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Sunday, 09.07.2008 |
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| Finding Your Voice |
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Product Details
Notes
beginning writers often hold back when they are writing for someone to read
they try to be "writerly" and they end up using cliches and not being original
you can't be all things to all people, but your voice will strongly attract some
the basic rules of formal grammar sometimes hold back your natural voice
read a lot and trust your instincts when something feels right in your writing
some common rules that can pull you away from your voice:
1) using complete sentences - in fiction you want it to sound natural
2) combining actions with "as" or "-ing" constructions - split them instead
3) not using run-on sentences - decide based on the flow you want
4) pyramid style - old journal article style, put the good stuff at the end instead
5) archaic dialogue tags - use "he said", not "said he", and don't replace "said"
6) cliches - these are taught in school, but don't use them in your writing
7) wordiness - don't fluff up essays to increase the word count, write tighter
8) chunks of static description - avoid these, keep the pace moving
9) transitions between scenes, like "therefore" - just cut to the action
10) being politically correct - write what you want, be bold and go deep
remember that writing style has changed over the years
choose synonyms that fit your personality, they aren't all equivalent
there are three good reasons to choose a synonym:
1) to express the exact meaning that you think fits what you're trying to say
2) for the particular sound of the word that gives the flow you want
3) to avoid repetition of the same word, which might sound awkward
read classics in the context of the period in which they were writing
colons and semicolons were used in the past, dashes are more common now
the old "Dear Reader" style now interrupts the fictive dream, so avoid it
don't follow a comma with an em-dash, this is an archaic form of punctuation
don't use multiple adjectives or adverbs, tighter writing is better than wordiness
also avoid redundant adjectives, like "happy, contented" which are the same
choose the strongest adjective or adverb and use that one only
modern movies use jump cuts rather than long transitions between scenes
David Sedaris writes about normal topics but his voice and style are unique
remember that readers identify with people, not with fancy plot ideas
just like with money and risk, we're taught to be conservative in writing
notice if you are imitating another writer's style, find your own voice instead
don't neglect your hometown as a setting simply because it's not exotic enough
watch out for cliche characters with exotic jobs or glamorous lifestyles
pay attention if readers all say that you sound like a famous author
don't write stuff you wouldn't say in normal conversation, keep it real
read your work aloud and see if it sounds like your natural voice
Hemingway used a total of 8000 words, the vocabulary of a sixth grader
if your style is verbose, that's okay, but if it's not, don't write like it is
pay attention to the words you use when you're thinking and talking
to access your voice, try writing autobiographically in the first person
so writing journal entries can be useful, try writing them in third person too
also try writing a letter to a friend, and notice how it's natural and not proper
watch out for irritating mannerisms you might personally overuse and cut them
the author notes that editing while writing a draft worked better for him
that's against most of the "authorities" on writing, who talk about the right brain
they say you should rush through a first draft without stopping to edit at all
but this author says he wanted to edit while he still had the feeling
it worked better for him to find the perfect word as he wrote the first draft
if he came back to it later, he'd forget what he wanted to change
or he wouldn't have the original feeling anymore, so he couldn't get the flow
he now does one or two rewrites, instead of ten to twenty like he did before
the key is to follow your instincts, don't just blindly follow the rules of others
find a passage that you really like and get rid of the adjectives and adverbs
trust the intelligence of your readers, don't dumb down your prose for them
your reader is yourself, with your interests and your depth of reading books
the people you see and interact with are not actually your main readers
your readers are out there, you may never meet them, but they are like you
you don't have to include "explanations" in the text if you already know it
the people around you are focused on areas other than literature, that's fine
but don't mistake these non-readers for the readers who will buy your book
don't try to put in lots of backstory and setup in the beginning for the reader
also watch out for dialogue that dumps information vs. moving the story along
the best writing leaves some work for the reader, it's a collaborative effort
don't overexplain things, it's okay if not everyone catches every reference
when you are picturing a character, draw from related experiences in your life
like if a character has a heroin addiction, think of your own addictions
this is what actors do to convincingly portray a character that's not exactly them
think of different characters and imagine them talking to their friends
they would talk naturally and not explain things that both of them knew already
remember that each person would see the same scene in a different way
