19 Questions to Ask (and ask again) about Voice
19 Questions to Ask (and ask again) about Voice
I cannot say enough great things about this blog. It is filled with wonderful tips on the whats, whys, and hows of writing. Do yourself a favor and read this linked content closely, maybe print out the questions and post them wherever your write.
Voice is probably one of the most difficult concepts for new writers to grasp, and one that is nearly impossible to pin down to one defining phrase. It can be terribly discouraging to be critiqued about the lack of something you don’t quite understand and cannot be easily described.
Here is my take: Narration propels the story, makes it readable (or not). You should vary your narrative view like camera shots — from the widest angles to the closest of close-ups — but the voice must remain true. To me, voice is the soul of the narrative (not necessarily the narrator — characters have their own voice, but that’s another post).
When I write or beta read, I see the story as a movie, creating mental pictures of what is happening (I am a former film student, therefore filmmaking analogies work well for me). If I find that my mind’s eye is filled with white space, I go back and reassess the scene, asking myself many of the questions shared in the link above.
Good luck in your writing and revisions!
My Passion's Pen 