PolyProse

Once you’ve read the dictionary, everything else is just a remix. So, how do you make your mixtape stand out? You could spend hours searching for an answer, but one of the most frequent topics you’ll come across is “narrative voice.” It is a complex concept about how a writer communicates information to their audience. Many say your success hinges upon it. Some editors and literary agents have notably stated narrative voice as the deciding factor behind offers of representation. Clearly this concept is important, but what is it, and how do you find it?

What is a writer’s voice?

A writer’s voice is more than just word choice or sentence structure; it’s the overall impression your writing leaves on your audience. A writer’s voice is the style, sentence structure, vocabulary, and tone of the work. It’s your personality, perspective, and experiences distilled through a sieve of words. It’s the emotion, the style, the mindset, and the character that shine in your writing. Some famous examples are the witty humor of David Sedaris, the lyrical Toni Morrison, and the sharp style of Ernest Hemingway.

Let’s talk about some nuances. 

• Tone: The writer’s attitude toward the subject or audience. Alternatively, one might use “vibe.”
• Diction: The writer’s choice of words. This can include Germanic versus Latinate word origins, but also the connotations of those words. It is not just a “thin hallway” but a “constricting corridor.” The words we use provoke subconscious emotional meanings.
• Syntax: The arrangement of words and phrases in a sentence. This includes sentence length, structure, and rhythm.
  • For example:
    • “The dog entered the house. The dog was happy to finally be home.” 
  • Compared to:
    • “The tired dog entered the house. Finally, he was home, happy to be.”
  • Both examples use the same words, but they read differently. 
• Pacing: The speed at which the narrative or ideas unfold. A writer might use short, choppy sentences for a quick scene. They could also use long-flowing sentences for a slower pace. Note: This differs from the work’s overall pacing. A story’s plot speed isn’t necessarily its prose’s speed. Those words, though identical, possess distinct meanings; their equivalence is a fallacy. Writers must handle them differently.
• Imagery: descriptive and figurative language that activates the senses. 
• Perspective: The story’s viewpoint; how information is conveyed. This includes point of view (first-person, third-person, etc.). One aspect of this would be the writer’s overall stance. Are they writing to show the positives or negatives of a certain aspect, or are they trying to inform or entertain? This would include an author’s beliefs about society and how those beliefs affect their work.
• Style: This encompasses a writer’s use of literary devices, sentence structure, and overall approach to writing. This is understood as the use of figurative language, but this also includes puns, irony, oxymorons, assonance, and alliteration. Even larger ideas, like themes, symbolism, and foreshadowing.

The Impact of Word Choice and Sentence Length

The words you choose and how you structure your sentences have a profound impact on your writing voice. Consider these elements:

• Word Choice (Diction):
  • Germanic vs. Latinate words: Germanic words lean shorter and more direct. We usually use Germanic words when we speak. Latinate words are often longer and more complex, creating an academic tone.
  • Example:
    • Germanic: “The ship went down into the sea.”
    • Latinate: “The vessel descended into the ocean.”
  • The first sentence is punchy and straightforward. The second has a more refined tone. It feels “fancy.” 
  • When we speak, we are more likely to say “I see,” not “I perceive.” We say “Good luck,” not “Favorable fortune.” 
  • There is no hard-and-fast rule on how to use these categories, or even when, but think about the emotions these words evoke. Let’s take the “Good luck” example. If someone said that to me, I would assume they were wishing me well. But if they said, “Favorable fortune.” I would assume they are a weirdo who thinks they’re better than me and is hoping I fail.
• Sentence Length:
  • Short sentences are urgent, clear, and impactful.
    • While the sentence above is correct, it lacks flow. I use the verb “are,” which is a state of being and not an action verb, which removes the descriptive ability of the sentence.
    • I would instead write. “Short sentences build a sense of urgency, ensure clarity, and induce impact.”
  • With long sentences, you can truly delve deeper into a narrative’s complexities, those regarding themes, symbolism, and other intricate ideas, and take your time with a detailed description, causing these long, stretching, and overflowing phrases of combined clauses and portions of greater ideas that work in tandem to explore greater meaning, which can be just as impactful, especially when tackling the retrospection of a more confounding figure.
    • Did you see what I did there? That last sentence adheres to grammar rules. However, I sacrificed clarity for complexity. While reading it out loud, you may trip over your tongue.
    • I would instead write. “With long sentences, you can creatively piece together clauses to pick apart more complex ideas within your narrative, like theme, symbolism, and character retrospection.”

The key is to vary your word choice and sentence length to create a rhythm and flow.

Why is finding your voice important?

• Connect with Readers: Your unique voice helps your audience understand your writing and fosters trust as they become accustomed to your works.
• Stand Out from the Crowd: There is a lot of content nowadays, and having a voice that’s your own is what sets you apart from all the noise.
• Express Yourself Authentically: Your voice expresses your inner self. It allows you to share your thoughts, feelings, and experiences candidly.
• Builds Your Brand: For professional writers, voice is a key part of branding. It’s why your audience spends their time with you.

Examples of Author’s Voice:

Here are some examples of famous authors and their distinctive voices:

• Ernest Hemingway: Concise, direct, and understated. Here is an example from The Sun Also Rises: “The bulls came out of the pen, and for a little while, it was not so bad.” Ernest Hemingway’s short sentences, simple vocabulary, and detached tone reflect his “iceberg theory,” implying understated emotional elements.

