Something you
might actually come into on your own without any guidance... well, it's
not exactly something I can give you... is VOICE. Hmm. weird. don't you
think? Voice is everything to a story. It keeps your reader hooked and
it helps them settle into the story. Voice makes the reader feel as if
what they are reading is actually happening. It sounds natural, as if
someone in their heard were talking. It's smooth and not awkward or
dull. It sounds human.
When I critique stories, one of the first things I notice, is their voice. You really can tell a lot about an author through their voice. Some have an incredible sense of humor and will describe things in a very ironic way. Kristien Heitzmann's Diamond of the Rockies series is this way. So is Jane Austen's books. Both authors have a very sarcastic voice when they choose. It makes the reader laugh. Others are much more serious and will get very in touch with the character's emotional state. Judith Pella's voice can be like this.
But, while some authors have an incredible voice, others however, have no voice, or a very dull one. Dull voices lack everything afore mentioned and seem to only give facts and details. Certainly the reader has a sense of what is going on in a scene, but for some reason, they fail to even scratch the surface of what is REALLY happening and their stories feel dead.
It can feel rather silly or cliche to say, but part of an author's voice does indeed come from emotion. If they are truly emotionally involved in their character's predicament, their voice absolutely sings and they will break through the glass many author's simply look through and become involved in the scene.
So, if you are a new writer, I promise you that your voice is only beginning to develop. The more you write, the clearer your voice becomes. It's like a muscle though. You have to exercise it for it to become stronger. When your voice becomes strong, there is nothing that can stop you.
And all you first person writers - this still applies to you. Your voice will change depending on which point of view you write from, but still, that character must have a distinct voice that sets them apart and breaks into the scene and makes it real.
When I critique stories, one of the first things I notice, is their voice. You really can tell a lot about an author through their voice. Some have an incredible sense of humor and will describe things in a very ironic way. Kristien Heitzmann's Diamond of the Rockies series is this way. So is Jane Austen's books. Both authors have a very sarcastic voice when they choose. It makes the reader laugh. Others are much more serious and will get very in touch with the character's emotional state. Judith Pella's voice can be like this.
But, while some authors have an incredible voice, others however, have no voice, or a very dull one. Dull voices lack everything afore mentioned and seem to only give facts and details. Certainly the reader has a sense of what is going on in a scene, but for some reason, they fail to even scratch the surface of what is REALLY happening and their stories feel dead.
It can feel rather silly or cliche to say, but part of an author's voice does indeed come from emotion. If they are truly emotionally involved in their character's predicament, their voice absolutely sings and they will break through the glass many author's simply look through and become involved in the scene.
So, if you are a new writer, I promise you that your voice is only beginning to develop. The more you write, the clearer your voice becomes. It's like a muscle though. You have to exercise it for it to become stronger. When your voice becomes strong, there is nothing that can stop you.
And all you first person writers - this still applies to you. Your voice will change depending on which point of view you write from, but still, that character must have a distinct voice that sets them apart and breaks into the scene and makes it real.
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