Defining voice is a bit like nailing Jell-O to the wall. The harder you try, the messier things get, but let’s pick up that hammer and give it a whack anyway.
Voice is a writing style. It is both a particular book's, and its author’s personality—right there on the page. In acting terms, think stage presence. Voice is not just about word choice, but also sentence and story structure. Voice can be everything.It can overcome a weak plot, unlikable characters, even shaky grammar and sloppy writing. Voice is the proverbial, “I don’t know what it is, but I know it when I see it”.
And whatever it is, it grows in a bed of confidence so as writers we must learn to trust ourselves—and our voices.
Steve Jobs is not an author, but still, there are things to take from this quote. Confidence breeds boldness. Take a few chances. Not everything you write will resonate. But sometimes, just the act of writing and getting your work out there—whether it be in a critique group, a Facebook post, a tweet, or whatever—will give you the confidence to write something else. To take chances in your other writings.
Voice is one of the most fragile elements and sadly is often edited, or “critiqued out” in the many drafts it takes to create a finished piece. Stand true to the emotion and heart of your words. Say what you want to say and say it loudly. That is not to say we should bristle at any and all criticism, but just a declaration that we as writers, we must trust certain aspects of our style and recognize not everyone will approach craft and structure the same way.
Marvel at and admire the writers you love, but don’t try to be them. Don’t strive to be the next J.K. Rowling or Stephen King. Be the very first you.
It’s all you got.
In life, finding a voice is speaking and living the truth. Each of you is an original. Each of you has a distinctive voice. When you find it, your story will be told. You will be heard ~ John Grisham
Ask yourself questions. Why am I writing this story? What drew me to it and its characters? Then think how you would tell the story orally. Would it be serious, funny, or a fast paced thriller? A writer’s voice is a tool used to make a reader feel emotion. It sets the tone, the tempo, and anchors the reader to the point of view. But itis an abstract art prone to subjectivity and translation.
The best writers have a feel for it. They recognize when they have found the voice that is not only natural for them, but for the story they want to tell. And the only way to do that is have confidence in your storytelling talents, in the story, and in the characters you are sharing.
There is no magic formula for finding or developing voice. There is no on or off switch for it. No Fairy Godmuse to wave a wand over your keyboard and bestow you with it. We as writers must work and hone our voices for there are no experts with can’t fail tricks.
And if somebody tells you there is—chances are they are full of something other than it.
Here is the opening excerpt from my memoir THE FEEDSTORE CHRONICLES. I think it highlights my voice well. Most coming-of-age stories are fraught with symbolism, hidden metaphors, and a heaping mound of other literary devices.
Not this one. Not mine.
You see, I came of age while working at a dusty Texas feed store. A place where To Kill a Mockingbird involved a twelve-year-old and a BB gun. Of Mice and Men was a problem easily solved with rat poison. And David Copperfield was nothing more than a dude that made shit disappear.
In the spring of 1989, I was a rosy-cheeked boy of sixteen. Doyle Suggs was a twice-divorced, thirty-year-old high school dropout. On the surface Doyle and I had little in common, yet his involvement in my life changed me in drastic and dramatic ways.
Doyle ran a feed store in Amarillo, Texas. A joint called Pearls's feed and Seed. Working there provided me my first paying job, my first taste of how fun life could be, and ... my first brush with real danger.
Your turn! Either post a few lines that displays your voice in the comments, or a few lines of your favorite author's voice.
A native Texan, Travis lives in the Texas Panhandle with his wife and two boys. Despite the ever-present gale force winds, he can’t imagine living anyplace else. He is the author of a comedic coming-of-age memoir, THE FEEDSTORE CHRONICLES, and a Women's Fiction novel titled TWISTED ROADS. Travis pontificates about both writing and life on his long running blog ... Bacon, Beer, and Books. He can also be found on twitter @traviserwin
photo credit: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/annamagal/5475036666/">Annamagal</a> via <a href="http://photopin.com">photopin</a> <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.0/">cc</a>
All writers have things about thAll writers have things about the writing business we fear. One that comes to mind is submitting our work to an agent or editor for the first time. Well maybe the second and even the third time, too.
But there's another fear that isn't discussed much.
Switching genres.
Being a historical writer I had plenty of arguments for not even trying to write a futuristic. For one thing, I’ve always thought of historicals and futuristics as polar opposites. Many of my historical and futuristic friends agree.
But I’m also a huge fan of Star Trek and Star Wars as well as futuristic romance. For years, I’ve been gnashing my teeth to write one. But it was too darn scary.
By chance, I had the opportunity to talk to an author who writes both genres. I pounced on the poor woman. She laughed at my fears, saying “Writing a futuristic is writing a historical set in the future.”
