How to find your voice?

[ttvttp]

Have you found your voice in writing? If you write erotica and non erotic fiction, do you write differently or could we tell it's you in both avenues? Are you still looking for your voice? What would you like someone to know about voice?

 

[KeithD]

Yes, I've found a few voices that I write in, with what I'm going to write sort of determining what voice and POV I write a story in. The voices are pretty much the same for both mainstream and erotica works. Voice is one of the things I don't do by committee--either in finding my own or someone else finding theirs. I consider that one of the key "manage it yourself or don't write" elements of writing.

 

[Hypoxia]

My non-erotic writing was computer-technical so my voice was robotic. My songwriting abused many different voices. My erotic writing vocalizes depending on POV, time, and mood. Every episode in a successful 18-chapter series was told from a different POV, none the MC's; I tried for many voices.

Any 'voice' is only the costume I wear for that piece, like Janis Joplin in her later days; 'Pearl' was a skin she donned for shows. "Hypoxia Smurf" hides behind many masks.

 

[NotWise]

Have you found your voice in writing? If you write erotica and non erotic fiction, do you write differently or could we tell it's you in both avenues? Are you still looking for your voice? What would you like someone to know about voice?

I'm not completely sure what you mean by 'voice.' I have a writing style that I haven't really tweaked much. I tend to use the same, relatively simple vocabulary in my stories, and similar sentence structures. My story-telling changes between stories, and my character's voices change, but my writing is typically recognizable as mine.

But, I don't have KeithD's experience.

Edit: Oh yeah. My non-erotica fiction and my erotic fiction are in the same style. My technical writing is different, but over time I've let my fiction-writing experience influence my technical writing to express technical content in a simpler and more understandable way.

 

[ElectricBlue]

My erotic fiction voice evolved here on Lit fairly quickly, so that all but my earliest stories are recognisably an "EB thing." It works for me and comes naturally, so I'm not going to change anytime soon. How did I arrive at it? By writing the next story, learning from the last. Writing.

I don't write non-erotic fiction, so can't comment there. If I did, I imagine it would be recognisably similar - it would be "how I write."

 

[HeyAll]

Everyone has different writing skills and things which they like to do naturally.

So, finding a voice? It's already there.

I think if I wrote a crime story it would be largely the same as my erotica.

 

[TxRad]

Keep writing, it will find you.

My voice is that of a storyteller in everything I write. That's the way I see stories in my head and that is the way they end up on paper. I'll take what i can get.

 

[davion2308]

My voice

I write a lot, and write a lot more.

Honestly, my voice is driven with (what I think) good dialogue. I like the interactions between characters and the conversations over simple description or action. Talking does more for me so that's what I try to have most well-developed.

 

[gordo12]

I'd have to say no. This started as a retirement hobby for me and I don't think I've quite found my path yet (or voice if you want to call it that).

I've had a number of comments and emails telling me I have a unique style. What that means I have no idea. To me EVERY author I read has a unique style. I read the authors I like and pass on the ones I don't.

So how do you quantify that voice when you really don't understand what makes up that voice? (does that question make sense?)

 

[Hypoxia]

How to find your voice: Sing. Yell. Scream. Speak. Enunciate. Blather. See what works.

I found my voice long ago as a bike messenger in hilly San Francisco. Roll the heavy bike through intersections and down grades singing at the top of my lungs. Frighten passers-by and pigeons -- watch them flee. That carries into my writing. Be loud.

To find your writing voice(s), just write. Write in various states of mind and sobriety. Write stories, poems, songs, jingles, propaganda, crap, parodies, critiques, thoughtful essays, dashed-off blather, manifestos, reports, whatever.

What ideas infest you? Write them, or their opposites. Write write write. Or else.

 

[Athalia]

Keep writing, it will find you.

My voice is that of a storyteller in everything I write. That's the way I see stories in my head and that is the way they end up on paper. I'll take what i can get.

That would be my take, too, except that I would say "THEY will find you." That's because you may find a voice for every different type of story you wish to tell, and choose a voice that suits that particular story.

And your voice may change over time. That's to be expected, and embraced.

 

[Hypoxia]

I'm thinking of PJ O'Rourke at the Lampoons, back when he was funny. He wrote many parodies of classical literature and said that the only way to adequately parody the stuff was to absorb its authors' styles. Each of those pieces had a distinct voice, a blend of the original and the parodist. Those were funny.

Now PJ writes in his own voice. Yawn. He should have stuck to the funny voices. That's my lesson here: Beware finding your own voice for you may suck.

 

[yukonnights]

I'd have to say no. This started as a retirement hobby for me and I don't think I've quite found my path yet (or voice if you want to call it that).

I've had a number of comments and emails telling me I have a unique style. What that means I have no idea. To me EVERY author I read has a unique style. I read the authors I like and pass on the ones I don't.

