My editor just told me to read my entire novel OUT LOUD and correct errors that way. Only two chapters done, but seriously--OMFG.... Totally eye-opening. I thought my manuscript was as close to perfect as I could get it--but all kinds of stuff popping out--not errors, but flow and tone flaws...places where I can tweak just a bit to make each character more distinct. Holy crud.
Seriously, I am doing this with any major piece of writing I do from here on in. Yes, I teach this to my students for their papers, but for an entire novel--I thought my internal narration was enough. Nope. The physical act of moving air and sound through my lips, the laying of sound on the vocal chords, the gestures the words induce... Reading out loud becomes even more valuable.
I consider myself happily and gratefully reminded of a critical editing technique. Yay!
