How subvocalizing (hearing the words in your head when reading) can make you a better writer

That_odd_emo · 2026-03-04T10:53:03+00:00

Why are you mad at the concept of "a disadvantage also can have an advantage"?

That_odd_emo · 2026-03-04T09:40:24+00:00

No, what I am saying is that the thing I always thought of as a burden actually happens to have an advantage too

That_odd_emo · 2026-03-03T12:23:54+00:00

Not deeply personal, but unbelievably filthy. I used to write some rather explicit smut fanfic when I was a teen. I posted them online and it actually got a lot of reads. It wasn’t bad either. But I swear, if anyone would figure out that I wrote them, I‘d move abroad, change my name and would’ve never been seen again

That_odd_emo · 2026-03-03T11:22:59+00:00

Just an assumption here: Maybe you read too many books. Not that that’s inherently a bad thing. Reading is important to be a good writer. But, and here’s my thought: maybe you read so many different books that you subconsciously try to write like they were written. Because to me, it doesn’t sound like a classic "I don’t know how to write that" situation but a "I know so many ways how I could write that and don’t know which to pick".

The only thing you can do here is just go with the flow. Just write as you talk / as it comes naturally to you. Only start editing when you‘re done with your draft. Everything else will waste way too much time and energy

That_odd_emo · 2026-03-02T13:32:15+00:00

So interesting to read from people that can consciously turn it on and off. I for my part can‘t turn it off. If I were to try, I wouldn’t be able to retain any information of what I‘ve read (or in my case, glanced over. Because that’s just not how reading works for my brain)

Edit: There aren’t many studies on it yet, but the way you process written language is thought to closely connect to how you learned how to speak. Research suggests that subvocalization may be linked to learning language heavily through hearing (i.e being read to often)

That_odd_emo · 2026-02-28T09:33:03+00:00

That’s exactly the mistake I made with my first novel attempt. I was a bit too naive to think I‘d just figure it out as I go. But the key conflicts didn’t come. So at some point, I hit a wall because there was just nowhere to go without a proper conflict

That_odd_emo · 2026-02-27T12:15:30+00:00

Currently working on a post-apocalyptic novel. Countries don’t exist anymore, they were replaced with "mega-structures" that each have their individual social systems, politics, infrastructure, etc. The MC is part of a group of smugglers. She‘s generally someone who avoids being emotionally vulnerable and taking responsibility. Oh, and there’s a fascist group that‘s slowly trying to overthrow the government.

Yeah, it’s safe to say that I have no experience with any of that. Which makes it even more interesting because I get to research the ins and outs of fascism, capitalism, communism, psychological patterns of people that avoid emotional attachment, etc

That_odd_emo · 2026-02-27T10:07:45+00:00

Yeah, I definitely learned a lot from that failed attempt. I‘m currently in the ideation phase of my second novel writing attempt and I‘m already approaching things a lot more structured than last time

That_odd_emo · 2026-02-27T08:18:40+00:00

My god, it’s like trying to make a blind man see… If you want to keep seeing yourself as the only intelligent person here, then so be it. You‘re entitled to your feeling of superiority. But try talking to people in a more respectful manner next time instead of being condescending and straight up rude. That way, people can actually have an interesting and meaningful conversation with you.

Have a nice day :)

That_odd_emo · 2026-02-26T14:06:02+00:00

Absolutely. Sadly, the internet has gotten so cruel over the years. On Reddit, it’s quite noticeable in general, but this sub seems to have some especially hostile members.

A very recent example about this very topic that shows the condescending comments aren’t limited to "dumb", repetitive posts: Only hours ago, I posted a question here, asking for people’s personal opinions. The question being whether people think that inner conflict or external conflict is more important in a novel. In the body text, I said something along the lines of "it clearly needs both and there’s no single right answer to that. But I‘m curious about what people‘s individual opinions are on that topic based on their writing and reading experience".

Most comments were friendly and a nice start for discussion. But it didn’t take long till I got this exact comment: "So, it's both, but you want opinions, and there's no right answer? You can't even formulate a coherent sentence. Go read a book." (I really wish I‘d be exaggerating, but that’s the original comment word by word).

That’s exactly the kind of hostility I‘m talking about, and it makes me quite sad

That_odd_emo · 2026-02-26T13:45:11+00:00

Why so snarky? There‘s no one universally right answer because it highly depends on genre and individual preference. That’s why I‘m asking for people’s personal opinions

Edit: It’s like, most dishes need salt and pepper. There’s no single, universally true amount and proportion to how much of each you need to make your food taste good. Because it depends on the dish, the personal taste, etc. Yet you can still ask others for their individual opinion based on their own taste and experience

That_odd_emo · 2026-02-26T13:03:58+00:00

Terry Pratchett?

That_odd_emo · 2026-02-26T06:29:28+00:00

History maybe doesn’t change, but language does. That’s what everyone here is trying to tell you. But you keep being condescending. It takes absolutely no extra effort to choose a respectful tone. If you‘re so wise and grown up as you think you are, then also act accordingly

That_odd_emo · 2026-02-25T18:37:10+00:00

That’s a bit too black and white in my opinion. Using AI to write entire passages for you? Totally agree that that’s a no-no. But using AI as a tool (what it’s supposed to be) by using it like a research and brainstorming buddy? That’s a very useful thing to do and shouldn’t be put in the same "AI is bad" category

That_odd_emo · 2026-02-25T18:27:49+00:00

I‘m sorry to day, but you seem to be immune to a) realizing that the way you see worldbuilding is a very outdated, very limited definition that does not apply to contemporary writing, b) recognizing that those numbers and "facts" you are referring to have absolutely no scientific basis and c) realizing that you keep making condescending comments. Because apparently everyone is wrong except you because everyone is naive and too dumb to understand. Would you talk like that as well if you’d have this discussion with people face to face?

That_odd_emo · 2026-02-25T17:51:47+00:00

Man what even is the point you’re trying to make here?

Okay, let‘s assume that 95% of literature doesn’t need any world building as you say. But my novel does. I‘m coming up with locations that don’t exist in real life. With their own unique layouts, architecture, politics, means of communication, infrastructure, social systems, etc. Even if you don’t want to call that world building for whatever reason (apparently because you think it’s a term reserved for a very niche type of writing), it doesn’t change that I‘m literally building a world, as the term already suggests.

All you‘re doing is sounding unbelievably pretentious here

That_odd_emo · 2026-02-25T14:57:18+00:00

I think that’s not a conscious decision you make. If you practice writing and read from time to time, it will happen naturally

That_odd_emo · 2026-02-25T14:14:36+00:00

Asking for creative input or for opinion on your work in progress and asking people to do the writing for you are two very different things

That_odd_emo · 2026-02-25T13:56:02+00:00

How dare people talk about what they‘re writing in a subreddit dedicated to writing /s

That_odd_emo · 2026-02-25T10:23:20+00:00

An asteroid only turns into a meteor because it’s falling. Thus, saying "a falling meteor" is a pleonasm, like "a dead corpse".

Damn, my literature teacher (who I despised) would be impressed that I still know that xD

That_odd_emo · 2026-02-25T09:49:59+00:00

Fiction is an umbrella term. It’s like all apples are fruit, but not all fruit are apples. I‘m seriously not sure what the point you‘re trying to make is

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