by Katherine Reay, @Katherine_Reay
Last month I talked about reading and how reading can affect our writing voice. I thought I’d spend a little more time on that today…
“Voice” is so important to a writer – and, in many ways, so illusive. It’s unique, yet every writer has one. There is a tenor and cadence to language in which we are most comfortable and through which we tell our stories with the greatest strength.
I remember a few years ago, I met a writer who said that, after her MFA program, she worked years to sell anything. Nothing sold. Then one day, she started writing a humor column in a street-smart-bold-sassy-brash voice. She said she loved it and the words flowed fast. A couple years later, she sold a book — in that voice — to Random House.
You see she stopped writing what she thought she should write and starting writing what felt great to her, and the thoughts and words, emotions and drama, flowed.
Without honing, refining, and delivering your own voice, your story creates a layer of distance between you and the reader – and everyone can feel it. She was writing what she thought she should write, not what felt organic to her.
We all fall into that trap, but once you find your voice, it will be authentic and unique. You will feel it — and so will readers. But as nebulous as this idea of “voice” sounds, it isn’t hard to hone.
- Write. Don’t think. Don’t edit. Plan to throw it away. Simply sit down (or stand at your desk as I do) and have fun writing whatever comes to mind, in whatever tone that feels great and naturally evolves. This is a great exercise to get the juices flowing and dig around for your unique voice. Don’t let this distract you from your work – but give a few minutes now and then to simply playing with your voice. It may surprise you.
- Read novels with a strong sense of voice. Filling up your well of great stories is always a good idea. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak is one of my all-time favorites. Death has a fascinating voice in that novel. To Kill a Mockingbird, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, The Phantom Tollbooth and The Catcher in the Rye are other great examples of a strong and unique voice. Those last two are a couple of my favorite books.
- Share your writing with trusted readers. This is a tough one, but I do recommend it. Find a couple people you trust and share a variety of writing and ask what they think. In fact, that is how the woman in my story came to find her voice. Friends called her again and again, after reading her column, asking, “Why don’t you write like this all the time?”
Have fun with your writing and with your voice. This is a journey — it’s meant to be enjoyed!
Thanks for dropping by today,
Katherine
Katherine Reay returns to the cozy and delightful town of Winsome where two people discover the grace of letting go and the joy found in unexpected change.
After fleeing her hometown three years earlier, Alyssa Harrison never planned to return. Then the Silicon Valley start-up she worked for collapsed and turned her world upside down. She is broke, under FBI investigation, and without a place to go. Having exhausted every option, she comes home to Winsome, Illinois, to regroup then move on as quickly as possible. Yet, as friends and family welcome her back, Alyssa begins to see a place for herself in this small Midwestern community.
Jeremy Mitchell moved from Seattle to Winsome to be near his daughter and to open the coffee shop he’s been dreaming of for years. Problem is, the business is bleeding money-and he’s not quite sure why. When he meets Alyssa, he senses an immediate connection, but what he needs most is someone to help him save his floundering business. After asking for her help, he wonders if something might grow between them-but forces beyond their control soon complicate their already complex lives, and the future they both hoped for is not at all what they anticipated.
With the help of Winsome’s small-town charm and quirky residents, Alyssa and Jeremy discover the beauty and romance of second chances.
Katherine Reay is a national bestselling and award-winning author of several novels, including Dear Mr. Knightley, The Printed Letter Bookshop and the upcoming Of Literature and Lattes. She has enjoyed a lifelong affair with books and brings that love to her contemporary stories. Katherine’s has also written one full-length nonfiction work, Awful Beautiful Life. She holds a BA and MS from Northwestern University and currently lives outside Chicago, IL with her husband and three children. Publishing credits also include Redbook, USAToday, Christianity Today and FamilyFiction. You can meet Katherine at www.katherinereay.com or on Facebook: KatherineReayBooks, Twitter: @katherine_reay and Instagram: @katherinereay.