What could be simpler than transferring your message as a public speaker into writing? It should come naturally, right? Except . . .
It doesn’t. Not usually.
Writing and speaking are different disciplines. Some of the things you take for granted and harness to your advantage as a speaker aren’t accessible to you as a writer. Let’s look them.
What Are the Differences?
Words are just one component of how you communicate when speaking. You’ve got other important tools in your toolkit as well:
- Your tone and volume of voice
- The way you emphasize certain words
- How you pace a sentence—faster, slower, pausing for effect
- Facial expressions
- Hand gestures and other body language
- Reading the room
- Immediate clarification and course correction
- Eye contact
- Question and answer
- Commonly understood terms, if you have a following
- Video clips and music
- Even your choice in clothes
I’m sure you can add to the list. The point is, as a speaker, you’re using more than words alone to communicate to your audience.
But not as a writer.
As a writer, all you’ve got to work with is words. Just words in print.
And since you’re not present to speak those words aloud, your reader is going to impose his or her own voice and presumptions on them internally. If you want your reader to interpret your words accurately, you need to craft them exactingly. You can’t just slap them down, move on, and expect good results.
That limpid prose you aspire to—that spontaneous, conversational flow that connects so naturally with your reader—takes time, thought, and rewriting to achieve.
In his classic book On Writing Well, William Zinsser says, “Writing is hard work. A clear sentence is no accident. Very few sentences come out right the first time, or even the third time. . . . If you find that writing is hard, it’s because it is hard.”*
Getting your writing to read effortlessly takes effort. It takes lots of self-editing before you submit your manuscript to an editor. That’s the norm. Embrace it and you’re on your way to becoming more than just an accomplished speaker. You’re adopting the mindset of a good writer.
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* William Zinsser, On Writing Well: The Classic Guide to Writing Nonfiction, rev. ed. (New York: HarperCollins, 2006), 9. All aspiring authors should read this book before sitting down to write. It’s engaging, personable, and packed with sound advice.