“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
DeMarco-Barrett is the author of Pen on Fire: A Busy Woman’s Guide to Igniting the Writer Within, a Los Angeles Times bestseller and winner of the Best Book Award from the American Society of Journalists and Authors. Host and producer of the long-running podcast Writers on Writing, she has taught at several colleges and universities and is a frequent presenter at writing workshops and conferences.
Her reminder of the importance of sound is key to any successful writing endeavor.
A train rumbling by; the hoot of an owl to break the night’s stillness; a floorboard’s creak just when no one else is supposed to be around. When I was a young child we would gather around an upright console radio to “hear” The Shadow, Dragnet, or The Lone Ranger. My brothers and my 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.
For a writer, DeMarco said, “Working doesn't always mean putting words on paper.”
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