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By Duncan Fisher

Apparently, we process language and ideas differently if we hear them through our ears, and not just imagine them mentally. Psychologists say it has to do with something called the ‘phonological loop’. In practice, it means we’re least likely to get confused by our ideas if we talk out what we want to write before we write it. If you’re not in the library or in the middle of an exam, you really should try this and see if it isn’t so.

Do it at the point where you’ve got your outline in front of you, ready to turn into essay text. The procedure is simple. Move through your notes, translating each little bit into the plain English you’d give your listener if you were delivering a speech. Write exactly those words.

The faster you go, the easier this will be, and the easier it’ll be to read later. Do not slow down to agonize, or you’ll just complicate things. Do not import words that you don’t talk, either. And do not add things that aren’t in your notes. Stick to the plan, stay natural, and go fast.

If you get bungled up, it’s because you don’t believe the rules about staying simple and sticking to the plan. You get self-conscious about what you’re writing, probably. This is a form of stage fright. New writers get it all the time. The solution really, really is to use on paper the same words you use in speech. You don’t get self-conscious and stop talking, after all. So go fast, stick to the plan, and talk naturally. Try imagining that you’re writing a script. You want the actors to sound normal, not stilted.

Should you really write like you talk? Yes, though make sure to write in full sentences, and don’t use any slang. Isn’t the written tone supposed to be more formal than the spoken tone? Not as much as you might think. Browse a copy of The Economist magazine to see how well rigorous logic and easy talking go together. Aren’t there books that are so formal and so complicated that you can’t understand them? Yes. Badly written books are like that.

For 20 years Duncan Fisher, PhD, has been showing people how to get their writing chores done and out the door fast, no matter what kind of training they have (or don’t have). He’s got an easy system that guarantees your success! Duncan’s motto? “Start writing now… even if you can’t write!” Visit him at http://www.instantwritingsuccess.com today!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Duncan_Fisher
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Post tags: English language, essays, writer, Writers Resources, writing, Writing

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