your voice comes through in your tone, the emotional echo from the writing
we have many voices within us, and those voices evolve over time
bring out different voices for different characters, but draw from within yourself
maintain consistency of tone throughout your story, note where it strays
your mood will vary from day to day, and that will affect your tone
read the best parts of past writing to get back into the right mood
also try playing similar music during each writing session to link your mind
or look at pictures or artifacts that can recapture the mood you want
be careful choosing similes or metaphors that your characters would use
adjust your pace and rhythm depending on who is speaking to whom
like if a character is talking to their boss vs. a person they are attracted to
try rewriting by speaking your ideas for prose first and see if they sound right
some writers use yoga to get into a natural body rhythm in their writing
before writing, figure out what voice would best fit the material
read letters to the editor in a local newspaper and note their voices
a key ingredient is to write with passion, that can help you find your voice
warm up by getting into the voice you want to use, do some short writing first
try reading stuff that's in a similar voice to warm up for a writing session
sometimes you can purposely delay a good section of writing
delayed gratification can build up strong momentum for your entire session
try making notes on things you want to improve after the draft is done
but make the notes detailed, otherwise it's hard to remember after many weeks
whenever you revise and make changes, read the words aloud to check them
don't just pick words out of a thesaurus, stay true to your voice and style
you use different words in different situations, use this in your characters also
the best modern nonfiction is written using fictive techniques
if you've written a scene and it doesn't feel right, try this:
first see the setting through the character's eyes and get a feel for it
get rid of all distractions so you can focus in your writing session
relax your body and mind, breathe deeply and relax your muscles
close your eyes and visualize the setting, immerse yourself in the scene
ask these questions from the main character's viewpoint:
1) what do i see before me?
2) what do i feel?
3) what do i hear?
4) what do i smell?
5) what do i taste?
6) what is the lighting like here?
7) what do i want most right now?
8) what am i thinking?
9) what is my primary emotion right now?
write the answers in the present tense first, dream the scene in your mind
now add movement, move your character's body and let events occur
then ask these questions:
1) what happens next?
2) what do i do?
3) what do i think about or say?
4) what do the other characters say or do?
5) what has changed? what's different now from when the scene began?
now take the answers to all the questions and write the scene
you can also visualize the scene from each character's viewpoint
that can give you their dialogue with the appropriate voice and style
the key is to "become" the characters and try to "live" the scene
don't look for a trend that's hot commercially or artistically
delve into the issues that truly matter to you as a writer
especially don't emulate the voices of those on the bestseller lists
write the book you wish someone else had written, the one that fits you
read the tips in the Novel & Short Story Writer's Market, and Writer's Market
using your voice in a nonfiction article makes the reading more interesting
if you're copying the voice of another writer, don't read them while writing
look for your own weaknesses in writing, flowery prose, too fast, too slow, etc.
then see if your weakness might come from emulating a famous writer
some common weaknesses of writers:
1) sci-fi writers who think the story should be mostly about technology
don't forget the characterization, even if the protagonist is a robot
2) overemphasis on symbolism, especially by academics who overanalyze
symbols often come from the writer's subconscious, let them form naturally
3) weak beginnings, often with too much backstory and setup
in the past, this was more common, but modern novels need to jump right in
4) static descriptions with flowery prose
again, this is old style, it's better now to integrate description with action
keep a file to record examples of great technique by other writers
use the techniques from college, but on yourself, to study your weaknesses
write a paper about your weakness and research others, then show your rewrite
remember that writing has progressed over time, just like other fields
so don't focus only on the classics, don't be intimidated by past writers
it's good to study the past, but don't imitate them, find your modern style
look at your weakest passages and see if they are similar to other authors
watch out for unusual words that stand out, but aren't in your vocabulary
instead of using a thesaurus, try clustering, write synonyms that come to mind
look for places where the reader becomes aware of the writer at work
that interrupts the fictive dream, the main goal should be to immerse the reader
make sure that no more than 5% of your words are not in your normal usage
you want the casual reader to think that your writing looks so easy and clear
read your material to other writers and ask which parts don't sound like you
read aloud and think if you'd like to listen to your own style for hours at a time
characters should use contractions in their speech, it's more natural
learn from other authors, but apply what works to your current situation |
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