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Hey, listeners.
Today's tip is powered by National University.
As a listener of Before Breakfast, you know my goal is to help you make the most of your day without sacrificing work or family time.
That's why I'm so happy to introduce an institution that shares the same values.
If you are thinking about going back to school, you're probably wondering how to fit it all in.
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Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of iHeart Radio.
Good morning.
This is Laura.
Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast.
Today's tip is to write for the ear.
If you assume that whatever you write will be read out loud and you structure your writing to make that possible, your writing will be more compelling and clear.
This week, I'm sharing several of my favorite writing tips.
Whether you write for a living or not, you may have to write reports or emails or articles for industry publications.
Certain tactics can make all writing better.
When I write these podcast scripts, I am obviously writing them to be read out loud.
That is the whole point of a podcast script.
But even writing that isn't designed to be recorded benefits from approaching it as if it would be.
That's because of how people actually process written language.
Many years ago, an editor told me almost in passing that when people read things silently, they are actually saying them in their heads.
As a result, writing that sounds better to the ear reads better, even if you never actually hear it.
When I write these scripts, I practice reading them out loud.
When I do, I immediately see things that need to be edited.
Sometimes sentences are too long.
They need to be broken up so I can get through them without gasping for breath.
Sometimes sentences are all the same length.
Too many long sentences or, for that matter, too many short sentences in a row sound boring.
Finally, certain words and sentence structures sound stronger than others.
It turns out that ending a sentence on a solid one-syllable word generally feels more satisfying than ending it on a long one.
So rather than writing being clear and compelling, you want it to be compelling and clear.
Some of this becomes habit over time.
If you want an example of what good spoken language sounds like, try listening to a really good preacher.
These people often have it down because they're talking to crowds many times a week.
But even in the absence of that, if you simply commit to reading your own writing out loud before you publish it or hit send, you will likely spot problems.
You will see that some words sound better than others.
You will see where you are gasping for breath and you'll break things up.
That will help readers be able to make it through your writing too.
Now, I know that most of us don't do this with casual writing such as emails.
But imagine if we did.
Reading email would feel more pleasurable.
And thus we'd be able to get our points across.
And maybe we'd send fewer emails.
That wouldn't be a bad thing at all.
In the meantime, this is Laura.
Thanks for listening.
And here's to making the most of our time.
Hey, everybody.
I'd love to hear from you.
You can send me your tips, your questions, or anything else.
Just connect with me on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram at beforebreakfastpod.
That's B-E, the number four, then breakfast, P-O-D.
You can also shoot me an email at beforebreakfastpodcast at iheartmedia.com.
That before breakfast is spelled out with all the letters.
Thanks so much.
I look forward to staying in touch.
Before Breakfast is a production of iHeart Radio.
For more podcasts from iHeart Radio, visit the iHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.
Hey listeners, today's tip is powered by National University.
You know my goal is to help you make the most of your day without sacrificing work or family time.
That's why I'm so happy to introduce an institution that shares the same values.
If you are thinking about going back to school, you're probably wondering how to fit it all in.
National's flexible online formats, four- and eight-week courses and monthly class starts help you begin your degree sooner, finish faster and do it all on your own schedule.
So you have more options for managing work, family, and school.
With over 150 degrees, credentials and certificates to choose from, they have a program that fits your career goals.
Learn more today at nu.edu.
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This is an iHeart Podcast.
