TECH: 101 Tips (12)

[mbarker.livejournal.com]

Original posting 18 May 2009

Writers' Digest, October 2004, pages 26 to 33, has a collection of short "nuggets of wisdom" related to getting published. Maria Schneider is the author of the compilation. Take a deep breath, and here we go:

"Voice is the combination of your writing style and your viewpoint. But voice is different from style. I don't think voice is anything you learn. Voice is who you are." Susan Elizabeth Phillips

Voice -- style, viewpoint, that elusive reflection of who we are in everything we write? What's particularly amusing about voice is that while various people praise it, try asking someone how you learn about it, how you practice it, how you can hone your voice -- and in general, you will not get an answer. I do think we have a voice in our writing, but it is more something that you achieve through pushing words through the horn umpteen times than anything else. Kind of like the blues. So don't fret too much about voice, just keep on writing and someday someone will admit to admiring your voice.