BY KRISTINA HARRIS
My husband loves to watch daytime court shows, which are, if nothing else, an interesting study in human interactions. The one thing I always cue in on is the way a vast majority of the litigants speak while they are in court: these people, who have no formal training in the law, suddenly get on People’s Court and start spouting out phrases like “then he proceeded to . . .” and “to the extent that . . .”
It doesn’t make them sound smarter or more official, mostly just pompous and ridiculous. In the same vein, many aspiring authors make the mistake of thinking that writing is somehow a formal discipline that should sound something like Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales.
Voice. Chances are, you’ve heard this term before. Singers and instruments have different voices, which is what makes music so interesting; authors should have different voices too.
It may seem like a no-brainer: if I am writing my own book, surely it’s in my own voice, right? Not necessarily. As an editor, one of the most common mistakes I see is that authors either don’t use a voice, or try to use someone else’s.
How do you know what your voice is? How can you begin to use it in your writing?
First off, relax, and just be yourself. Readers make wonderful consumers in that they actually come into the whole deal believing in you, the writer. They are interested in what you’ve given birth to and want to see it grow and mature.
Now, pin down who you are. Think of some adjectives that describe you as a person and writer. Ask your friends and family to think of some. When you read your writing, do these adjectives come to mind?
Think about who your readers are as well. What are the characteristics that you are trying to appeal to in them?
Finally, the most helpful way that I’ve found to discover your voice is to simply write—not for anyone else, just talk to yourself. Free-write in a personal blog or journal and talk about anything you want: your day, your views on the current political atmosphere of your country, how you didn’t get what you wanted for your birthday—anything that is important to you, so long as it doesn’t feel like “work” writing.
And one last tidbit: I’m not going to say to totally ignore all the grammar and style rules you’ve ever learned (I’m an editor—I’d lose my super secret grammar police membership card if I did that!), but voice can make or break a story, even if it’s technically correct in every other way. So first, learn what your voice is. Once you feel comfortable writing as yourself, then check out advice like Merilyn’s post, to learn how to polish your writing, so your voice can sing.
Kristina has made reading and writing a focal point in her life. No matter how busy she is, she has always found relaxation in books and editing. She started her published career in her high school newspaper by submitting short stories. Now, she has edited three published works: two adult novels and one children’s book, and has written and edited for numerous national specialty magazines.
Kristina holds a degree in business administration, has been a model for a nationally recognized talent agency, and leads the way in her household, managing a husband, three sons, two dogs, two cats, a guinea pig, and a lizard!
Kristina’s first project with The X, Relative Evil by Debra Erfert, was released in July 2014. Her next project, Legends and Lore: An Anthology of Mythic Proportions, will be released in October 2014.
