Writing Prompt: The Writer’s Voice
This presentation is all about the writer’s voice and how important its effective use is in creating compelling fiction.
What is Voice?
- The “sound” of a person speaking to reader
- Writer has many voices
- The way the writer sees things/world view
- Point of view or vantage point/narrative filter
- First person—I
- Present, part of the action
- Can be solipsistic
- Second person—you
- Actor in a drama or how-to (You’re at Wallmart. You look around, overwhelmed by the size of the store. You don’t know where to begin. . .)
- Experimental voice can be quirky, may be off-putting
- Third person—he or she
- Objective
- First person—I
Natural Voice
- Voice is affected by:
- Family
- Ethnic heritage
- Region
- Culture
- Educational background
The Writer’s Voice
- An effective voice is tuned to:
- Message
- Purpose
- Story or topic
- Reader
The Elements of Voice
- Tone & Diction
- Conveys attitude toward subject and audience
- Style
- Distinctive way writer uses language
- Alter simplicity or formality of sentences
- Distinctive way writer uses language
- Structure
- The internal logic or piece; relationship among parts
- Linear, intuitive, parallel
- The internal logic or piece; relationship among parts
- Values
- Political, social, religious, philosophical, etc.
- Authority
- Knowledge, self-confidence, control
Terri: I love this post. I personally think that "voice" is one of the most important things in writing a book. I know it's what keeps drawing me back to certain authors. I love John Sandford's voice as he writes in his "Prey" novels, and, to me, it's instantly recognizable. There are others I feel the same way about, and then there are some whose voice doesn't resonate with me. Give five authors the same story to tell and you'll get five different books. It's always nice to be reminded of voice, and your chart does a wonderful job of that, explaining it better than I've seen before. Thanks!