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Your writer's voice: Editor's Notes #193 August 31, 2015 |
| Hello, --F. Scott Fitzgerald In this issue: 1. A writer's voice 2. Tickled my funnybone 3. Interesting Web site 4. Writing prompt 1. A writer's voice As a writer, you have a specific voice made from your inner life, your environment, and the language you are comfortable using. When you begin writing, you copy the voices of those around you. Over time, your writing voice becomes as unique as your spoken voice. Finding your unique voice comes from writing about or with your deep inner passion, revisiting topics or themes that resonate with you, and feeding your soul with the artistic expressions of others that lift you ever higher. Just as you probably cannot completely describe the voice of your mother, your best friend, or your neighbour, you know immediately which of them is on the phone. You probably also recognize the writing voices of your own favourite writers even if you cannot completely describe what makes any writer's voice unique. One of the problems that often arises with new writers is an insecurity of voice. Others recognize this when they feel uneasy due to shifts in the way a piece of writing flows. Editors recognize wobbly voices and guide writers to write with more consistency and confidence. Listen to yourself reading your own writing aloud. You may very well hear the wobble yourself. If you find a spot that doesn't sound quite like you, you have probably found a place where you are unsure of your material or where you are afraid to be 100% authentic. Restoring your writing voice can only make your writing projects stronger. =========== 2.Tickled my funnybone In the winter, a dog wears his coat; in the summer, he wears his coat and pants. =========== 3. Interesting Web site For more on voice in writing, follow the link below. http://www.writersdigest.com/editor-blogs/there-are-no-rules/voice-in-writing-developing-a-unique-writing-voice =========== 4. Writing prompt Characters have voices, too. Choose two characters whose voices sound different in your head. These could be people you know or characters you have made up. Write a conversation involving these characters, but do not include the attributions (he said, she said). When you reread what you've written, note whether you have truly captured the voice of each character. If you are feeling especially brave, ask a writing colleague to read the piece aloud. How well the reader replicates the sense of what you intended to convey about each character is the measure of how well you can show character distinctions through dialogue. =========== Join Writer's Helper Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/WritersHelperEditor Follow me on Twitter @AudreytheEditor Link on LinkedIn https://ca.linkedin.com/in/audreyowen (Email me first so I know how you know me.) =========== If you know a writer who would appreciate receiving Editor's Notes, forward this issue. If someone has passed this on to you, you can get your own free subscription by signing up at https://www.writershelper.com/newsletter.html |
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