Voice or style, disguising yours

[Colleen Thomas]

Over time, it seems we all develop a voice or style that is our own. I can easily pick out works by some Ah authors with just a few paras to go on. I think my style is pretty distinctive too.

Last night, in a fit of headache pain, I decided to write something different. With an eye towards eventually posting it I set out to write something that could never be identified as mine, i.e. I tried in every way I could to change my style.

Has anyone else ever done this? I found it totally absorbing, but hella difficult. Every time I hit my stride I would have to stop because I just slipped into my normal writing style.

If someone here has tried it, do you have any tips? I have the story done, am considering creating a second account to post it under, but I have no idea now if it looks like my work or not as well as no idea if it is any good.

-Colly

 

[logophile]

This is so difficult to do. In my regular life, I write a parenting column for a monthly magazine. This month I was asked to write an article on internet dating using a pen name so that no one would get their undies in a bunch about the parenting guru talking straight about sex. Anyway, I was challenged by my editor to write it in a different voice, but try as I might, I just didn't feel like I was successful. I ended up using a lot of direct quotes from my interview and stringing them together with a few sentences to disguise myself. Would love to read your new story Colly and see the differences!

 

[Guest]

 

[carsonshepherd]

I did it on my newest story, Spark.

I wanted to write something completely different from what I usually do. My style is very dialogue-heavy. This sotry only has about 6 lines of actual dialogue. I only mention the characters' names a couple of times.

It was alittle scary to do something so different than what's done well for me before. But I think it paid off; I like the results (voting, though.... well, not so spectacular.)http://english.literotica.com/stories/showstory.php?id=170308

 

[Colleen Thomas]

I did everything different. First person, a M/f/f threesome as the main sex scene, a conversational style. I'm just afraid it's still too "me".

 

[Lucifer_Carroll]

I don't know too much about changing styles. It happens it seems when it happens and I'm sure in every story I've written, there is some hint that it's all connected. In truth though, every story I've written has a different mood and tone usually because of the characters involved, the story being told, and the type of flow I want or fall into. Still, I have tendencies (humour in inopportune moments, general weirdness, other quirks of writing) that probably would alert a careful reader that it was all written by me. In fact, one of my readers told me recently that the ending of a story I showed them was completely apparent early on simply because they knew what I was like.

But since that's no real help, my advice for changing styles would be to test writing under a different mood, with a different stimulus such as music, with a different voicing (change the narrator's voice or make a character the narrator), or with a completely different theme or point in mind than is usually used in your works. After that, just write and don't worry so much about the little stuff like pacing, amount of description, and other clues of that like. Your work will still sound quite different and these little things might shift with the other changes.

 

[Virtual_Burlesque]

I am not certain whether it is changing style, but depending upon their purpose most people can write in varying degrees of formality, from that of a letter to the Editor on a serious topic, to a silly joke they are writing in an email to a friend.

Changing genres usually requires some adaptation in color, from a serious horror story, or a violent battle, to a humorous incident. (In fact, some fun can usually be produced by employing the wrong tone.)

When one of the characters is doing the narration, most writers vary their style to suit that character. Also, a good writer will often try to change the dialogue of different characters, when practicable.

In spite of these conscious changes for effect, most writers usually still manage to maintain their own distinctive style, throughout.

The only exceptions of which I am familiar, is when very good writers experiment with strange, or new writing techniques, or when they either write a spoof of, or attempt an homage to, some other writer.

 

[Weird Harold]

If someone here has tried it, do you have any tips? I have the story done, am considering creating a second account to post it under, but I have no idea now if it looks like my work or not as well as no idea if it is any good.

I'm not sure that I have a "style" other than having been accused of being "terse."

If I wanted to deliberately obscure my "style" I'd try to write more flowery and verbose than "normal." Probably by writing it from the viewpoint of a pompous and verbose character.

I try to tailor my style to the story I want to tell anyway, so pompous and verbose character would keep me on track for that style of story-telling.

 

[Green_Gem]

Colleen,

I agree with you in regard to the fact that we develop a certain 'voice' and style which becomes second nature to us in our writing.

I recently wrote something which is completely different in style, tone and voice to my usual work and published it here as well under a different Lit name ( don't ask, because I'm not telling...) The thing is, it IS very difficult to alter your voice, and even though I made every attempt to go into this story with a completely different mindset and style there are still definite 'Green_Gem' undertones there that couldn't be completely disguised. But overall I am happy with it since it was a MAJOR departure from the way I normally write and while I had moments of discomfort while doing it, I honestly think I grew from the experience.

To be honest, I wasn't sure how it would be received by my 'regular' readers, hence the new Lit identity, but I'm pleased I did that as well, since the anonimity has brought with it a great sense of adventure and a freedom to explore and experiment.

The story itself has really stood on it's own strength, has a respectable score and got a number of very positive Public comments and feedbacks from readers and authors who had no clue it was me.

All in all, I think what you are attempting will be rewarding, just don't be too hard on yourself in terms of worrying about the voice. You simply have to keep thinking differently, getting out of your own mental framework, breaking out of the mould. It's kind of like a habit. Fold your arms as you normally do - See how easy that is?

