Why Great Writers Listen First

 

By DiAnn Mills

 

Perfecting listening skills teaches the writer how to effectively communicate. A concentrated effort to perfect listening demonstrates a professional writer who is serious about their craft.

The writing professional hears what is said, how it’s said, and expands their vocabulary. The art of listening defines culture, shows education, mirrors intellect, and promotes the value and purpose of silence.

 

Perspective is another area where listening skills grow stronger. By observing others who hold unique and varied viewpoints, our understanding of the world widens. We pay attention. We process. We analyze. Then we transfer what we’ve learned to our written work—whether fiction or nonfiction—often through a lens different from our own.

Listening is learning and learning shapes us into better writers.

Empathy is a writer’s ally, and listening lays the foundation for understanding and portraying credible emotion. When we listen well, we can step more fully into the persona of a character or approach a nonfiction subject with confidence. When readers become immersed in the narrative and feel at one with the manuscript, the writer has done their job.

Dialogue thrives when we listen to how distinct people express themselves. Dialect, cultural word choices, expressions, and viewpoints build both character and genre. Observing body language alongside spoken words deepens the craft and heightens the reader’s experience.

A vital aspect of research is the power of listening to those who provide information. Interviews that capture enthusiasm, preferences, hesitations, and even contradictions establish authentic detail. When possible, record not only what is said, but how it is presented.

Our writing voice develops when we write. Our style, knowledge of the subject, and personalization increases with every word. By applying listening skills to our literary techniques, we strengthen our unique voices.

Below are three ways to increase your writerly listening skills:

• Listen with your whole body and mind. Shut out the rest of the world and concentrate on the audible voice.
• Listen with empathy. Put yourself in the speaker’s shoes. What differences will this audible contribution make in your writing?
• Listen with purpose. A writer’s goal is to put themselves aside and speak for a character or a nonfiction perspective.

I encourage you to pay attention and listen. The craft of writing improves by understanding the way communication is expressed. Grow your skills and make it a lifelong practice.

How are you using listening skills to grow your writing?

 

 Photo by Brett Jordan on Unsplash

DiAnn Mills is a bestselling author who invites readers to expect an adventure through heart-pounding suspense, romance, and faith-filled stories. Her novels have landed on CBA, ECPA, and Publishers Weekly bestseller lists and won numerous awards, including the Christy and Carol. A founding board member of American Christian Fiction Writers and Conference Advisor for Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers, DiAnn mentors writers nationwide. She lives in Houston, Texas, where she roasts her own coffee and spoils her grandchildren.