Jive Talkin’

A common piece of advice:

“Write like you talk.”

Sounds like a good idea. Simplify, talk straight, all that— but is it always a good idea?

I think it’s perfect for writing dialogue; you want your characters to sound real, so they should talk like real people do. And there are lots of different types of people, who naturally speak in a variety of ways. This can be due to regional accent and vocabulary, familial mannerisms, temperament, outside influences, such as social groups or co-workers, and education. It can also be owing to affectation.

Dialogue can be flavored deliciously by pairing characters of dissimilar natures.

But what if we’re talking about “prose voice” or “style”? All those attributes that can make for exemplary characterization might not work as well in narrative prose.

As yourself: “How well do I talk?”

A lot of us don’t talk as well as we write. Some of us stumble, stutter, or grope for the right words. We use too much slang and crappy grammar, and repeat ourselves. Snore. When we speak aloud to others, we often take for granted that listeners will get the majority of what we’re saying because we may endow our communications with hand gestures and emphasize meaning by distorting facial features. For some of us, talking is so casual that we may not be able to really call it “talking.”

“Write how you talk” seems to suggest that as long as you write as you talk, you’ll write well. Okay, that’s jive.

Some people talk clearly and concisely at all times. If this is you, if others tell you how well you speak, then by all means, write like you talk.

I, on the other hand, have never quite been able to speak as well as I write. I do have moments of lucid, intelligent, spoken conversation, but I’m also known to trip over my own tongue. Sometimes, speaking on the telephone unnerves me.

Can’t say why. Brain freezes, tongue drools. Speaking in public is seldom a breeze, and at the worst of times, my thoughts get tied up inside my head and are unable to escape to reach my vocal chords. I’m definitely one of those writers who shouldn’t write exactly the way I talk. Except maybe when writing dialogue. I’ve often been commended for that.

So, if I don’t write like I talk, what is it that I do?

I write like I think. My writing brain is wired to my fingers, my hands, and my thoughts flow most clearly when my mouth is shut.

How is it for you? Do you speak better with your mouth open or closed?

#repetition #essay #casualwriting #writingadvice