What did she mean? And assuming she’s right, why did I still not dare to go where this historical alien has never gone before? What was holding me back?
For that matter, what prevents so many futuristic writers from writing historicals? Okay, you might legitimately answer the market demands, but we’re talking genres here.
I love historical research as much as I love the writing. I can and have published my historical novels. It’s safe. So right away I know I have to get past the scary stuff.
Some of my futuristic author friends say the reason they can’t write historicals is because they hate research. “We can just make everything up,” they say.
Wait a minute!
Don’t you have to know some scientific stuff? There has to be a little learning curve, right? I was beginning to see a flaw in the “no research” statement but I let it go. I had scarier stuff to worry about.
Who am I to write a futuristic? I’m no rocket scientist. I can barely run the DVD player. Um, okay, I don’t run it all.
Wait a minute!
The futuristic romances I read aren’t all space labs and huge words. And if they were . . . bor-r-r-ing! Another flaw in my thinking? Definitely. After all, just because I researched and wrote about loading a six-shooter doesn’t mean I’m an expert at it. Um, never have done it actually.
And then there’s the lingo. I know Old West vernacular. I practically grew up with it, but when it comes to futuristic speak . . .
Wait a minute!
I have Star Trek manuals on species and space ships, and few for Star Wars too! [I warned you that I’m a huge fan.] Hmm. I even have a book called Astronomy & Space Science, a Harper Collins dictionary/glossary of terms. Did someone say no research? I’m used to research and this is beginning to sound fun to this old die-hard historical researcher.
How can historical characters and their lack of modern technology possibly equate to spaceman technology?
Wait a minute!
What about the six-shooter I mentioned above? At one time, it was as ground-breaking as a flying car of the future. And I do have all those futuristic manuals to spur my imagination.
But, um, I still have to give my futuristic plot that special Sci-Fi flavor.That means some world building, installing a culture.
Wait a minute!
Culture includes lingo and technology. Got that covered. Then there’s government/law. Hey, on Earth there are more different types of governments than you might realize. Pick one. Knowing and understanding how they operate is all I need to know. Also, I’ve made up historical towns and even built a world around them. Religions? I can pick one or not, depending on the story.
What about characters and emotional stuff? I know what historical characters went through on a day to day basis, their problems and reasoning. But what do people of the future think about? Worry about? What makes them tick?
Wait a minute!
People of the past were risk takers, adventurers, and explorers, always wanting to improve their condition. Think wagon trains, Lewis & Clark, etc. No one can say “space travel” or “universe” without equating futurisitic characters to all of the above! It’s not the people that are so different; it’s just the place and time!
Next excuse, please. Plots?
Forget the “wait a minute.” This one’s easy. All genres have some form of the same basic 7 plots, the quest, voyages & return, hero’s journey, overcoming the monster, love, revenge, comedy, etc. That’s a comfort, right? Okay, you might argue that the story still requires the futuristic flavor. Not a problem. Just read all of the above.
Note to futuristic writers: You lied! Scared me for nothing! I can research “all” this shit. And it’s really no big deal. I’ve done most of this when I wrote historicals! And furthermore, you can too write historicals. You might start with my blog: Researching the Historical Novel because, face it, you know how to do a lot of research too.
So how about the rest of you out there in the writing universe? Did I make a good case for how alike these two genres are? Anything to add?
Wanna fight about -- er, discuss it?
About Sharla
Sharla has published three historical romance novels: SONG OF THE WILLOW, LOVE AND FORTUNE, and SILVER CARESS. SONG OF THE WILLOW, her first solo effort, was nominated by “Romantic Times Magazine” for best first historical.
When she’s not writing and researching ways to bedevil her book characters, Sharla enjoys collecting authentically costumed dolls from all over the world, traveling (to seek more dolls!), and reading tons of books. You can find Sharla here at Writers In The Storm or on Twitter at @SharlaWrites.
Completely skipping the momentbefore theactual writing of the fight. EEK! The need to prepare the writer before the fight is just as important as preparing your character! So, please forgive me, I’ll be backing up for Part Two, to show you how to wrap wrists, grease face, and secure your writer-jock-strap before sitting down at your computer to write a fight.
So-to-speak…
For most writers crossing the Physical Barrier is a daunting task. Almost as intimidating as Crossing the Emotional Barrier!
I said almost.
Why is it so hard?
It could be one or a few of the following fears:
The writer has never been in a physical altercation in his/her lifetime
The writer has a hard time visualizing realistic choreography
The writer fails to understand how to incorporate the many elements that go into writing a quality fight
The writer doesn’t know the many elements that go into writing a quality fight
The writer’s level of confidence is low because of the above four elements
Let me help erase those fears.