So how do you quantify that voice when you really don't understand what makes up that voice? (does that question make sense?)

gordo, here's a couple of explanations from a search. As one article said; "Ask 5 authors to define 'voice', and you'll get 15 different answers

The term "voice" in fiction writing has two very different meanings:

A. (Author's Voice) is the author's style , the quality that makes his or her writing unique, and which conveys the author's attitude, personality, point of view and character. The author's tone, choice of words, choice of content, and even punctuation make up the authorial voice. The author's voice is usually fairly consistent, particularly in third person narratives. As a result, it is often possible to identify the author simply by reading a selection of his or her work.


B. (Character's Voice) is the characteristic speech and thought patterns of the narrator of a work of fiction. Because voice has so much to do with the reader's experience of a work of literature, it is one of the most important elements of a piece of writing.

 

[ttvttp]

gordo, here's a couple of explanations from a search. As one article said; "Ask 5 authors to define 'voice', and you'll get 15 different answers

The term "voice" in fiction writing has two very different meanings:

A. (Author's Voice) is the author's style , the quality that makes his or her writing unique, and which conveys the author's attitude, personality, point of view and character. The author's tone, choice of words, choice of content, and even punctuation make up the authorial voice. The author's voice is usually fairly consistent, particularly in third person narratives. As a result, it is often possible to identify the author simply by reading a selection of his or her work.


B. (Character's Voice) is the characteristic speech and thought patterns of the narrator of a work of fiction. Because voice has so much to do with the reader's experience of a work of literature, it is one of the most important elements of a piece of writing.

For this thread I was asking much for for a and for me personally punctuation is a big deal.

 

[FEELINGLUCKYPUNK]

Modern girls talk like Barry White, nidern boys sound like Truman Capote.

 

[TxRad]

Modern girls talk like Barry White, nidern boys sound like Truman Capote.

And you sound like an idot as usual.

 

[FEELINGLUCKYPUNK]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o7-i--j3LFM

TRUMAN CAPOTE thoughts about writing

 

[FEELINGLUCKYPUNK]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x0I6mhZ5wMw

Sounds like most wmene these days.

 

[yukonnights]

For this thread I was asking much for for a and for me personally punctuation is a big deal.

That's interesting. When I first read the article, I was wondering how 'punctuation' would be much of an element in the 'author's voice'...never really considered it actually. For me, I would say it's not in the forefront of my mind. How do you use punctuation as a signature part of your 'voice'?

 

[Jada59]

I'm not really sure what you mean either but I just have a certain style because an old friend saw some of my responses here and knew it was me, based on my writing.

 

[FEELINGLUCKYPUNK]

That's interesting. When I first read the article, I was wondering how 'punctuation' would be much of an element in the 'author's voice'...never really considered it actually. For me, I would say it's not in the forefront of my mind. How do you use punctuation as a signature part of your 'voice'?

e.e.cummings didn't use punctuation

 

[FEELINGLUCKYPUNK]

Your style sets you apart from everyone, just as your speaking voice does.

 

[ElectricBlue]

That's interesting. When I first read the article, I was wondering how 'punctuation' would be much of an element in the 'author's voice'...never really considered it actually. For me, I would say it's not in the forefront of my mind. How do you use punctuation as a signature part of your 'voice'?

Given that punctuation is a key thing in determining the rhythm or beat of a sentence, it's very important. Take my style for example: it's usually long sentences made up of phrases with similar(ish) lengths, often with internal repetition and rhymes - it's my trademark "slow and meandering flow". I rarely use short sentences - that would be a more staccato style, which mine definitely isn't.

I often find too, when I'm writing the climactic sex scenes, I forego punctuation completely and set the rhythm (they're fucking, right?) with the flow of the words - so it has a breathless, inevitable rush as they move towards orgasm. But that will be after a couple of page-acres of looks and touches and undoing buttons and stuff...

 

[blozo]

My non erotic writing tends toward short, terse sentences.
I'd like to think my erotic writing is a little warmer and freer flowing.
When I proofread a story I focus on that, but sometimes it still reads like nurse's notes.

 

[SimonDoom]

I think so. I've only been writing short stories for a little over two years, and I publish them only on Literotica. So I have no non-erotica stories with which to compare. I think my voice as an author is evolving.

It's not easy to analyze oneself. I'll give it a go. I would describe my style as a blend of formal and informal. I value good grammar and punctuation, and try to make sure my writing combines the two. I prefer to write in complete sentences rather than fragments, which is part of the more "formal" aspect of my style. But I also use contractions a lot and start sentences with conjunctions like "and" or "but," which is more informal. In general, I prefer to use shorter words and fewer words if possible, but I like to spice up the prose by stretching my vocabulary at times. The most important part of speech is the verb, and I'm most pleased with my writing when I've come up with clever or artful uses of verbs. I try not to overdo it with adverbs, but I don't go out of my way to delete them from my writing altogether.

I write with different points of view but my favorite is the third person omniscient. I prefer to write with a narrative voice that is distinctive from that of the characters, but without being obtrusive.

I think I play it fairly straight with my prose, without too many unusual tics or odd features. The authors I turn to as guides for good, solid style are authors whose styles are fairly "clean" and straightforward, and not overly mannered, like E.B. White, Larry McMurtry, and Elmore Leonard. I enjoy authors with more unusual or challenging styles, like Cormac McCarthy, but I don't try to emulate what they do.