In the Ear of the beholder

Here is a confession: when I write, I speak the words out loud. Yes, I'm the guy who moves his lips when he reads. And when he writes.

Then, when I've finished a chapter, I read it through out loud again. This is part of my editing process. I'm looking for rhythms and patterns of sound that don't work. By the time a bit of writing is finished I will have read it many times in this way.

I relate to stories through sound. I hear them in my head. I speak them. I note them down. They are sold as written things. But their true home is in sounds.

Which is why I am so excited today. Because my novella THE MENTALIST is coming out as an audio book. I can't wait to hear it.

What about pictures? People have sometimes been kind enough to describe my writing as filmic. Do I see the story unfolding in my mind's eye, as well as hearing it with my mind's ear? I'll have to leave that for another blog post, as there isn't a simple answer.