I’ve fielded a lot of writing questions over the years: where do you get your ideas? What’s your process? But the most frequent question by far is always: how can I improve my own writing? It’s a broad question and there is more than one answer. Reading voraciously, all the time, anything and everything, is probably the way that pays the most dividends. Getting an editor or even another set of eyes on your work is also crucial. But for me, the number one thing that’s helped me is reading my work aloud.

Some real magic happens when you read your writing aloud. You pick up the pauses, the punctuation, the nuance of the language. Your characters start to wake and come to life, animating themselves in ways that may surprise you. You can instantly start to tell when things are awkward, forced, or break the rhythm of your story.

When I sat down in the studio to do audio versions of Believe and Switch, I really didn’t know what to expect. I was matched with the right microphone for my voice, coached on how sessions would work, and did a lot of takes and testing to lay a foundation so when we started, the readings would be smooth and consistent.

Sitting on a stool and talking into a microphone, I found my voice. My real voice, the one that comes through when I write. No matter what your story is or your subject matter, the true beauty of writing is when you finally discover the voice that resonates through all of it – the one that is uniquely your own. Once you know that voice, you know when you’re being true to it in your writing and when you’re phoning it in.

I discovered a cadence to my writing, an almost lyrical quality that drove the narratives forward. I learned how I truly use speech and language to deliver what I’m seeing in my head. I came to know my characters as realized beings with voices and motivations all their own. It was a priceless exercise that continues to inform my writing. You certainly don’t have to sit for an audio book, but I promise you’ll discover a great deal about yourself once you take the words off the page and give them your voice!