Various Aspects of Voice

Voice. I’ve heard many people describe and define this, and it always seems to be different each time. Some people said it was how clearly the characters came through. Some said it was how clearly the story itself came through. Others said it was how the author used her own voice to carry everything to the end.

I say this: it’s all of these things. Which makes Voice one of the biggest aspect of writing, and also one of the hardest to understand.

Voice applies to many different aspects of a story. It’s in the characters, the plot, the setting, the time frame, and the author. And Voice comes out through each chosen word, each image created, and each sense invoked. And it’s all different, depending on which part you’re looking at.

Voice of the main character.
Whether the story is told from first or third person, the strongest Voice makes every word sound like it comes from the main character. This is his story, after all, and he should be able to tell it however he wants. After all, everyone is different with different storytelling skills. How does your main character do it? How can he tell his story such that the reader gets lost in it, even forgets himself at times?

Sometimes this Voice sounds like the character is talking to himself. Sometimes it sounds like the character is talking to the reader. However he comes across, the strongest Voice is when the reader feels like the character is speaking directly to him. So, words like heard, saw, noticed, realized, remembered, etc are not words that evoke strong Voice. They don’t evoke anything, actually. They don’t create a consistent visual, trigger a strong emotion, or make the reader feel like he’s a part of the story. Choosing words that show what a character sees and feels will generate a stronger Voice than telling us what the character sees and feels. I’m crossing over into show vs. tell a bit here, but so much of writing is connected that it’s impossible to separate aspects completely.

Voice of the story.
What kind of story is this? Is it humorous? Suspenseful? Introspective? Notice I am not listing genres, but rather I’m listing the different ways your story comes alive. A fantasy can still be humorous. A mystery can still be introspective. It’s all in how your characters choose to carry out the story.

So, for humor, choose words and incidents that will bring a smile to the reader’s face – and I’m not just talking about dialogue. Perhaps your character has a scathing wit, or perhaps he has the worst, most ridiculous luck in the world. For introspective, don’t bore your reader with paragraphs of rambling thoughts. Instead, inject that introspection in key places where it adds the most to the story.

But the most important thing here is that your story’s Voice must begin on page one, then carry through to the end.

Voice of the setting or time frame.
Where does this story take place? New Yorkers use different words and dialect than southerners. Rural Midwest has a completely different culture than California. London speech doesn’t sound remotely like Australian. Present day actions and reactions are not the same as actions and reactions a hundred years ago. When you choose your setting and time frame, choose your words and actions such that it’s obvious when and where your characters are.

For example, red lipstick and sweater sets were popular in the fifties. Train travel was the fastest way to get around in the early 1900’s. The expectations of men women were different twenty years ago. Each of these things matter, and it also matters to use the words and actions popular during your time frame. Otherwise the reader won’t be able to immerse himself.

Voice of the author.
This is you, but it’s not necessarily you talking to the reader. I think this is the most nebulous of all aspects of Voice, because this is the underlying piece of you that goes into all your work, that comes from all your experiences in life. Unless the reader knows you really well, it’s unlikely that anyone will be able to pinpoint exactly when and where your Voice is coming through, but the authenticity of everything you say will make the overall Voice ring true.

This crosses into writing what you know – that is, writing what you’ve experienced in life, not what you can learn through research or imagination. These are the pieces that make you who you are, and they must go on the page. To some, this is one of the scariest aspects of writing, because it’s the part we lay bare to a whole world of strangers. Kind of like running around naked. But, without it, the whole story could fall flat.

These aspects of Voice are essential to every good story. The more compelling the Voice, the more compelling the story. I’ve heard more than one agent or editor stress how important Voice is, so it’s definitely important to bring it out.

But how do we learn to harness that Voice? Well, I can’t tell you how to find yours because each Voice is different. I can only tell you where I found mine. And it was hunkered down inside me, hiding in all the things I thought about but never shared.

