speaker 1: where you are gasping for breath, and you'll break things 41 00:03:01,960 --> 00:03:05,320 Speaker 1: up that will help readers be able to make it 42 00:03:05,320 --> 00:03:09,120 Speaker 1: through your writing too. Now, I know that most of 43 00:03:09,200 --> 00:03:12,320 Speaker 1: us don't do this with casual writings such as emails. 44 00:03:13,360 --> 00:03:18,440 Speaker 1: But imagine if we did reading email would feel more pleasurable, 45 00:03:19,360 --> 00:03:21,679 Speaker 1: and thus we'd be able to get our points across 46 00:03:22,720 --> 00:03:26,560 Speaker 1: and maybe we'd send fewer emails. That wouldn't be a 47 00:03:26,560 --> 00:03:31,840 Speaker 1: bad thing at all. In the meantime, this is Laura. 48 00:03:32,720 --> 00:03:37,160 Speaker 1: Thanks for listening, and here's to making the most of 49 00:03:37,240 --> 00:03:46,200 Speaker 1: our time. Hey, everybody, I'd love to hear from you. 50 00:03:46,200 --> 00:03:49,120 Speaker 1: You can send me your tips, your questions, or anything else. 51 00:03:49,880 --> 00:03:53,440 Speaker 1: Just connect with me on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram at 52 00:03:53,480 --> 00:03:58,320 Speaker 1: Before Breakfast Pod. That's b E the number four then 53 00:03:58,400 --> 00:04:02,360 Speaker 1: Breakfast pod. You can also shoot me an email at 54 00:04:02,400 --> 00:04:07,080 Speaker 1: Before Breakfast Podcasts at iHeartMedia dot com. That before Breakfast 55 00:04:07,240 --> 00:04:09,760 Speaker 1: is spelled out with all the letters. Thanks so much, 56 00:04:09,760 --> 00:04:17,960 Speaker 1: should I look forward to staying in touch. Before Breakfast 57 00:04:18,040 --> 00:04:22,320 Speaker 1: is a production of iHeartRadio. For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, 58 00:04:22,560 --> 00:04:26,479 Speaker 1: visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen 59 00:04:26,560 --> 00:04:31,520 Speaker 1: to your favorite shows.