Tuesday, December 04, 2001 ( 8:24 PM ) Voice

Voice is the quality in writing that shows who the storyteller is. It takes writing from sounding stilted and unnatural, to a place where it flows so naturally that the reader feels he is coming to know a close friend. Voice puts us in touch with a person (the writer) rather than just words. As valuable as it is, there must be restraint in the use of voice, especially when our writing represents the words of a certain character. The character must have his own voice, not the writer's. In my experience, I've met many people who have left a trace of their personalities in my life, and I can draw from these many contacts to formulate voices for my characters to use when they speak. An easy way to understand voice is to see it as the author's personality that shines through the writing. The more writing practice the writer has, the better he is at letting this happen naturally. Voice cannot be forced, it must be celebrated and shared in a measure that doesn't overwhelm the reader or detract from the story. The development of a sincere writing voice is crucial to the writing of high quality literature. This is, like most talents, a skill that improves with time and practice.

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