What I Discovered

If you’re gonna ask folks to listen to your work, your writing needs to be clear and easy to understand. The ear is not as flexible as the eye, which can re-scan a sentence almost without your knowing it. The ear, if confused, just sends signals to the brain causing it to shout, “Wait, wait, wait!”
Originally, I had 18 stories I wanted to include in the Cain’t Do Nothing with Love collection. Four didn’t make the cut. One story had appeared in a great literary journal, but the structure was too complicated to be read aloud. Two stories, I realized by trying to record them, weren’t actually finished. One simply didn’t fit the tone of the collection.
So my suggestion is to give the ear action it can follow. Clearly identify which character is speaking. Don’t let the description get clotted. Make sure your plot can carry the reader through to the end.
Ears all over the world will thank you.