Menu
Visit any elementary classroom* and you should see read-alouds taking place, whether that’s a picture book, chapter book, or middle grade novel. (Yes, middle grade can be a read-aloud!) And if you’re lucky, what you’re witnessing is a performance. Sure, some are better than others. And there are always extenuating circumstances—that pesky sore throat or the office calling and interrupting three times or a kid falls out of their chair (ask me how I know). Sometimes, life happens, and the performance may suffer a little.
And then other times, it’s magic.
The kids are engaged and (mostly) focused. There are oohs and aahs over illustrations. Someone closes their eyes because they can’t bear to see what happens when the page is turned. At the end of a book, particularly a picture book, someone might clap or sigh happily or exclaim, “That was a good story!”
Read-alouds are powerful in the classroom.
And they’re powerful for you as a writer.
Long before your book is ever available on store shelves or at online retailers, you need to harness the power of reading your own words out loud.
As you read through your manuscript, does the story flow smoothly from one plot point or beat to the next? Or does it seem choppy or robotic when it’s read out loud?
Do you notice the same word or phrase unintentionally being used again and again? (Not a character’s signature catchphrase or a repeating refrain in a picture book.)
Or, as you’re reading, do you find that something you were sure to include didn’t actually make it onto the page?
If you’re writing a rhyming picture book, can you easily hear the rhyme and meter in each stanza? Or do you have to go back and reread a line to make the meter work?
Is there a section of your story that seems to drag? Is there an important plot point that happens so quickly your readers might miss it? Does your mind start to wander, leaving you to wonder what you just read aloud?
If you’re noticing these things about your writing, your reader will notice these too. How can you revise your book so your readers will stay engaged?
Do the characters in your book sound distinct? Does the dialogue sound believable? Or does it sound too formal or stilted to be the way this character speaks? Are you easily distracted by the dialogue tags you’ve used?
What about your main character’s narration, how they see the world? Does this sound like the character you have created?
Reading your book aloud forces you to slow down and listen to your writing. It may seem silly to read aloud in an empty room instead of silently rereading your words, but the difference in what you discover can be profound.
One day, your readers will hear your story.
Today, it’s your turn.
*All the school examples really have happened before, but your mileage may vary.
Sign up to receive updates in your inbox here.
Are you ready to have your book edited? Learn more about editing for picture books, chapter books, and middle grade novels. Or send me a message to get started.
