Hey, y’all! I hope you enjoy this post by my friend Grace Hitchcock. Check out her books linked in her bio at the bottom of this post. She’s a delightful person and writer. Enjoy!
The Listening Habit that Transformed My Writing
As a child, I used to love listening to fiction books on tape (yes, tape…do you remember the pain it was to rewind them, or heaven forbid try to find the exact spot you were last at if you mistakenly forgot to press the stop button??). I never really paused to consider until after I had my firstborn how much listening to those tapes taught me about story—about voice—and vital writing techniques.
Now, with three little ones, (ages 7, 4, and 2!) and approaching deadlines, most of my reading is done via audiobooks while I take care of babies, do housework (let’s be honest, I owe any willingness to clean to audiobooks), farm chores, and drive!
4 Things I’ve learned from listening to fiction audiobooks as a writer:
1. The importance of plot. Audiobooks, even more so than physical books, are a huge time commitment and if the audiobook doesn’t have a GREAT hook, engaging plot, and satisfying arc, it’s going to be set aside.
2. The promise of pace. Set in the beginning chapters, the pace is the promise that the author makes to the reader saying that the story, as good as it sounds in chapter one, will only keep getting better if you keep reading/listening!
3. Setting and description breathe life into a story. Listening to an audiobook has given me a whole new perspective on description. It’s amazing how certain authors can draw in the reader by painting a vivid picture with words. As I tend to lean more towards dialogue in my own writing, I’ve made it my goal for each new writing project to really focus on the descriptions of the setting and characters. As I read my WIP aloud, I ask myself as a reader if I can see my characters/setting. I can picture the story in my mind as the author, but it’s vital for me to translate it onto the page for my readers.
4. Keeping the love of story alive. And lastly, audiobooks are just a good way to keep up with your TBR pile and staying up to date on the tropes that are selling while cultivating your love for a good story and gaining inspiration. I find myself keeping my notes app open to jot down favorite phrases and possible new book ideas that are sparked from little historical facts sprinkled in by authors!
I’m currently listening to Jen Turano’s A Lesson in Propriety and Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire!
What are you listening to?
Thank you all for having me on the blog today!
Happy Listening and Writing!
Grace
Grace Hitchcock is the award-winning author of multiple historical novels and novellas, including the American Royalty, Best Laid Plans, and Aprons & Veils series. She holds a Master’s in Creative Writing and a Bachelor of Arts in English with a minor in History. Grace lives South Louisiana with her husband, Dakota, sons, and daughter in a farmhouse that is always filled with the sounds of sweet little footsteps running at full speed. When not writing, chasing babies, or tending to her chickens and golden retrievers, she’s baking something delightful and can usually be found with a book clutched in her fist.
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Welcome to IBL, Grace. I don’t have young kids. I’m way down the line from there. But nearly all of my reading (over 90%) is done with audiobooks, both fiction and non-fiction. I just started the novel MY FRIENDS by Fredrik Backman. For non-fiction, I’m listening to GRASPING GOD’S WORD by Scott Duvall and Daniel Hays, THE BIBLE RECAP by Tara-Leigh Cobble, and THE LAST LION: WINSTON SPECER CHURCHILL, Volume 1 by William Manchester.
Fun to see you here, Grace! I went through an audiobook phase where I listened to them a lot, mainly during exercise, chores, and road trips. Then I shifted back toward “manual” reading. Something about being over 50, but listening to audiobooks in the car now puts me to sleep instead of keeping me awake. Not a good thing when I’m driving. Eek! I still listen to one occasionally, but it’s rare for me to listen to more than 2-3 a year. Maybe when I retire, I’ll get back into the listening zone. I’ve always thought it would be fun to mix my two favorite hobbies – reading and cross stitch. Audio-reading would allow me to do both togther. 🙂
Grace–I love your books!
I am currently listening to Beth Moore’s memoir, All My Knotted-Up Life, and waiting on Susan Sleeman’s Minutes to Die on the Libby app. I have just discovered how great audiobooks are this year; I am a podcast person. But so far this year, I have listened to 20 fiction and non-fiction. I have seriously developed an addiction!