Write to be Heard

Go the loop

The Sound of Words

What is the best way to compose a tale that works when it is spoken and heard, rather than read off a page? The best and only complete way is to compose it, perform it, and play it back. This is no different than re-reading a draft with an eye to improve it, or printing a draft out in a different font, to read off a page with fresh eyes.

If you mean your tale to be performed in the radio model, by a cast of actors with maybe some sound effects and music added, you must compose it, see that it is performed, record the performance or listen to it live, taking notes (mental or written) on what sounds good, weak, and what you want to change.

If you mean your tale to be told by a single narrator in the audiobook or ancient oral tradition, then you must compose it and see that it is spoken (you can recite it yourself or have someone else do it) and listen to it live or recorded, taking notes on what you think you want to change.

The Performance Is Not the Tale

One thing to beware of is tuning in to the performance of the tale rather than the underlying tale itself. In one sense, of course, a poorly-composed tale is harder to perform, whether the performer is a single amateur, the author himself, a cast of friends, or a professional cast. But the great risk here is when you hear the piece well acted, bravely spoken, and fool yourself into thinking it means the tale itself is good.

You need to develop an ear to the difference between the performance and how it affects you (and an audience) and the tale and how it is working. The best way to do this is to repeat the process again and again with different tales, and gradually teach yourself. But you can learn faster by hearing the same tale performed or recited by different speakers.

A great reciter will make a weak tale seem better than it is; so you want to avoid great reciters for your draft and compositions. (On the other hand, if you yourself are reciting the work, you want to practice your delivery at the same time you’re recording your performance, unless you want to speak less bravely than you could.) But a lousy reciter won’t teach you anything, he will mangle the performance so badly that the perfect tale will be riddled with distractions and awkwardness; you will hear only the bad performance, and none of the tale itself. The best solution here may be the so-so or fair performer, who is just good enough so that he doesn’t spoil the tale, but adds little in the way of his own charm or talent. A fair, flat reading that does not call attention to its own flubs, goofs, or weakness of breath phrasing or voice.

Summing Up

So you want to hear your drafts performed, you want to hear each draft performed more than once by more than one performer, and you want to work through this process over many tales.

(Composed on keyboard Friday, May 9, 2008)