Thursday, January 26, 2012

Where's That Voice Coming From?


Despite the fact that I am currently fighting laryngitis and practically have no voice at all, it is still something I wonder about.  I'm reading a wonderful little book titled Writer's Little Instruction Book: Craft & Technique by Paul Raymond Martin.  He covers many topics important to writers everywhere, but the one chapter that really got me thinking was the one about a writer's voice.

Where does that unique voice come from?  Is it somewhere in our brain,  hiding behind all the trivial things we think about every day...just waiting to come out and play?  Or is it stuck in some dark corner somewhere, trapped within four walls of our own making?



There is a big difference between talking a lot and actually having something to say.  Beginner writers tend to walk around carrying a big voice and an eagerness to talk about anything.  Everything.  I've been guilty of it.  I'm sure you have as well.  I sit down to work on a new project and my "voice" shouts out everything it can onto that blank page.  I crowd every nook and corner of the page with words during my struggle to create my own writer's voice.

Then when it comes time to edit, I tend to consider word count maybe more so than "voice", and I run the risk of causing irreparable damage.  Mr. Martin states, "Voice is often the first thing new writers edit from their work, and the most difficult to recapture."  I tend to agree.  This new adventure into blogging has taught me that I do, indeed, have a distinctive voice to my writing.  My readers can select any of my posts and after reading it, they know a little bit about me as well as the topic of the day.  This voice is mine alone and can't be silenced.  So I have decided to listen to it and try to figure out where it's coming from.


That means when I sit down to write, I try to eliminate all distractions.  I turn off the television, set my phone to silent, and clear my mind so that I may hear that quiet voice when it speaks to me.  You know the one I'm talking about.  It's the voice encouraging you to write.  Giving you new ideas to work on.  Telling you to keep going when you receive a rejection letter.  It calms your spirit and helps create the foundation for your own writer's voice to be heard.



Ever listen to a child sing?  They don't care about perfect pitch or whether the words are exactly right.  They sing for the love of the song.  Children listen to the voice inside themselves and they give themselves permission to act on that voice.  Writers should do the same.  They should listen to their own quiet voices, allowing it to flavor their writing until they have discovered their own writer's voice.


Samuel Johnson, author and editor, says, "What is written without effort is read without pleasure."  Writing without staying true to your writer's voice is like cooking without seasonings.  The food is bland.  Your writing will be bland.  That which stirs your spirit will energize your writing and no one will ever doubt your voice.  Remember,  your audience is listening...stay true to that voice and give them something worth waiting for.

16 comments:

  1. Love that Samuel Johnson quote! Makes it feel like the blood, sweat and tears are worth it :)

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  2. I do to, Susanna, and I can't imagine anyone continuing to read a bland story unless it's for a homework assignment. Should I be blessed with published books in my future, I want my readers to enjoy their time with me and hopefully not toss that book in the trash once they have read it!

    Thanks for stopping by and come back any time!

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  3. I appreciate your encouraging writers to stay true to their voice. Sometimes, in reading to critique groups, it's easy for a writer's voice to get lost in the rules and regulations of editing and critiquing. I love how our critique leader always tells us to just take the critique, then go home and pray about it and don't feel in the least bit bad about tossing out 80% of it. We have to protect our voice.

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    1. Thanks, Jackie, for stopping by! I completely agree. I think beginner writers don't even know they have a "voice" sometimes. I certainly didn't even think about it until I read that book.

      Come back any time!

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  4. This is excellent. My first-reader partner said that my latest revision of a picture book manuscript that has been set aside for awhile seemed "flat" compared to the previous wordier version. Your post today gave me the "aha" that perhaps I'd edited all the uniqueness of voice out of it.

    Thank you.

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    1. Beth, while I'm sorry that you PB story might have fallen a wee flat, at least I know you have the talent to "inflate" it with YOUR voice! ;0)

      I'm glad my post could help. Thanks for stopping by and come back any time!

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  5. Yes, so true!! I think by blogging I have helped my writing voice grow - and I am so glad for that because in the long run that has helped my writing.

    Great post!

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    1. Thanks, Nicole, for stopping by. It seems that my posts are on a roll and the people who read them are enjoying them. That makes me quite happy and makes me want to work even harder to keep my OWN voice singing! ;0)

      Come back any time!

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  6. I loved the comparison to a child singing. Thanks for that -- it will stick with me.

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  7. I'm glad you liked that, Eric. When I choose my topic of the day for my blog I always take a few minutes to do Google searches of images that might tie into my theme. When I saw that cute little girl I immediately knew she would be visiting my post today! ;0)

    Thanks for stopping by and come back any time!

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  8. I'm glad you've found that blogging is helping you find your voice. It's certainly done so for me too. Now to just channel that into the PBs!!

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    1. Yes, Julie, I have a "voice" for my stories but sadly, I must admit it is a bit squeaky...needs to have some more confidence before THAT voice can belt out the stories! ;0)

      Thanks for stopping by and come back any time!

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  9. Excellent topic! Great analogy. Thanks for sharing. :-)

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    1. Thanks, Debbie, I'm glad you liked it. I'm glad you stopped by...come back any time!

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  10. Donna, enjoyed your post. Like your new blog name -- it suits you. Great example with the child already knowing that inner voice. We tend to censor it. Thanks for sharing.

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    1. Thank you, Patricia, for your kind words! The name just came to me in a flash and I also thought is was soooo ME!

      Thanks for stopping by and come back any time!

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