• Toni Morrison: Lyrical, poetic, and descriptive. It balances between poetry and prose. The experiences of Black Americans, their oral storytelling, and the lack of Black narratives in literature affected her voice. In Beloved, her voice is powerful and evocative: “124 was spiteful. Full of a baby’s venom. The women in the house knew it, and so did the children.” In this quote, she personifies the house and uses intense language that creates a distinct voice.

• David Sedaris: Witty, humorous, and self-deprecating. He uses personal anecdotes and observations to create his voice. In Me Talk Pretty One Day, his voice is conversational and satirical: “I began to think of my father as a monster, and it was during this period that I started to record his conversations.” His life became the well for his creativity, humor became a coping mechanism, and his experiences from being openly gay came together to form an authentic voice. He was also inspired by Raymond Carver and his direct prose.

• Jane Austen: Wit, irony, and social commentary. She often satirizes the manners and morals of 19th-century English society. In Pride and Prejudice, her voice is elegant and perceptive: “It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife.” She lived during and after the Enlightenment period, a time rife with discussions regarding philosophy and sensibility. Her experiences as a woman, with a focus on the English gentry in a largely isolated social sphere, also helped form her voice. 

• Virginia Woolf: Stream-of-consciousness style. I would show you a quote, but I don’t want to make this section too long, so you should research for yourself. Her battle with depression, her figurehead position in the modernist movement, her research into psychology, and her beliefs around feminism are factors that affected her distinct narrative voice.

Where Can You See an Author’s Voice?

An author’s voice is present throughout every element of their work.

• Narration: The way a writer presents a story, including point of view, tone, and pacing.
  • Example: The first-person narration in The Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger, with its colloquial and angsty tone, is one of my all-time favorite novels.
• Dialogue: The way characters speak, including what they choose to say, not say, and how they say it.
  • Example: The sharp, witty dialogue in Oscar Wilde’s plays, such as The Importance of Being Earnest. (Authorial voice.)
• Description: The use of evocative language to create a vivid picture for the reader.
  • Example: The harrowing descriptions of animal interactions in Yann Martel’s Life of Pi: “Richard Parker’s jaws closed on the side of the hyena’s neck. Its glazed eyes widened. There was a noise of organic crunching as windpipe and spinal cord were crushed. The hyena shook. Its eyes went dull. It was over.”
• Theme and subject: The topics an author explores and the underlying messages in their work.
  • Example: The complexities of family relationships and self-identity in the novels of Amy Tan.
• Overall Style: The combination of all these elements creates a cohesive and recognizable style that is unique to the author.
  • Example: The combination of dark humor, philosophical musings, and a fast-paced, plot-driven style is characteristic of Chuck Palahniuk’s voice, as seen in Fight Club.

By examining these different aspects of your work, it can help you connect with your narrative voice.

Exercises to Uncover Your Voice:

Here are some exercises to help you tap into your unique voice:

1. Freewriting: Set a timer for 10 to 30 minutes and write continuously without worrying about spelling errors, grammar, or execution of ideas. The goal is to push yourself into a sort of flow state where you get a taste of your unfiltered voice.
2. Describe a Memory: Choose a powerful memory and write it. Focus on the emotions you felt and how they manifested. Remember the physical sensations of the moment and the thoughts you experienced. Pay attention to the language you use and how it reflects your perspective.
3. Write a letter to yourself: Write a letter to your past or future self about your experiences, hopes, and dreams. This exercise can help you connect with your inner voice and express yourself with honesty and vulnerability.
4. Voice Recording: Often, how we speak is very close to our natural writing voice.

Imitate, then Innovate: Choose a writer whose voice you admire and try to imitate their style. Once you have a feel for their voice and understand their strengths, incorporate your own experiences to create something new.

Tips for Developing Your Voice:

• Read Widely: Pay attention to the voices that resonate with you and analyze what makes them stand out.
• Write consistently: The more you write, the more your voice emerges.
• Be Yourself: Embrace every corner of yourself, even those you wish to keep secret.
• Get Feedback: Share your writing and ask for feedback.
• Experiment and Play: Don’t be afraid to try new things and experiment with different techniques. Play with language, tone, and style to see what feels right for you.
• Trust Your Instincts: Your voice is not a carefully engineered object; it’s an intuitive form of communication. Trust your gut feeling and just be genuine in your writing.
• Be patient: Be patient with yourself and enjoy the writing process.
• Journal: Journaling can explore your thoughts and feelings in a private space. It’s important to analyze previous entries to identify patterns in your thinking and writing.
• Consider your audience: Consider who you are writing for. You might shift tone or word choice in your work to fit genre conventions, but your voice should still shine.

Conclusion:

Your writer’s voice makes your writing unique. So, embrace your individuality and write. It may take a long time, but the process of discovery builds confidence. Voice is something much more difficult to understand, develop, and teach than spelling, grammar, or plot structure. It’s a form of “mathematical maturity” found in writing that just clicks in your head one day as you attempt to find a solution. 

The best software I use for all my writing is Scrivener. Here is my affiliate link (https://www.literatureandlatte.com/scrivener-affiliate.html?fpr=polyprose). It is well worth the purchase, give the free trial a chance. In those 30 days, I completed what would have taken me months on my previous writing platform.

Your writer’s voice is a powerful tool, use it! Choose one exercise from this post that excites you, dedicate time to it this week, and then come back and share your experience in the comments below. What did you discover about your unique voice? We can’t wait to hear your insights.