What? You want me to finally stand up to my garbage-can-stealing-neighbor and get into a scuffle so I have fighting experience under my belt?
No, I do not want you to get into a fight. But, I do think if you increase your knowledge of writing action and violent action, you won’t have such a hard time approaching a fight. And your readers will thank you for it!
When reading, editing, writing, acting, or directing an action/fight scene, my theatrically charged brain automatically knows:
how to develop character goal and when to show or not to show throughout the scene
the psychology behind the fight
what reaction should come next
if emotions are missing
what your character isn’t showing and should be showing
when to use internalization/voice infused commentary, and when not to
where to incorporate setting, props, and description into the action
when your characters should speak and the power behind argumentative dialogue and body language
how to use rhythm and cadence to enforce pace
how to incorporating gender roles and character’s past
why some choreography works and some does not.
With practice, research, and training with an experienced instructor you will have a handle on those elements too.
If you are not ready to take a writing course on writing action and violent action, the next best thing would be to get your writing blood moving and read read read read read a variety of good active fiction.
Read
Dissect
Analyze
Apply
Here is a snippet of raw fighting from Veronica Roth’s bestselling, Divergent to get you started. Roth shows us a very logical fight scene. Her cause/effect (stimulation/response) is flawless and she keeps the reader connected through every moment. There is an interesting use of internalization/vocal commentary throughout this fight. Not something to use in every fight, but it seems to work for this scene because the fight is a form of training for the character and it is not a life or death situation. I will show you the excerpt in full before I jump in to dissect.
**************
I block the next punch with my forearm. The blow stings, but I barely notice it. She grits her teeth and lets out a frustrated groan, more animal-sounding than human.
She tries a sloppy kick at my side, which I dodge, and while her balance is off, I rush forward and force my elbow up at her face. She pulls her head back just in time, and my elbow grazes her chin.
She punches me in the ribs and I stumble to the side, recovering my breath.
There’s something she’s not protecting, I know it. I want to hit her face, but maybe that’s not a smart move. I watch her for a few seconds. Her hands are too high; they guard her nose and cheeks, leaving her stomach and ribs exposed. Molly and I have the same flaw in combat.
Our eyes meet for just a second.
I aim an uppercut low, below her bellybutton. My fist sinks into her flesh forcing a heavy breath from her mouth that I feel against my ear.
As she gasps, I sweep-kick her legs out from under her and she falls hard on the ground, sending dust into the air. I pull my foot back and kick as hard as I can at her ribs.
My mother and father would not approve of my kicking someone when she’s down.
I don’t care.
Ok, I am jumping in!
I block the next punch with my forearm. The blow stings, but I barely notice it. She grits her teeth and lets out a frustrated groan, more animal-sounding than human.
We see both characters reactions to the blocked punch
Auditory imagery. Bonus!
She tries a sloppy kick at my side, which I dodge, and while her balance is off, I rush forward and force my elbow up at her face. She pulls her head back just in time, and my elbow grazes her chin.
She creates more tension by showing us a swing and almost miss. A good thing to remember – the action is always moving forward but by bobbing in the middle ground a bit you can create intrigue. Make the reader sweat!
She punches me in the ribs and I stumble to the side, recovering my breath.
Showing reality based recovery time!
Not everyone remembers that characters breathe.
There’s something she’s not protecting, I know it. I want to hit her face, but maybe that’s not a smart move. I watch her for a few seconds. Her hands are too high; they guard her nose and cheeks, leaving her stomach and ribs exposed. Molly and I have the same flaw in combat.
Mood enhancing internalizations.
We also get a moment to analyze the picture with her.
Our eyes meet for just a second.
I aim an uppercut low, below her bellybutton. My fist sinks into her flesh forcing a heavy breath from her mouth that I feel against my ear.
Vivid imagery
Active imagery.
Shows us how hard the hit was without having to say “I hit her really hard.”
Gave the reader knowledge of their positioning
As she gasps, I sweep-kick her legs out from under her and she falls hard on the ground, sending dust into the air. I pull my foot back and kick as hard as I can at her ribs.
My mother and father would not approve of my kicking someone when she’s down.
I don’t care.
surprising the reader and herself with a change in character
Didn’t it feel like we were in the front row for that fight? I wish I could have shown you more. Easy fix - go buy the book! I’ve seen more embellished fights that I’ve liked just as much, but for this scene, her simplistic style works. Because she nailed each movement, I am thinking that Veronica Roth probably did her homework and got physical before writing that scene, don’t you think?
Next up is a new favorite of mine, Romily Bernard. Her book, Find Me, isn’t jam packed with violence like Divergent, but when Bernard writes a fight, it counts! I will show you the snippet in full first, then I will dive in for a dissection. For the purposes of not being a spoiler for Bernard’s book, I am changing the bad guy’s name to, um, Flynn. Yeah, Flynn. (I happen to have my copy of Gone Girl on my desk.)
