Having a strong voice that people
will enjoy spending time with is a key part of writing a story. Lots of books
on writing will encourage you to have a unique and distinct voice. Not many of
them will tell you how to go about developing one.
So how do you make sure your
voice is strong and consistent and interesting?
Here’s how I would do it.
As a writer starting out, it’s
very difficult to be sure of yourself and speak with confidence. Voice comes
from that confidence to be yourself and say what you want to say. Some people
naturally have their own distinct approach that they bring to their stories.
Which is great for them. But most aspiring writers don’t and end up writing in
a neutral manner. Nobody wants to read a story that’s constantly second
guessing itself or qualifying statements. A balanced viewpoint is not a strong
voice.
One way to avoid these
pitfalls is to write your story in first person. By taking on the voice of your
protagonist, you don’t have to worry about being judged for what you say and
how you say it, you can put the onus on the MC. You still have to work out who
the MC is, but you’d have to do that anyway.
I want to point out that the voice
your character speaks in and the voice you write your books in are not the same
thing. A writer can write several books about different characters, and those
books will all have his voice. It’s confusing because the word voice means the sound
of speech and also your unique style and attitude. It’s the latter that is important here.
You’re not trying to capture how
they sound when they talk, you’re trying to capture how they sound when they
think.
Using first person can free up
that part of your mind that is fixated on not embarrassing yourself by
revealing things you feel insecure about. By shifting the
opinions and ideas onto another person you can basically shift the blame. Then,
when you write more freely, your natural inclinations will come through.
Now, I’m not saying you have to
write the whole story in first person (unless you want to). You can write just
one chapter, or you can write a short story featuring the character. The point
is, once you get into the flow of how you see your world through this character’s
eyes, you will have a much clearer
idea of what voice can do for a story. Then, when you go back to whatever POV
you wish to use, you will find it a lot easier to judge how effective your
voice is.
If you already write in first
person and still don’t feel confident you sound distinct enough, chances are
your MC is being shy and reserved. A person reluctant to say things out loud
isn’t that way in their own head, so you have to let them have their say. Even
if it’s only internally.
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30 comments:
Excellent suggestion.
I didn't find my voice until my second book.
This is why I love writing in close third person. It's like first person in that you write from the character's POV and get right down into their thoughts, but it still keeps that third person tone, which is good for me because I haven't read many first person books.
@Randy-thanks.
@Alex-writing a whole book is a slightly linger way of finding your voice, but still effective.
@Ryan-first person is just an easier way to be sure you're in pov, since it's obvious what the limits are. But the deep pov of close 3rd also works.
Great suggestions! I have just started a new novel and need to get the voice down. My last one the character's voice came naturally. This is good advice.
@jessica-cheers.
Another insightful post, Mooderino. As a first time writer, I'm more insecure about my writing voice than I'd care to admit! I'm writing in third person, but I think I'll consider switching to 1st for parts that I'm struggling with, then transferring it back to third when editing. Thank you!
Letting go of the internal voice - or letting it speak - can be difficult. 'What would my grandmother think?' is not a good thought at such times;-)
(Visiting from A-Z blogging challenge)
@catherine-you're welcome.
@jabblog-Yes, my granny wouldn't have approved at all.
I write in first person a lot - it just feels so much more natural for me.
I fought writing in first person because it felt awkward, but 12,000 words into my first book and I knew it wasn't right. When I shifted to first person, it clicked.
"you’re trying to capture how they sound when they think."
Nice.
I think books all have two voices. There is narrator voice and author voice. You have an excellent suggestion for narrator voice--really seeing the book through the MCs PoV. I find though, first person loses some of my author voice. Most of what I write, no matter the genre, has a 'me-ness' to it that my regular readers can spot. You know I'm a nut, and it comes through--gives even dark stuff some playful moments. I think that AUTHOR voice is best developed blogging--writing A LOT as YOURSELF. Practice how YOU put things.
One of these days I should try writing in first person. I've tried before and just found it too limiting. I prefer third person omniscient (which is what I write).
This is a difficult thing to get right, but it shows when you do.
Good post, enjoyed it.
@Annalisa-Of course some people just naturally find the pov that suits them.
@Donna-cheers.
@Hart-separating the narrator voice can be a good way to focus on the author voice. Often you find the narrator just sounding like an excuse for the author to interject.
@Michael-omni is not as popular as it used to be, but all the more reason to use it, I think.
@sarah-I think readers pick up on it very quickly when it's working.
@Liz-thanks.
Some really great points. The best books and stories are the ones that have a really strong, stand out voice. It takes practice to get it right.
HI - visiting from the A-Z linky.
I have to say that the idea of 'voice' is a tricky one for me to understand but I think I'm a bit closer after reading your post.
Thanks and enjoy the challenge.
voice is personality =)
bringing it out in words is tough!
This is great advice! First person has always come more naturally to me. Like you suggest, it's easier to get into the headspace of the character.
You provided some really good strategies for writers who are unsure of how to get that "voice" out there. My personal preference is that of third person, because it appeals to me more as a reader. There are a few authors (like most things in my life) that challenge that with their own wonderous ability to express themselves in first person with an added ability to sneak by my radar until I am deeply enveloped by the characters.
Found you by way of the A-Z Challenge List.
A-Z 2012 (#49) - Bloggit Write A-Z 2012 - Poetry
A-Z 2012 (#861) - Bloggit Write A-Z 2012 - Haiku
@Laurita-usually takes a while to click.
@Kirsty-cheers, you too.
@tara-I think we all have it in us though.
@Adrienne-I think you can do it with close third person too, but it's easier to slip up.
@Novemeber-I think once you've got a handle on it, you can make any pov work.
Great suggestions! I think that having a strong voice in writing is really important and this post was very helpful.
@Krista-glad you found it useful.
Thanks for visiting my blog...now I'm following yours. Some great posts here...thankful for the A to Z challenge.
@Donna - cheers, nice to see you here.
I prefer to think of it as freeing your voice, not finding it. Your voice is there inside you, and you just have to relax and let it flow, free from all the restrictions of how you think you should be writing. One piece of advice I heard recently was 'Write from the heart, edit from the the head.'
@Paula - I think that's probably true, but insecurities can make you doubt yourself. Showing other people and letting them judge you can be very difficult for some people.
Hey Moody,
Just wanted to let you know that I enjoyed this post so much I mentioned (and linked) to it on my blog this week. Always enjoy reading your thoughts and wanted to say thanks. You can read my post here:
http://the-open-vein-ejwesley.blogspot.com/2012/04/c-word-can-make-or-break-writer.html
I definitely feel more confident in my writing voice than I do in my actual voice that i use everyday ;) Though that's something a lot of people don't know about me nowadays, as I'm very good at pretending I'm not very shy! :P