by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig
Wednesday, I was the only adult in the
line of about 100 junior year high school students in front of the counselor’s
office.
line of about 100 junior year high school students in front of the counselor’s
office.
The students were all there tohave their schedules changed for one reason or another. My son was next to me, both relieved that I
was there and resigned that I was there. His schedule,
unfortunately, needed four or five changes to it—sometimes computers stick odd
things on schedules. This computer
had. I was there to lend an air of
gravitas to the situation and help him get the schedule in order so he’d have
what he needed for these colleges he’s starting to look at (primarily German
III and German IV, since they want four years in a single language).
So here’s the situation. We’re all sitting in plastic chairs in a
long, long line outside this office, each with a number. He has friends to the right of him and
friends to the left of him and I’m right in the middle. I have brought my book
with me and am determined not to bother/embarrass him (if I can help it). Although I could potentially be bothering him
by the fact that I’m quietly writing about murder in my notebook. Or that I’m there at all.
long, long line outside this office, each with a number. He has friends to the right of him and
friends to the left of him and I’m right in the middle. I have brought my book
with me and am determined not to bother/embarrass him (if I can help it). Although I could potentially be bothering him
by the fact that I’m quietly writing about murder in my notebook. Or that I’m there at all.
We wait about four hours.
His friends, nearer the start of the four
hour wait, aren’t exactly sure how to talk around me. And this is literally around me, since they’re having to lean forward to bypass my
presence. There is some stilted
conversation. They pass their phones to
each other to share a video or a funny picture, but they only snort or laugh
and don’t talk about whatever it is they’re looking at. I keep writing.
hour wait, aren’t exactly sure how to talk around me. And this is literally around me, since they’re having to lean forward to bypass my
presence. There is some stilted
conversation. They pass their phones to
each other to share a video or a funny picture, but they only snort or laugh
and don’t talk about whatever it is they’re looking at. I keep writing.
Finally the girl next to me asks sweetly,
“Mrs. Craig, are you here to get your schedule changed, too?” Trying out a
different tack to see how I’d respond. My son looks sideways at me.
“Mrs. Craig, are you here to get your schedule changed, too?” Trying out a
different tack to see how I’d respond. My son looks sideways at me.
I nodded.
“I was supposed to graduate in 1989, but I can’t seem to get enough
credits for graduation.”
“I was supposed to graduate in 1989, but I can’t seem to get enough
credits for graduation.”
This makes them laugh. And soon, they’re carrying on conversations
that seem a lot more natural. Not as natural as they’d be if I weren’t there at
all, but a whole lot more natural than they were before. This helps me relax
too. It’s very distracting when people are acting stilted around you. I was actually able to block them all out and
write several pages for my book.
that seem a lot more natural. Not as natural as they’d be if I weren’t there at
all, but a whole lot more natural than they were before. This helps me relax
too. It’s very distracting when people are acting stilted around you. I was actually able to block them all out and
write several pages for my book.
To me, this is half the battle of coming
up with a writer’s voice—not sounding stilted.
Stilted narrative is distracting and makes it tough for a reader to get
wrapped up in our story.
up with a writer’s voice—not sounding stilted.
Stilted narrative is distracting and makes it tough for a reader to get
wrapped up in our story.
I knew what I wanted my storytelling
voice to be before I wrote my first book…but it took a while for me to achieve
it. I wanted it to be intimate and friendly. It took some practice and both
hits and misses before I nailed it. One
tip that I found: once you’ve written a
passage of your book in the voice you’re shooting for, print that portion out
and keep it near you. When you feel
you’re sounding stilted again, reread the passage that you wrote. It can help to reorient you.
voice to be before I wrote my first book…but it took a while for me to achieve
it. I wanted it to be intimate and friendly. It took some practice and both
hits and misses before I nailed it. One
tip that I found: once you’ve written a
passage of your book in the voice you’re shooting for, print that portion out
and keep it near you. When you feel
you’re sounding stilted again, reread the passage that you wrote. It can help to reorient you.
Here are some posts on voice that I’ve
found helpful in the past:
found helpful in the past:
Can
You Hear Me Now? Developing Your Voice—by Janice Hardy @janice_hardy
You Hear Me Now? Developing Your Voice—by Janice Hardy @janice_hardy
10 Steps to Finding Your Writing
Voice—by Jeff Goins @jeffgoins
Voice—by Jeff Goins @jeffgoins
Need Voice? Think
Out Loud—by Jami Gold @jamigold
Out Loud—by Jami Gold @jamigold
3 Vs of
Fiction—Voice—by Darcy Pattison @fictionnotes
Fiction—Voice—by Darcy Pattison @fictionnotes
Did your author’s voice come naturally to
you? How did you find it?
you? How did you find it?
Photo–MorgueFile–mconnors
It’s nice to get to know your kids’ friends, isn’t it? I’ve been hanging around with the kids on the slopes for years, and know most of their friends, but there’s always some new ones coming by.
I agree with what you say about the natural voice >:)
Cold As Heaven
Elizabeth – Oh, you came up with the perfect response! I love it! And you have a very well-taken point about using one’s own voice. It really is critical. At some point, writers have to move past ‘writing the way they’re supposed to write’ and writing with their own voices. That takes time and practice and it does take a certain amount of feeling relaxed. But then, if what we’re writing is interesting enough and carries us away, we’ll relax anyway and just tell the story.