So, if you’re still looking for your Voice, or you’re looking for ways to strengthen it, then start looking deep within yourself. I’m betting it’ll be staring right back at you.

Chatty Main Characters

Last week, I talked about how internal thoughts don’t necessarily need italics to indicate they are thoughts—that the entire narration is coming from the main character, and can be considered his thoughts. This opens up all kinds of possibilities to really get inside his head and see for ourselves what he thinks and feels about things. And that’s a good thing, right?

For the most part, yes. The closer the narrative is to the character, the better we understand him, and the easier it is to make a strong connection. Also, the chattier the character, the stronger the voice. BUT (there is always a ‘but’), you can also run the risk of having a main character that’s too ‘chatty.’ We want our characters to have opinions, and a clever comment here and there, but if we’re getting a comment every other sentence, that’s too much.

A story’s pacing can be affected by many things. Flashbacks, back story, a lull in the plot, a weak or indecisive main character, too many characters, drawn-out scenes, etc. It’s also affected by internal monologue. If the main character is giving us a side note every two seconds, it’s going to get in the way of the story’s forward momentum and bog it down. The most effective way to weave in thoughts is to find a good balance.

The way to do this is to only let your character comment on what is absolutely necessary, at that moment in time. If a key piece of information is revealed, then we need to know what the character thinks about that. If he witnesses something that triggers an emotion, we need to know about that. But we don’t need to know what he thinks about everything little thing that comes across the page.

Disclaimer: this does NOT apply to first drafts. When you’re writing a first draft, the whole point is to be as creative as possible and give your characters free reign. If you let them comment on every little thing in the story, it’ll help you get a clearer picture of what kind of people they are. That will make their actions more organic to the story, and it will suck your reader in to the point where he won’t be able to put the book down.

So, if your character is filling up your story with comments and opinions, that’s okay! Just be aware that you’ll need to delete at least half of that when you revise. :)

What to Do With Thoughts

This particular question has come and gone over the years, and lately it’s been coming back. I think it’s partly because of a new (and popular) style of writing conflicting with the standard rules. I can’t count how many times I’ve heard it in the last few months: Should direct thoughts and/or internal monologue be italicized?

Short answer: Technically, yes. That’s the rule for distinguishing between prose and thoughts.

Long answer: Not necessarily. This is one rule that can easily and effectively be bent, but it all depends on your story (and, yes, I realize this is an oft repeated mantra of mine).

First, let’s take a look at a couple styles.

If you switch from third to first person to show your character's thoughts, then you need to use italics. If you switch from past tense to present tense to show your character’s thoughts, then you should use italics (though this can get a bit tricky). After all, the rule clearly states that thoughts should be italicized in these instances.

But what if we don’t switch? What if we stay in third person, or stay in past tense? That would mean we’re also staying in the narrative, right? But does that mean we can’t convey thoughts?

Not at all. It's certainly possible to convey thoughts and ideas as a part of the narrative, without italics, as long as you keep things consistent. That means two things. 1) The entire narrative turns into the character’s thoughts, and the whole story is written from his/her bias. 2) You can’t switch from third to first person, or from past to present tense (except, of course, when you can). If you do, it’ll make the prose inconsistent and will likely jar the reader.

To me, not using italics makes the narration seamless because I feel like I am the character. When thoughts are put in italics, there's a subtle reminder that we're going deeper into the main character's head—implying that we weren't there a second ago. If there are no italics, then I feel like I’ve been there all along. I find this style far more effective, even in third person.

As a result, the story’s voice tends to be stronger because the whole narration is the character's playground for thoughts and opinions and his/her personality has more opportunities to show through.

But what about direct thoughts vs. internal monologue? Shouldn’t direct thoughts be italicized no matter what? Again, technically, yes. But I don't actually see them as being that different. They're both thoughts, really, where one is put in italics and the other isn't. You can still effectively convey the necessary emotions and such by turning the internal monologue into something like direct thoughts. Hence, no italics necessary.

