What is a writer’s voice? In a
way it’s difficult to say because a writer assumes many voices during a life of
writing. When we create characters we use dialects, accents and idiosyncratic
ways of talking to show something of their personality. As writers, in a sense,
we mimic/impersonate different voices. A narrator’s voice is also a constructed
voice although much of a writer’s deep feelings and emotional responses will
emerge in their writing.
Finding your own voice, your own
individual style, takes time, practice and patience as you work at learning
your craft, grappling with the search for those exact phrases and words which
express your ideas in the best way possible.
Anyone who looks back on their
early pieces of work should – in theory - be able to see progress. I know I
love what I call descriptive writing – use of metaphor, simile etc., but when I
re-read some of my early pieces, I’d like to burrow through to the other side
of the planet, assume a new identity and try out for the Australian version of
Project Runway.
Some of my first stories were
full of long convoluted sentences dripping with every adjective, adverb and
figure of speech I could fit it – and no chance to write in the passive tense
was ever passed up – even when it caused the sentence to lose all meaning. I
had no inner editor: I was completely unstoppable. I like to think that not
only has my writing voice developed since then, but so has my ability to see
where and how that voice needs reining in.
Here’s my teaching voice with a
writing exercise which is useful for developing variety in your characters’
voices:
Choose one of the following (your
character can be male or female):
someone who apologises constantly
someone
who has little patience for those below him
someone
who...pauses...and ...doesn’t ever seem to..er...finish
someone
who speaks in short bursts without hesitation
Place your character on the phone
at an airport, in a queue or in a doctor’s waiting room and write a short
monologue or conversation with someone. You can give them particular phrases or
words and create contrast between what they say to someone else and what
they’re thinking privately. And don’t be surprised if one of these voices pops
up as a minor character in something you’re writing.
The second edit of Strand A is
finished! Step by step, I’m seeing progress. Yeah!
So for a few days I’ve been
working on fine tuning my haiku. I’m changing the title from Haiku Galore to something else as I’ve
decided that forty three isn’t a large enough number to be considered ‘galore’.
Several titles are under consideration – so watch this space! Ten days left.
Yes, I will make my deadline (swallows nervously).
In the meantime, I’ve downloaded
Sarah Greenfield’s ‘How to Tweet Your Book’ (which helpfully summarizes and
clarifies the process) as well as getting ‘Tweeting for Dummies’ out from the
library. I think I resent the time consuming nature of social media when all I
want to do is write.
But I've adapted to
blogging - how much and how often is up to me -which suits me fine.
I admit I do find this aspect of ebooks/self publishing daunting. But, and I
keep telling myself this, if I’m going to throw my offering into the ocean then
unless I want it to sink silently into the depths, then I’d better get on board
and realize that I have to tell people about it.
So I must find the courage to
persevere. Again, watch this space. I shall be linked up to another global
community in no time at all. Just please don’t expect enlightenment from anything
I might tweet.
Today I start the second edit of
Strand B. Yeah!
Today’s Haiku
UNEASE
Never-ending thoughts
churn on the sea of my mind –
I seek an island
Here’s a link to an article which
I found helpful during my recent research.
and here’s the link to Sarah’s
book. I would say - assuming you have a Kindle - you couldn’t get a better
return on a £0.77p investment.
For all story lovers out there, I
wish you good reading, and for those of you who write, good writing.
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