Comments on: Voice, Loud and Clear

By: K. R. Bailey

K. R. Bailey — Sat, 30 Apr 2011 19:26:39 +0000

Loved your post about voice. I keep hearing about it, but no one has been able to explain it so well. Thank you.

By: Catherine Johnson

Catherine Johnson — Thu, 28 Apr 2011 18:10:21 +0000

Right I’m going off to get a little bit hammy then. Thanks Mary!

By: Janie Bill

Janie Bill — Thu, 28 Apr 2011 15:04:21 +0000

Voice is hard. We all have one and know in our ego-based hearts that it really means, dread, we might not be as likeable on paper as we were at prom.

By: Mackenzie

Mackenzie — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 22:14:46 +0000

hi:)

By: Sarah D.

Sarah D. — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 13:38:18 +0000

Now, for my question. That last comment being said, I think I’ve started to get a good grip on my voice as a writer. I write in 1st person. My main character is that thinly-coated version of me. How do I make my other characters different? That’s the hardest part (I think.) I try to keep special phrases to each. But beyond that I feel like it’s still a story of 20 me’s.

By: Sarah D.

Sarah D. — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 13:12:51 +0000

Voice is a tricky one. I’m still in the process of finding mine. But as I write more and more as an aspiring author, I think I’m finding it, slowly. Example. A while back my mom read my blog and some of my book. She kept going on and on about how much she liked my blog. (Meanwhile, I’m like no! you’re supposed to like my book) She said she liked my blog so much because there was so much of me in it. Meaning, when she read it she knew without a doubt I wrote it. She didn’t get that same feeling from my book. Since she told me, I try to write as…maybe the word is freely…freely in my manuscript as I do in my blog.

Also, once a critique partner said to me. (kind of the same thing as my mom) Sometimes you write and it sound like you’re trying to be a writer and other times you write and you sound like you. I like the sound like you part better.

By: Adrian

Adrian — Sat, 30 Jan 2010 18:05:17 +0000

It’s great to have such clear thoughts on various aspects of writing. The suggestion of trying something in first person is also a great one.

Your time and effort on this are much appreciated!

By: Renee Field

Renee Field — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 17:46:18 +0000

I liked the voice article. I think every author is different. Some master 1st person and that works but I also find that as a reader I tend to like the 3rd person and most of my writing is written in 3rd person.

By: Joy

Joy — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 03:22:42 +0000

Great article on voice, which is so hard to define, even harder to write! I found writing in first person really helped me find the voice of my characters. Now they whisper in my ear while I write.

By: Kathi Sprayberry

Kathi Sprayberry — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 14:50:09 +0000

Love your take on voice. It’s sometimes very hard to find the character’s voice during the first revision or two or ten but I’ve found by reading aloud (advice I give folks in my crit groups) I can find the character’s voice and give them one that’s unique to everyone else’s. Your blog has helped me in so many ways and I’m happy to have found it.