There are plenty of successful first and third person stories that don't italicize internal monologue. The 'thoughts' are simply a part of the narrative, and it matches the POV, tense, and voice. But the information is most definitely the character's opinions, or it at least has that character's bias and perspective.

That said, it all depends on the story, and what kind of style that story demands. The only way to figure out what you, the author, should do is to experiment and see what works best for your story.

There Is Only One Me

So, I’ve found my Voice, and it’s still with me. It’s changing, but still there. And last week I talked about the things that became less complicated as a result of my newfound Voice. This week, I want to delve into the things that seem more complicated.

In general, writing is complicated. Very. Everything is connected, so everything must be in balance – all the major pieces that go into a novel must balance each other out, plus everything within those pieces must balance. It’s like a jigsaw puzzle made out of a zillion scales, all depending on each other to create the big picture. Complicated. Voice is no different, in that it’s just as complicated as all the other pieces. In finding my Voice, I’ve learned the pieces that need to balance within Voice. I.E., *how* it’s complicated .

I’ve always said that I’m not an interesting person. I’m not, really. When I walk into a room, no one notices. When I speak, not many hear me. I don’t command attention. I blend into the woodwork really well. And yet...if I were really so uninteresting, I wouldn’t have any friends. But I *do* have friends, so there must be something in me that sparks a connection with others.

This is where my Voice was hiding – the interesting and unique parts of me. The things I think but don’t say aloud, except to my closest friends. And they are unique to me, because we all have our own way of saying things. Just as we, writers, have our own way of telling a story. That is our Voice, and that is why no story can be told the same way twice.

My Voice lends originality to my stories. If my friends hear of something I’ve said, they can usually guess I’ve said it before they’ve been told. If someone else tells them the same story, it’s not the same. The idea and events may be the same, but the flavor is different.

Caroline Meckler said it well when she said all writing has Voice. It may not be the right Voice, so we have to keep searching until we find it. Once we do, then what? I’ve finally found the right Voice for my work, but hanging on to it is sometimes difficult. It’s like walking an overgrown, narrow path, with my more familiar paths within sight. It’s easy to drift toward those familiar paths, then realize I’ve gotten lost and have to find my way back.

Finding your Voice is only the first step. You also need to learn how to keep it, then use it to its full potential. Knowing your Voice, where it comes from, and how to use it are what make your story strong and marketable.

Succeeding as a writer comes from a similar place – it’s not about the story I tell, it’s how I tell it. And, the pieces of myself that I put into it are what make it truly unique. All of this is related to Voice. The pieces of myself that I choose to share, to weave into my story, will be saturated with my Voice. How could they not? They come from me. Deep within me. Those are the most powerful stories a writer can tell, and that power can be harnessed through your Voice.

This is strongly connected to Write What You Know. I said in an earlier blog post that I believed writing what you know comes from your heart and experiences. I believe that even more now. The more you know and understand yourself, the more you’ll have to share in your stories. And your Voice can harness this, hand the reigns to the reader, then take them on a wild ride.

That said, knowing and understanding yourself is probably the most complicated thing ever.

Hiding In Plain Sight

Everyone has strengths and weaknesses in their writing. My greatest strength, by far, is Plot. My brain is good at planning, organizing, and strategy. I can visualize how Point E will be affected if Point A changes. I’ve always been this way.

My greatest weakness, however, is Voice. Always has been. I was the invisible kid in school. I spoke only when spoken to, using as few words as possible, then I’d melt back into the shadows. This made me a great observer, and I think I understand people really well because of it. But it really hurt me in the Voice department, and I’ve spent the past seven or eight years trying to find it.

Well, I've done it. I’ve *just* found my Voice. Now that I’ve found it, I understand much more about my writing world. And, to be perfectly honest, it’s both less and more complicated than I ever thought possible.

