At the recent Academy of Country Music awards, Carrie Underwood sang a “Walk This Way” duet with Aerosmith’s Steve Tyler.

What a contrast, you know? Young, blonde, beautiful, seemingly innocent Carrie Underwood jamming with long time, hard core rocker from the ‘70s, known for his drug abuse, partying and sexual exploits.

They sang Aerosmith’s most famous song, “Walk This Way?” Pardon me while I post the lyrics.

backstroke lover always hidin’ ‘neath the covers

till I talked to your daddy, he say

he said “you ain’t seen nothin’ till you’re down on a muffin

then you’re sure to be a-changin’ your ways”

I met a cheerleader, was a real young bleeder

oh, the times I could reminisce

’cause the best things of lovin’ with her sister and her cousin

only started with a little kiss

like this!

seesaw swingin’ with the boys in the school

and your feet flyin’ up in the air

singin’ “hey diddle diddle”

with your kitty in the middle of the swing

like you didn’t care

so I took a big chance at the high school dance

with a missy who was ready to play

wasn’t me she was foolin’

’cause she knew what she was doin’

and I knowed love was here to stay

when she told me to

walk this way, walk this way

walk this way, walk this way

walk this way, walk this way

walk this way, walk this way

just gimme a kiss

like this!

schoolgirl sweetie with a classy kinda sassy

little skirt’s climbin’ way up the knee

there was three young ladies in the school gym locker

when I noticed they was lookin’ at me

I was a high school loser, never made it with a lady

till the boys told me somethin’ I missed

then my next door neighbor with a daughter had a favor

so I gave her just a little kiss

like this!

seesaw swingin’ with the boys in the school

and your feet flyin’ up in the air

singin’ “hey diddle diddle”

with your kitty in the middle of the swing

like you didn’t care

so I took a big chance at the high school dance

with a missy who was ready to play

wasn’t me she was foolin’

’cause she knew what she was doin’

when she told me how to walk this way, she told me to

END

I know! Shocking. Yet we sang this cloaked sexual song as high schoolers. We kinda knew, didn’t we, it was about sex? But not really…

It was just about a “little kiss, like this.” Right?

Back to Carrie and Steve on stage in Las Vegas for the country music awards. The moment the bass riff started for “Walk This Way,” ba-da-da-da-da-dum-dump, the auditorium of music stars and fans were on their feet.

Carrie and Steve rocked the house. Carrie was having a blast, dancing and singing. Steve was in his prime. I mean, I wanted to be on stage singing the song. It looked that fun.

But the lyrics. The intonation. The theme. Several thousand people singing and celebrating teen masturbation and three-way sexual encounters.

Huh?

Yet we go to church each week and freak out of someone raises their hands or waves a flag… sorry, pet peeve of mine… but that’s for another blog.

So what made this song a hit? What lit up the crowd that night at the ACMs? What made it look so fun? What drew me into this perverted song so much I wished I could’ve been hopping on stage with them?

The music. The opening bass riff. The way the melody plays. When we hear it on a radio, we reach to turn it up. We lift our voices and tip back our heads and sing at the top of our lungs, “…walk this way… walk this way.”

We don’t even think about it. We sing. We dance.

The music is the “voice” of the song. The music impacts our hearts, takes us back to our younger years. Memories float to the surface. Smiles pop as we remember.

We may not appreciate Steve Tyler’s life style but we like his gravely voice and delivery of the lyrics as we mumble along because we don’t really know what we are singing.

Then the chorus. “Walk this way… walk this way.” We belt it!

For a writer, our voice is the music of our stories. It’s powerful. In a song it’s the combination of music, lyrics and vocals. In books, it’s a combination of plot, writing and YOUR MUSIC. Your voice. How YOU tell a story!

“Voice” makes good Christian people sing about teen debauchery.

Voice will make an editor or agent, and readers love your story. Even if – gasp – it has a Christian theme!

What is the “bass riff” of your story that will draw in the reader, get their hearts dancing, take them down memory lane or draw them into the protagonist?

I’ve read a lot of stories for book therapy and in contests, and the thing I see lacking the most is voice.

I often feel like I’m reading an “echo.” The author is just emulating authors and books they’ve read. They like the writing, they like the story and think, “Hey, I can do this.” But their own voice is not developed.

Lots of musicians probably tried to emulate “Walk This Way,” but only when they developed their own sound did they have a chance of succeeding.

How do you say things? How do you string words together? What is the melody you want to create with your writing. What’s the feel of the scene? The characters? How do you put “notes” to the page?

Recently I read a paragraph that went something like this:

She wanted to win the contest more than anything. More than getting an expensive car or wearing expensive clothes.

Okay, that’s good. We get it. But there’s no voice to it.

How about this:

“I have to win, Sissy. I’ll die otherwise.” Riley tossed her Ralph Lauren dress to bed and ran her fingers through her hair.

“It’s a beauty contest, Riley. It’s not like you can out race or out play your opponents.” Sissy picked up the dress. “Is this new?”

“Yes, but who cares what I wear if I don’t win? This contest is my chance to prove to my parents I can do something besides spend their money.” Riley picked through her shoes. A pair of glossy patent leather Louboutin’s had once been her “dream.” But now, all of her treasured designer clothes paled in comparison to winning. “You talked me into this contest, Sissy, so help me.”

“Because I thought it’d be fun. I didn’t think you’d turn into a green-eyed monster.”

Riley laughed, glancing at her reflection. “Blue-eyed, Sis, blue-eyed.”

Details makes the difference. Voice is about adding a lyrical element to your story that comes from the details of your scene.

You and I might be looking at the exact same couple arguing at an airport and see completely different elements. What you see and how you tell it comprises your voice.

Work on your voice. Work on adding spark to your story. Hit those high notes. Work for those low, bass sounds.

Here are a few tips to work on voice:

Start a journal. Write about an event in your day. Don’t just say, “The kids were really funny during dinner.” Pick a specific event and describe it, in detail. How did it make you feel? Did it remind you of your childhood? Or was it completely opposite of your younger years?

Write your emotions. How did you feel when you heard your friend received an award, or publishing contract? What about an argument with spouse or kids, or a friend? What about a really good day?

When I wrote The Sweet By and By, I was emotionally exhausted at the end because I poured a lot into Jade’s fear and panic moments. I was trying to show how she felt from the inside out.

Don’t short cut. If you write: She was mad. Step back. Show how she was mad. How do YOU describe and show mad?

What life experiences do you have that will add to your voice? What are your passions?

Stop. Pause. Think. Then rewrite. When you’re reading other books, notice how an author describes the protagonists looks, or actions. How would YOU describe him or her.

Do you own a smart phone or iPad device that uses apps? I just down loaded an app called Day One to help capture ideas and thoughts when I’m out and about. It’s a great way to use my iPad without having to be online.

Voice. It’s the “sound” you make with your words that resonates with the heart of the reader.

Walk this way. 😉