The sounds of good writing

 “Sound is so important to creative writing. Think of the sounds you hear that you include, and the similes you use to describe what things sound like. 'As she walked up the alley, her polyester workout pants sounded like windshield wipers swishing back and forth.' Cadence, onomatopoeia, the poetry of language are all so important. Learn all that you can about how to bring sound into your work.” – Barbara DeMarco-Barrett

A tip from California writer, teacher and broadcaster DeMarco-Barrett, host of the West Coast radio show  “Writers on Writing” and author of the popular writing book Pen On Fire. 

A train rumbling by; the hoot of an owl breaking the night’s stillness; a floorboard’s creak just when no one else is supposed to be around.  As children, my brothers and I would gather around our family source of entertainment, an old upright radio, to hear The Shadow, Dragnet, or The Lone Ranger.  Our only view was of the front of that radio as we sat cross-legged on the floor to listen.  But the worlds of crime, drama, and the Old West came pouring out upon us – a wonderful mix of a writer’s words and great sound.

A writer’s responsibility is not just to the story but to the elements within the story. Sound is an integral part of every writer’s moment.

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