So, how did I find my Voice? Well, I read a lot of books (a LOT) in my age-range and genre, I did research, I read agent and editor blogs posts on the subject, I practiced writing a zillion different ways...I could go on, but I’d be here all day. Basically, I was determined to either find it or die tryin’. : )

Anyway, I think agent Rachelle Gardner and editor Caroline Meckler tell us all we need to know about what Voice is and where it comes from. The real trouble is finding it.

Ironically, this is where things got less complicated for me. I discovered that my Voice was there, within me, staring me in the face the whole time. I just didn’t recognize it. It had been hiding in all the things I think about but never say. My mind is a very busy place, but I only share about ten percent of what goes on in there. I sometimes don’t even pay attention to it all. That’s where my Voice was.

I felt like a complete idiot for not seeing it sooner. :) I could have found it years ago if only I’d known where to look. Or, if someone had told me where to look...which brings me to something I've given a lot of thought over the years: whether or not Voice can be taught. I’ve always said that Voice can be taught, and I’ve heard many others say it can’t be. You know what? We’re both right.

No one can teach you how to write in your own Voice, because it’s unique to you and only you can fully understand it. That said, one can point you in the right direction. Someone who understands Voice and where it comes from can give you specific tasks and exercises that may help you find it sooner.

Personally, I don’t think this strategy is much different from teaching any kind of abstract concept. In college, I majored in Math and Computer Science, and I took some pretty “out there” theoretical math classes. It wasn’t black and white there-is-only-one-answer kind of math. The professors couldn’t teach us exact steps toward understanding the theories, so they pointed us in the right direction. We were either capable of understanding or we weren’t. But does that mean they weren’t teaching? If you think they weren't, I think those professors would disagree with you. : )

Voice is different in that it’s not a “you have it or you don’t” kind of thing. Everyone has a Voice – it’s just a matter of finding it within yourself.

So, this is the part that was less complicated for me. The more complicated things will make this post way too long, so I’ll get into that next week. : )

A Voice Giving Us Voice

Last week, I told you all the wonderful nuggets Jennifer Rofe shared with us at Prairie Writer’s Day. This week, I’m going to share editor Caroline Meckler’s (of Wendy Lamb Books, an imprint of Random House) insight on Voice. And it’s amazing insight!

Voice is one of the most nebulous aspects of writing, and I haven’t found a satisfying definition for it. I’ve searched websites and blogs, asked at conferences and other get-togethers, and pretty much everything else short of shouting out questions from my rooftop.

Last month, Caroline Meckler changed all that. Her presentation gave me the clearest, most understandable definition of Voice that I’ve ever heard.

She said every piece of writing has Voice – it’s the expression of the content. Some expressions are more compelling than others... Voice is something that must come from within – editors won’t be much help, especially with first time authors. Voice must already be there for most editors to take on the project.

As to what makes up Voice, Ms. Meckler said there are five elements:

Diction.
This is the choice of words used both to narrate the story, and in the characters’ dialogue. They should be deliberate, concrete, and surprising (i.e. not predictable). The meaning and connotation of each word should be clear and consistent with both the characters and the story.

Detail.
These are specifics that create a clear image of both the story and the character. It makes the story and characters seem tangible, and pulls the reader directly into the story. The kind of detail revealed will also reveal aspects of both the story and the characters - the characters because we are seeing his/her perception, and the story because we are seeing the author's perception.

Imagery.
This gives the reader a full-on experience of all five senses. Shown, of course, not told. The senses should pertain directly to the story (as should everything else), as well as reveal more about both the story and characters that we couldn't otherwise see without those senses. This adds to the personality of both the story and the characters.

Syntax.
This is the technical side of things, and has to do with grammatical structure: varied sentence length, run-on sentences, incomplete sentences, perfectly balanced and correct sentences, etc. All of these show the reader what kind of story we're reading, with what kind of character(s) - breathless, perfectionist, intellectual, etc.

