It's Just Like Talking

Writing is a lot like talking. No, I’m serious. I am a very auditory person. I’m dyslexic and didn’t learn how to read until relatively late in life. I should be a really bad writer. I am a really bad speller, but “writing” has always been easy for me. The reason is simple, talking has always been easy for me. And writing is a LOT like talking.


When I write, whether it’s a blog post or a novel, I simply pretend I’m talking to a real person and I type whatever I would say in real life. The first comment I get from my real life friends who have read my writing is, “this sounds exactly like you”. And the first comment I usually get from more writery people like my agent or my critique partners is that I have a great voice.

I’ve also been told several times that I’m very good at writing dialog. Again the reason for this is simple, I’m good at talking, and dialog is talking. I do seriously suck at setting, and pretty much all non-dialog parts of a story. But that’s not the point of this post.

So if you totally suck at talking, I have no advice for you. But if you’re like me, and have been talking pretty much nonstop since you were a toddler, pick up a pen and go wild. Because when you write your words down, it’s easier for them to reach a larger audience. And if you have something to say, you should say it.