Voice may be the number one thing editors want to see in a
manuscript. But what exactly is voice? Linda Pratt, Literary Agent, Wernick
& Pratt Agency, explains, “Voice is the personality and really whole life
history of a character that when done effectively emanates from the page
through that character’s word choices, points of reference, context, and
actions.”
Agent Jill Corcoran of the Herman Agency says, “Voice
transforms a manuscript from an ‘author speaking to a reader’ to an ‘author
immersing a reader in a story’.” She identifies three types of voice in
every manuscript:
1.
“The Author’s Voice – We each look at life
differently so when we write, we write from our own individual style,
abilities, personalities, experiences, reactions, world-view, etc. Voice should
be natural and unique, just like each one of us when we are not over-thinking
but are living in the moment.”
2.
“The Manuscript Voice – the voice of this
particular manuscript be it first or third, slapstick or sarcastic, literary or
commercial, etc. Authors will not choose the same manuscript voice in every
book they write but if they are writing authentically and naturally, they
hopefully will have a recognizable author voice.”
3.
“The Characters’ Voices – dialog, ticks, actions,
and most importantly, reactions, etc.”
Perhaps this is why voice is so hard to define and teach: it
comes in many forms. So how do we know if we have a good voice? And if not,
what can we do about it? Often the novels held up as examples of great voice
have a literary, poetic voice: The Book
Thief, by Markus Zusak, Because of
Winn-Dixie, by Kate DiCamillo. Does that mean we all need to be more
poetic?
We All Have Voice
Let’s start with two basic truths:
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| Voice develops over time |
First, all writing has voice. It may be a slow, boring
voice; a clunky, confusing voice; a straightforward, fast-paced voice; or a
beautiful, poetic voice. “Literary” novels have voice, but so do “commercial”
novels, genre novels, picture books, easy readers, and nonfiction.
Second, different readers like different voices. Few people
would like boring or confusing voices, but many people prefer a
straightforward, fast-paced voice, others like a poetic voice, and some readers
enjoy both. Your personal taste as a reader should be what you strive for as a
writer. Why try to write something that you wouldn’t enjoy reading?
Voice is often seen as a matter of style, but clearly it’s
broader and deeper than simply using interesting language. Your voice is
reflected in:
· The kinds of characters you create – awkward
loners, fun-loving tomboys, silly adults.
· Your plot and pacing techniques – action plots,
quieter stories, use of cliffhangers, paragraph/sentence lengths.
· Themes you revisit – finding oneself, what makes
a family, important life events such as the first day of school and first
romance.
· Types of settings – urban, suburban, rural;
familiar or exotic; at school, at home, journeys.
· Proportion of all the above – character driven,
plot heavy, lots of setting details.
 |
| Adventure is part of my voice |
Finding Your Voice
Identifying and developing your voice may take
experimentation. Read a lot and pay attention to what you most enjoy. Eavesdrop
on conversations and think about what dialogue, actions, and gestures tell you
about people. Try interviewing your characters or writing diary entries in their
voices. Write a scene from one character's viewpoint, and then from another person
in the same scene. How do the characters’ age, sex, and other elements affect
how they perceive and react to what's happening?
Small Improvements Add up
Many basic writing techniques can also contribute to your
voice. These techniques alone won’t make a strong and fresh voice, but
polishing your skills can ensure that your voice isn’t clunky or slow.
For example, you should be comfortable with first-person
versus third-person point of view. But POV is also about the character’s
experiences and how they see the world. Is your character a city girl, farm
girl, or suburbanite? Rich, middle-class, or poor? An athlete, musician, or
artist? Each of these elements affects the way someone interacts with the world
around her – where she’s comfortable, what she notices, what she cares about. For
example, a musician may be tuned into sounds and rhythms and use metaphors
relating to music. Getting inside your character’s head with a close point of
view helps readers connect better with that character. (See my
posts on POV.)
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| Editing can improve voice. |
To avoid having a slow, boring voice, learn to eliminate
wordiness. Several sources offer lists of words and phrases to eliminate, such
as very, really, just, kind of, sort of, a little. That doesn’t mean you
can never use those words, but every manuscript will improve by getting rid of unnecessary words.
Tips on writing tactics abound. Show, don’t tell. Minimize
your use of adverbs. Use active verbs. Make sure your character names don’t all
start with the same letter, to avoid reader confusion. The list seems endless,
with some quick fixes and some skills requiring months of practice. If you
study each technique in turn, eventually most will be second nature, if not
during your first draft then at least during editing.
For some writers, technical rules may seem too practical,
too pedestrian, for something as mysterious as voice. But the first step in
building a strong voice is to get rid of the weakest elements of your writing.
Then you can explore subtleties that are appropriate for the age range, genre,
and topic of each manuscript.
Your writing voice is like your appearance, where part is
what you are given (gender, height, coloring) and part comes from your choices
(clothing, hairstyle, attitude). Voice is made up of your natural expression –
the way you see the world, based on all your experiences – plus technical
skills you can develop. Practice the external elements that make for generally strong writing, while
tapping into your heart and soul. Over time, your unique voice will develop
naturally and shine through.
To Find Your Voice
 |
| Nothing wrong with a silly voice! |
What are your favorite books – not necessarily the ones you
think are the best-written or that you most admire, but the ones you most enjoy?
What do you like about the style? Humor, pace, great
characters, language?
Try typing out scenes from your favorite authors to get a
feel for their rhythm and word choice. Study what they do, but don’t try to
copy their voice. Understand their techniques so you can be yourself.
What is your natural style? When you tell a story to
friends, is it funny, tragic, suspenseful? What elements can you see in your
manuscripts?
What do you love about your writing or have critique
partners praised? What weaknesses do you see in your work or have others
mentioned?
What would you be proud to produce?
Additional Resources:
Self-Editing for Fiction Writers, by Renni Browne and Dave King
Style, Pacing & Voice: An Editor’s Guide
to Writing Powerful Fiction,
by Jodie Renner
Finding Your Voice, by Les Edgerton
Rivet Your Readers
with Deep POV, by Jill Elizabeth Nelson
Advanced Plotting,
by Chris Eboch
Online:
Janice Hardy’s Fiction
University blog has a lot on these topics. Check the listing for “Show vs.
Tell," "Trimming Words," or "Point of View," or simply
browse.
Jodie
Renner often covers POV, pacing, and more.
Chris Eboch’s novels for ages nine and up include The Eyes of Pharaoh, a mystery in
ancient Egypt; The Well of Sacrifice,
a Mayan adventure; and the Haunted series, about kids who travel with a ghost
hunter TV show. Her writing craft books include You Can Write for Children: How to Write Great Stories, Articles, and
Books for Kids and Teenagers, and Advanced
Plotting.
Learn more at www.chriseboch.com
or her Amazon page,
or check out her writing tips at her Write
Like a Pro! blog.