Tone.
This sets the relationship between the writer and reader: close, distant, direct, funny, intense, dramatic, etc. Is this a story being told after the fact, in a debriefing kind of situation? Or is it an intimate setting where the story and characters are speaking directly to the reader?

She went on to say Voice is the personality of your writing, meaning it’s the mood or feelings as a product of the author. The authority of the Voice matches the character, which makes the book come alive - evoking emotion from the reader.

She cited some examples of good Voice:
CALVIN COCONUT by Graham Salisbury
HOW I LIVE NOW by Meg Rosoff
ROSIE & SKATE by Beth Ann Bauman
THE OUTLANDISH ADVENTURES OF LIBERTY AIMES by Kelly Easton

Then, she closed with some brilliant advice: the wrong Voice will weigh down your story, so keep trying on new Voices until you find the right one. If you stay true to your writing style, it will be easier to both find and keep your Voice.

I don't know about you, but I know exactly what I need to do now in order to strengthen my Voice! Thanks, Ms. Meckler!!

Stardust by Neil Gaiman

Plot Summary: Tristran Thorn will do anything to win the heart of beautiful Victoria—even fetch her the star they saw fall from the sky. So he enters the land of Faerie on the other side of the ancient wall that gives their tiny village its name. Beyond that old stone wall, nothing, not even a fallen star, is what he imagined.

I saw the movie version on a plane, and found it entertaining. So, going by the books-are-better-than-the-movies rule, I picked up the book from my local library. From the time I opened it, I couldn’t put it down. This book is hilarious, romantic, intriguing, and an excellent example of distinct and strong Voice. The POV is kind of distant, but the Voice is so strong that it pulled me right in. I want to be able to write with a Voice as interesting and strong as this! Neil Gaiman, you need to teach some workshops!

While this book isn’t classified as YA, I think it could still be appropriate (except, perhaps for a sex scene near the beginning, which isn’t overly graphic). The pacing is quick without feeling rushed, the characters are lively and often hilarious, and the story is well balanced between humor and tension. It held me captive, even though I already knew the basic story line from the movie.

This story is fun, light-hearted, and draws on the traditional fairy tale baseline of a hero, a damsel in distress, and evil ones hunting them down. But the execution of this story is so fresh and new, and wildly funny! Highly recommended.

Savvy by Ingrid Law

As with all my book discussions, there are SPOILERS below.

I picked this book up because the author is an active member of the Verla Kay Blue Boards (plus, the cover art is spectacular). She said in one of her posts that she wanted to show that everyone has a Savvy, i.e. something special. And so, she wrote SAVVY. I thought that was a brilliant concept, and cracked the spine with a big grin on my face.

That grin got bigger the more I read.

I knew where the story was going, but I was dying to find out how it was going to get there. So I settled in to watch Mibs go on a journey (both literal and figurative) to discover her Savvy, then come to terms with it. It didn’t take long to find Mibs completely endearing. This is a beautiful story about self-discovery, with strong Voice and quirky language.

I just love stories like this, because the process of becoming comfortable with yourself is so empowering and confidence-inspiring. Which really shows at the end when Mibs faces her old school mates.

I loved how the ending wasn’t all tied up in a bow. I like how it took both Mibs and her brother to rouse her father, and that her father wasn’t perfect-perfect and back to normal two seconds after he’d woken up. In fact, after a year, he’s still not the same person he was.

The only place that gave me pause was the year fast-forwarded. Mibs’s father has obviously not been able to work, and her mother was still homeschooling the kids…which left me wondering how the family made a living. I would have liked an explanation for that – not much, just a sentence or two. But, really, the rest of the story was so good that I can overlook it.

Do yourself a favor by going out and buying this book right now!

Stomach Flu and Dairy Queen

No, this has nothing to do with ice cream.