Another step closer and I swing. The lamp base connects with his nose, and there’s a sickening crunching noise. Flynn screams, lashes out. I duck, but I’m not fast enough, and his hand digs into my hair.
“You little b*@(!!” he hisses, and yanks me to him. The lamp base’s corner has torn his cheek wide open, exposing a seam of teeth. “You will f*#&ing pay for that!”
I kick, connect with his knee, then his shin. He sucks in a hard breath, and I register one horrifying heartbeat before Flynn punches me in the face.
Once.
Twice.
Stars explode behind my eyes and warmth courses down my face. Blood. But no pain. Not yet. That will come later. Sticky heat floods my face, the shock making me hesitate.
It’s all the opening he needs.
Flynn half kicks, half pushes me onto the floor. I fall on my back, rolling even before I fully connect.
****************
Ok, I am jumping in!
Another step closer and I swing. The lamp base connects with his nose, and there’s a sickening crunching noise. Flynn screams, lashes out. I duck, but I’m not fast enough, and his hand digs into my hair.
You’ll have to take my class to see what I think of using the word “but” within an action sequence. Sometimes it works. Sometimes it does not.
Specific body parts always give great visuals
“You little b*#(@!” he hisses, and yanks me to him. The lamp base’s corner has torn his cheek wide open, exposing a seam of teeth. “You will F@&%ing pay for that!”
Simple and emotion packed dialogue placed when it is obvious he has second to say them when he is in control of her hair
Quick vocal/dialogue cue
Surveying the damage using power words: torn, exposing, teeth
Simple and very believable in-the-heat-of-the-moment dialogue
I kick, connect with his knee, then his shin.
Basic and fast paced action
Showing she is fighting back
He sucks in a hard breath, and I register one horrifying heartbeat before Flynn punches me in the face.
Once.
Twice.
Noting stimulation/response with hard breath, not just a breath
Well placed and tight character commentary on the inter-workings on how she perceives the action
Wonderful use of white space! We didn’t need a detailed account of each punch, this shows exactly what the reader needs to know and the author can save bunches of details for other bits of action
Stars explode behind my eyes and warmth courses down my face. Blood. But no pain. Not yet. That will come later. Sticky heat floods my face, the shock making me hesitate.
Great cadence
Love the choppiness of the lines here. She keeps the detail without all the wordiness that would have gunked up her pacing.
Vivid fresh imagery: sticky heat
It’s all the opening he needs.
Flynn half kicks, half pushes me onto the floor.
Impressive that Bernard didn’t find need to show exact actions here. Fights aren’t perfect because the characters involved haven’t planned their actions ahead of time. If you are able to write it intelligibly, chaos is welcome.
I fall on my back, rolling even before I fully connect.
Showing and action within an action without using the typical words for simultaneous action. Bravo!
*****************
Fun stuff, right?!? Do you think you are ready to read as-much- action-as-possible to prepare yourself for writing a fight?
But wait, there’s more!
Here is a list of a few extra’s to think on when you are on your action journey to read, dissect, analyze, and apply:
Did the fight go as planned?
Could you see the surroundings as they were fighting?
What new bit of info did you find out about the characters during the action
Were you surprised by a character’s action?
How did the author keep the suspense throughout the fight?
How did the author show the character’s vulnerabilities?
I know in Crossing Physical Barriers Part One I promised this blog was to be about dissecting fight scenes to show a few different ways to show the levels of emotional intensity. My apologies for the delay, I will just have to do a Part Three, yeah?
Thank you again for joining me at WITS today. Always a treat for me to get to throw down some fiction craft and get to socialize with committed writers. Thank you thank you!
For those of you drooling at the chance to get your name in the hat 2x for participating in the mini-challenge assignment, THIS IS YOUR OPPORTUNITY! Today’s mini-challenge assignment is to write a 150 word (or less) hand-to-hand altercation between two characters, bonus points if you involve an impromptu weapon. And as per usual, I will be your teacher for the day and provide feedback and edits!
Today’s comment drawing winner gets…a free slot in one of my upcoming courses!
Tiffany Lawson Inman claimed a higher education at Columbia College Chicago. There, she learned to use body and mind together for action scenes, character emotion, and dramatic story development.
She teaches Action, Choreography, Emotional Impact, Violence, and Dialogue for Lawson Writer’s Academy, presents hands-on-action workshops, and will be offering webinars in 2014.
As a freelance editor, she provides deep story analysis, content editing, line by line, and dramatic fiction editing services. Stay tuned to WITS to see Tiffany’s upcoming guest blogs, classes, contests, and lecture packets.
