by Elizabeth Solar
A sound designer I know says he practices audio optometry, a bit of alchemy in which he produces sound to evoke images in the listener’s ear and imagination. In other words, he crafts audio so you can ‘see what you’re hearing’.
Likewise, many writers develop a voice in their stories to infuse an energy, attitude, and personality in their narrative. Best case scenario is your story comes alive with the crackle of humanity and takes on the cinematic sweep of a film. Lacking a strong sense of voice results lackluster and sterile prose. A strong and unique voice possesses a gravitational pull and sense of humanity that creates empathy and connects to the reader.
How essential is a sense of voice to your novel?
Think about your favorite or most memorable reads. Consider the prose what drew you into stories by Stephen King, Judy Blume, Toni Morrison. Their skillful development of voice has produced some of literature’s most memorable and formidable storytelling. Without a strong point of view and voice, would we remember Elizabeth Bennett, Holden Caufield or Winnie the Pooh?
What factors can you consider to create a strong literary voice? Start by reading. A lot. See what stories, which authors and character resonate with you. At first, your writing may feel like a cheap imitation of your literary heroes. In time, you’ll develop your own style, based on your preferences, opinions, and experience. Here are more ideas to nudge you into developing your writer’s voice.
1. Determine your point of view. This is where having strong opinions can help. forming a POV often happens in the planning stages or outline of your book. Decide what themes and issues you want to explore. Who do you want your characters to be? What are you trying to express? Intent matters. Or you can do what many writers do: Just get in there and start writing.
2. Avoid cliches. Who wants the same old, same old? Writing, like fashion involves the process of taking the same old shop-worn ideas and themes and making them feel fresh, relevant, and forward-thinking. How many films and TV shows have been produced about the ‘mob’? Consider the case of a mobster who attends therapy because his mother is trying to kill him. That’s the twist in David Chase’s script for the iconic series The Sopranos. Aside from sharp writing, humor and horror and a unique view of La Cosa Nostra ensue in equal measure.
3. Structure, sentence length, rhythm, and word choice count. How do your characters speak? What’s their thought process? Do they use formal language, overly earnest platitudes, or do they swear like nobody’s business? These decisions and adjustments create the mood and attitude to elevate your work above the typical because you’ve birthed a unique voice.
4. Balance dialog and action to complement each other, not to repeat or contradict each other. Action often demonstrates a character's reaction to the dialogue, while dialogue can explain a character's action/reaction.
5. Write, write, write. As with any other discipline, the more you do it, the better you know yourself and the more facile you get at developing voices for a variety of characters, when applicable.
If you want more ideas and inspiration, check out Anne Janzer’s new book, The Writer’s Voice, a comprehensive, hands-on guide to this aspect of writing. Structured as a twelve-week writing course, the book provides explanations and examples of how simple stylistic decisions (punctuation, sentence length) affect the reader, and includes exercises and writing prompts to experiment with different aspects of your writing voice.
Janzer, an award-winning author (Get the Word Out, Writing to Be Understood), nonfiction author coach, and blogger, recently published a survey on what writer’s understand about voice and how they use it - if they’re aware of it - in their writing. See the results here.
Here are a few more recommendations to guide you:
Finding Your Writer’s Voice: A Guide to Creative Fiction, by Thaisa Frank and Dorothy Wall
The Sound on the Page: Great Writers Talk About Style and Voice in Writing, by Ben Yagoda
Writing Voice: The Complete Guide to Creating a Presence on the Page and Engaging Readers, by Writer’s Digest Books
