Writer's voice - the eleventh option

Ephrem Rodriguez · Mar 16, 2010

Do you believe that you have found your writer's voice?

1. I have found my writer's voice

2. I have found one of my voices but as I mature and go through life this voice will and has change(d).

3. I found my voice but it will either evolve as I mature or devolve as I mature (kind of a mutation of option number 2).

4. I have yet to find my writer's voice.

5. I borrow other writers voices and my imitation of those writers voices is my voice.

6. None of the above.

7. None of your business.

8. All of the above minus seven

9. I refuse to answer multiple choice (please omit writing the number 9 as this will then characterize yourself as a hypocrite, see below - *unless of course you really really want to underline the fact that you see your struggle with writer's voice as hypocritical and rebellious).

10. I am a hypocrite.

C.bronco · Mar 16, 2010

1,2 and 3: it's easier to tally answers if you put it in poll form.

Mr Flibble · Mar 16, 2010

1 ( it was under the sofa) and 2 and 3

My voice depends on the style / genre of what I'm writing, but there is a similarity nevertheless.

aadams73 · Mar 16, 2010

11. It shifts depending on a multitude of factors such as genre and POV.

shaldna · Mar 16, 2010

Argh!!! The Voices! The Voices!

Ephrem Rodriguez · Mar 16, 2010

C.bronco said:
1,2 and 3: it's easier to tally answers if you put it in poll form.

Oh. Didn't know I could do that. Will have to read the how-to.

Please, allow me to submit the following as an official apology.

Scroll slowly...

You're welcome.

(sorry, couldn't resist) :tongue

ChaosTitan · Mar 16, 2010

Yes, I have found my writer's voice. It took quite a few books to get there, but I've got it.

ishtar'sgate · Mar 16, 2010

1. I recognize it now. I hadn't given voice much thought until an agent and several editors described my voice and I was like, huh, who knew?

lucidzfl · Mar 16, 2010

I think I have a definite spin on dialog, and I like writing that. I'm not sure my regular writing has a lot of voice, but I'm a fairly sparse writer. I don't use a lot of prose. Just simple english to get the point across.

I may also be a horrible writer

Greeble · Mar 16, 2010

I have found my writer's voice. It's a rather pleasant sonorous baritone. Although at times it regresses more into Johnny Rotten territory.

Brukaviador · Mar 16, 2010

2, I guess. I don't know. I think I have, maybe.

third person · Mar 16, 2010

I...don't gather the meaning of this.

Lady Ice · Mar 16, 2010

3 and 5. I think I've found my style and what drives me, but it'll probably develop and evolve. You can definitely see traces of what I've been reading at the time in my writing, I think.

Jamesaritchie · Mar 16, 2010

How do you define "voice"?

Lady Ice · Mar 16, 2010

I think the question's referring to writing style; if someone took a snippet from your work, could it still be identified as yours by how it is written?

Jamesaritchie · Mar 16, 2010

Lady Ice said:
I think the question's referring to writing style; if someone took a snippet from your work, could it still be identified as yours by how it is written?

I sure hope not. I believe every story, otehr than a sequel, calls for a style all its own. Different mood and tone, different cadence, different syntax, etc.

lucidzfl · Mar 16, 2010

Jamesaritchie said:
I sure hope not. I believe every story, otehr than a sequel, calls for a style all its own. Different mood and tone, different cadence, different syntax, etc.

I make it a point to write a completely different type of book every time. The next one will be my first full length horror. It'll be 3rd person omn.

After that, I plan to write a full novel in first person.

(I've written everything to date in 3rd limited)

Lady Ice · Mar 16, 2010

Jamesaritchie said:
I sure hope not. I believe every story, otehr than a sequel, calls for a style all its own. Different mood and tone, different cadence, different syntax, etc.

Yes, it's good to change styles but readers need to feel some sort of connection with the writer. We know Dickens gives us panoramic sweeps of London, we know Fitzgerald gives critiques of the rich classes. Of course, writers can get samey but there's always going to be elements that keep recurring. If the writer constantly switch writing styles, themes, everything, what distinguishes them from other writers? Yes, the book might be good and lots of people may read it, but will they read the next one? If I meet someone and they are polite and knowledgable on every occasion we meet, I assume that that's what they're like. If I meet them again and they are loud, brash and extroverted, a complete betrayal of what they were previously like, it feels like we're strangers again.

Though you may play around with narrative tone, POV, etc- and ought to- there's still something which makes the reader go 'Ah yes, we're in typical X territory' or 'I love how X creates atmosphere' or 'X really has a knack for dialogue.'

Midnight Star · Mar 16, 2010

4. I haven't found my writer's voice

I think that I probably have, but just haven't realized it. So, I answer number four.

C.M.C. · Mar 16, 2010

I don't think finding one's voice is a complicated process. We all have one, the natural rhythm of our thoughts and speech. You might not like it, but it is a voice, and it counts. I would say that if you have to spend thousands upon thousands of words honing a voice, it's not yours. You're only borrowing it from somewhere else.

HistorySleuth · Mar 16, 2010

#1, I've found mine. People have told me so. Even in letters to the editor. Did one once from our office of county historian, and I had people say to me, "You wrote the letter didn't you, I could tell." But also #2 because as a writer, I should also evolve.

sunandshadow · Mar 16, 2010

Um, 3 and 5 I guess. I have found my voice, but I also borrow/imitate other voices when my own voice doesn't fit the viewpoint character; they're still my voice in the sense that I'm using it to speak, just not my most natural/default voice.

MumblingSage · Mar 16, 2010

aadams73 said:
11. It shifts depending on a multitude of factors such as genre and POV.

This. Although I've observed that I have about 3-5 different character narrative styles (and Character A with style 1 is often impossible to tell from Character B with style 1...something I'll need to work on). This might be because I'm a short story writer.

Torrance · Mar 16, 2010

1.

If there is one thing I consistently appreciate about my work, it is the power of my voice. For me, the voice is extremely important. I believe it is the thing that compels people to continue to read. The voice sells the story. Your voice can evolve, but I have no idea why people equate a writer's voice with subject matter or characters in a story. The voice has nothing to do with either. You don't have to change your voice in order to make your characters or your subject matter seem different. If all of your work seems the same, that has little to do with voice.

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