Now that I have reached a certain age and perhaps even attained some maturity, I am finally gaining insights. One of those insights is why I write the way that I write!
I write auditorially: I choose words by their sound. If I cannot hear that word in my head, it cannot be written. And that leads me to my second insight.
I write rhythmically. At school, I learnt speed reading. I was taught to read by avoiding saying the words in my head. Nobody said don’t write that way.
But how did I gain these insights? By overcoming everyone’s second greatest fear : that of public speaking.
When writing a speech I was obsessed about writing and rewriting it until it sounded right. Or rather until it was really my voice speaking it. Otherwise it would be a hesitant and halting speech indeed.
Despite my efforts I didn’t understand the link until I was asked the question : why don’t you right what you have just said? Ah yes, the moment of truth.
Now the beauty of these insights is that they work just for me. But how I found out is the same for us all : self reflection. That is the key to good writing…
Andrew James Whalan 