Love this little snippet of life with your son. I can just see you trying to be inconspicuous amongst all those kids. My voice came naturally for my memoir, duh!!!
but with this novel of mine, not so much. Still trying to decide if I should keep it in third person or switch to first and I’m going to begin draft 3.
I love your response to that girl.
I struggled with voice for a long time. The book that fought me the hardest (Book V) is probably the one that I did best with voice. Maybe that’s the secret.
CaH–It sure is. Well, I know all his closest friends, but the school friends not so much. It’s eye-opening sometimes. :)
Margot–I think you’re right. It takes confidence to be able to relax enough to let our voices come through.
Diane–That’s interesting that the one that was toughest for you was the one where you did best! And you write YA, so that’s a tough voice to nail.
Karen–Ha! Yes, tough to be inconspicuous when you’re the middle aged woman with the notebook. :) I did try hard, though.
Congratulations on draft 3!! You’re really making progress. I’m a fan of 3rd person, myself…never written in 1st.
You became one of the kids at that point.
Reading out loud helps me. And the more I know my characters, the more natural they sound when they speak.
Lol, that was a good response to those kids. You’re funny!
My voice came naturally, I think. I’ve been writing since I was a kid, so back then I never knew anything about voice. So I didn’t try too hard. Sometimes I think writers are trying too hard because they hear all this stressful advice saying they must have a unique voice. If you’re an individual, you’re unique, and your writing voice is too.
In college one of my creative writing professors had students do this exercise: imitate the voice and style of an author you like for a page or two. Then we had to read it out loud. What we found was that the imitation voice only lasted so long; everyone’s natural voice shown through by the end of the piece they wrote. It was a really interesting exercise!
Happy reading and writing! from Laura Marcella @ Wavy Lines
When I was a kid, I wrote a lot of first person narration, and I think that helped. The other thing that helps is that I have a movie background and often “hear” the voices of the characters — which in turn leads me to treat the narrator as a character, even when it’s third person.
Of course, in third person, I try to keep the voice similar to the character’s internal voice. So when I switch point of view, the voice changes.
Alex–A big kid! :)
Reading out loud is a great way to find it.
Laura–Exactly. I believe a lot of writers overthink it.
Interesting! I love the idea that the writer’s natural voice came through at the end of that exercise.
Camille-I’m envious of folks who have a background in film and theater. It’s got to help in so many different ways.
I like your idea to post a passage of your story’s Voice as a reference. :)
Elizabeth.
You’re a great storyteller, but this time you not only forgot to finish the story, but left us dangling with a spine chilling cliff hanger.
Did your son have his schedule sorted out OK? Desperate for the denouement.
Jonathan
I think my writing voice comes naturally, as a result of over 40 years of public speaking experience. You get comfortable with words, you learn which words affect and which words fall dead to the floor.
When you advance from public reading to working from a detailed outline to brief notes to occasionally speaking completely extemporaneously, verbal habits emerge which, if you allow them, land on the page as well.
Megan–It does really help. Wish I could credit the blogger who advised to do it, but I can’t for the life of me remember who it was (and it was some years ago).
Joel–40 years of public speaking! That’s fantastic!
Keep saying I’ll do Toastmasters since I’m not a *comfortable* speaker, but haven’t gotten around to it yet. I can see exactly what you’re saying–you get an immediate response from an audience, which would be helpful.
Jonathan–Ha! Yes, thankfully, we sorted it out. Out went computer animation and wind ensemble (rather unfortunate about the wind ensemble). In went German III and IV! He stayed on at the high school to get his parking pass sorted out and I went home with great relief!
Thanks for coming by. :)
You have a great sense of humor…love it! I have 4 teenagers myself and try to make jokes and just be ‘naturally me’…which most often inspires them to relax too.
Maybe that’s the secret I’m missing in finding my writing voice. I just published my 1st Historical Suspense, but I feel like I’m still sounding ‘stilted’. I’m going to try your tip of printing out a portion of a book that’s in the voice I’m shooting for…to keep it handy to reorient myself to what my voice should be. Thanks so much for the tips and for your great story!
Really like the helpful links too…BTW :-)
Lorna–Oh my goodness…four teens! I’m thinking a sense of humor really helps to deal with that. :)
Hope the tip helps! And the links are very helpful, I think.
It’s a funny thing, voice. We all speak English, and we pretty much choose the same words to communicate, yet…we can still place words in a unique way of our own and have “voice!”
I liked your advice about printing out a section to keep on track. I’ve lost “the voice” many times and then have to go back and re-read where I believe I captured it…this is much easier!
Donna–It really can save time…because when I look back at my manuscript, it makes me want to edit. :) Not good, if I’m on a first draft!
H Elizabeth .. it’s the same with blog posts – we write with our voice and our passion for where we’re at etc .. I know when I have to switch from blogging oriented writing to other sorts it’s now quite difficult – as is my talking?! Not always good news ..
I think all your prompt/cheat sheets are great ideas – cheers Hilary