This past weekend was pretty rough. I was laid out with the stomach flu. Literally. Couldn't get out of bed, and I'm still kind of recovering. It left my hubby with the job of taking care of our energetic boys by himself...which, I guess I should admit, evoked a perverse pleasure. :) I also got quite a bit of reading done, since I couldn't do anything else.

One of the books I read was DAIRY QUEEN by Catherine Murdock. Even though it hurt to do so, this book had me laughing out loud on many occasions.

As with all my reviews, this contains slight spoilers so read with caution.

Fifteen year old D.J. Schwenk is an amazing character. She's the strong, silent type. She does what's needed for her family, without question, and does it well. She makes good choices and bad ones, then tries to amend the bad ones. She's so real that I want to meet her in person!

She starts her story, telling us Brian's reaction to how her father hurt his hip. Her Voice is clear and strong, and I can see her, clear as day, in my mind. Her lips pursing, her tongue tripping, her awkward posture dripping frustration, then giving up and going back to work. And that's just page one.

Her decision to train Brian, who is the quarterback of her high school's number one rival team, is pivotal to the story. This was the only part of the book that gave me pause. Since it was so important, I wanted a little bit more around it. She seemed to agree a bit too easily, then regret her decision later on. It's a bit out of character, because in the rest of the book she's not impulsive unless she's in the throes of an intense emotion. Usually anger. So I'd have liked to see a bit more waffling on her part, then deciding to do it. But maybe that's just me.

Jennifer Hubbard recently had a fantastic post about characters denying intention, which is basically the characters denying truth. DAIRY QUEEN is an excellent example of this. D.J. is so good at knowing and accepting certain aspects of her family, like how no one ever talks. But she can't accept other aspects, like her father's really a good cook or that he's proud of her. Classic denial. She does it again when she doesn't tell Brian about her idea to try out for football. And again when she stops speaking to her best friend, Amber. Yet, to her credit, she eventually comes around and deals with the truth behind each problem. It made me want to stand up and cheer for her...and I probably would have, if I could have gotten out of bed. :)

I highly recommend this book to anyone who likes soul-searching type stories, because this is a great one.

Authentic Character Voice

I think this is one of the hardest things to get right in a story. Or maybe I think this because I'm working on it right now and feel like my head is about to explode. :)

So, what is Voice? Basically, it's what you hear in your head as you're reading a story. If it's authentic, it'll be obvious that the main character (MC) is telling the story. Every paragraph, every sentence, every word is exactly what MC would say. If it sounds generic or jarring, then MC's voice is not coming through.

My next question is this: can Voice be taken too far? Can MC be inserted so much into the story that it slows things down? I think it can. I think it's extremely hard to find that balance between hearing MC's voice and MC hijacking the story.

But it's MC's story! How can she hijack her own story?

Technically, yes, it is her story. But I believe there are times when MC can get in the way. Particularly in today's YA books. I've read quite a few that have lots of inserted personality, especially in the beginning. Granted, this is a good thing because we get to know MC right away. And every piece of information, pondering note, and bit of backstory was clearly in MC's Voice. But it was sometimes so long that I found myself saying "get on with it, already." I've even skimmed through stuff like this, potentially missing important information, just to get to the next bit of dialog.

Of course, not all books are like this. I think SPEAK by Laurie Halse Anderson gets Voice across quite clearly. Every single word is a reflection of the main character, Melinda, yet the story is still moving forward. THE STORY OF A GIRL by Sara Zarr is another example. But there are other stories that have half a page of pondering or expostion right in the middle of a conversation. I mean, who can go through all those thoughts, simultaneously think up a reply to the conversation, and keep the other party from looking at her funny? No one I know.

So, how much is too much? To be honest, I can only answer that from a Reader's perspective. If my mind starts to wander, it's too much. Subjective, I know. :) I guess a good way to handle this is to find someone with a similar threshold and ask him to read the story. Based on his reaction, we can add/edit/delete as needed.