Reading aloud as an editing tool

Reading aloud catches four things reliably: sentences that run out of breath, repeated words, dialogue no human would say, and rhythm that has gone flat across a page.

Do it in full passes rather than spot checks. The problems that matter are usually cumulative — three acceptable sentences in a row that together put the reader to sleep.

Mark, do not fix. Stopping to rewrite breaks the rhythm you are testing. Make a note and keep going.

It is also the best preparation for a festival reading. The passage you can read comfortably out loud is almost always the passage that works best on the page too.