Now try folding your arms the other way around - See how strange and uncomfortable that feels? It takes more conscious thought and practice to feel 'comfortable' folding your arms the other way.

Good luck.

Green_Gem

 

[oggbashan]

I've tried it - both as Og and as jeanne_d_artois.

I have changed my style considerably since I started writing again before I joined Lit. Then I used to write everything as 3rd person omniscient and all speech was reported 'He said that he loved her as he lapped at her pussy,'.

It was very flat and boring. Once I changed to a single viewpoint and made most speech direct the same story acquired more interest and life. Reading - "I love you," he said in between breaths as he lapped at her pussy, - is more immediate and has more impact.

Writing as Jonathan Swift in my Brobdingnag and Gulliver in Lilliput - Ladies' Day stories was a strain. I think it worked. It can only be a pastiche of a classic writer. I enjoyed it as an experiment.

Experimenting is something I like doing at the expense of my ratings. If I really wanted higher ratings I should include more sex. I really piss anonymous off by writing stories with no overt sex at all e.g 'Bagged at the Opera'.

Rumple pointed out politely that I hadn't included much description of the women in my contest story 'Nursery Santa'. That is true. I had tried to leave the physical characteristics of the women to the reader's imagination. My idea was that the reader could give the women the physical characteristics that most appealed to him personally - blonde, brunette, long-legged - whatever. I said 'him' because I assume that the women readers would be more interested in the interaction between the main characters than the attributes of the female bit players. Rumple's feedback made me realise that this time I had gone too far. I left too much to the reader's imagination. I'll know better next time.

'Donna' and 'White Scut' were experiments at Erotic Horror when it was a new category. 'Donna' was horrible without being erotic or 'Horror'. 'White Scut' was neither erotic nor horror - just weird.

'Trapped' was an experiment for nylon fetishists. They liked it. Everyone else hated it - deservedly. It is a BAD story.

Several other stories are experiments aimed at a limited audience. My Shelacta stories were written for a specific Yahoo Adult group. 'Tripletit' is in a similar vein but more mainstream.

As jeanne, the story about the Burghers of Calais was inspired by the Rodin statue in Calais. It doesn't work as a Lit story.

Experiment if you like, as rumple said lit is a good place to do it, but it will be at the expense of your Hs and your ratings. If those really matter then don't post the experiments.

Og

 

[Guest]

Over time, it seems we all develop a voice or style that is our own. I can easily pick out works by some Ah authors with just a few paras to go on. I think my style is pretty distinctive too.

Last night, in a fit of headache pain, I decided to write something different. With an eye towards eventually posting it I set out to write something that could never be identified as mine, i.e. I tried in every way I could to change my style.

Has anyone else ever done this? I found it totally absorbing, but hella difficult. Every time I hit my stride I would have to stop because I just slipped into my normal writing style.

If someone here has tried it, do you have any tips? I have the story done, am considering creating a second account to post it under, but I have no idea now if it looks like my work or not as well as no idea if it is any good.

-Colly

You ever hear of Rideme Cowgirl?

Basicly I just put myself into a completely different mindset. A new personna. In order to write differently I had to be someone different. That is what Debbie did.

 

[CharleyH]

Over time, it seems we all develop a voice or style that is our own. I can easily pick out works by some Ah authors with just a few paras to go on. I think my style is pretty distinctive too.

Last night, in a fit of headache pain, I decided to write something different. With an eye towards eventually posting it I set out to write something that could never be identified as mine, i.e. I tried in every way I could to change my style.

Has anyone else ever done this? I found it totally absorbing, but hella difficult. Every time I hit my stride I would have to stop because I just slipped into my normal writing style.

If someone here has tried it, do you have any tips? I have the story done, am considering creating a second account to post it under, but I have no idea now if it looks like my work or not as well as no idea if it is any good.

-Colly

This sounds like an exceptionally cool "AH CHALLENGE" taking off from the earlier rain challenge.

Changing style/voice, as everyone has said is not simple. To me, it's like changing your personality. In fact, I would say that it practically is. As a PR writer, I often write on behalf of other people, and this means studying the way they speak so that any quote I create sounds like it came from their mouth and not mine. In essence, I am temporarily taking on their characteristics in order to successfully portray their personality.

Writing, I would say particularly sex scenes, is similar. I have, like we all do, a unique voice and style. What most dominates my style? My descriptive and sometime poetic prose, my avoidance of crudeness. Because I know this about my writing, these are the two things I need to alter to change my voice. It is difficult because it is not natural, and quite frankly it makes me cringe sometimes. For example, I use pussy, clit, lips, cunt, wet, damp and other variations, but never will you read me use words like juices, bud, anus, box, arse toward female characters. In this case, should I want to change a part of my voice, I replace some of my typical word choices with choices not typical of me.

Pacing is also important. I have a tendency toward long and languid sentances. In changing my pace to quick and short, I can in fact give a different feel to the overall style of my writing.

Anyhow, just a couple of ideas. My overall point is that changing your voice and style requires already knowing what your voice and style is

 

[gauchecritic]

My 'Rainy Day' effort was supposed to be a different 'voice'. Conversational, without so much use of the complex sentences and archaic words that I usually like. I included two categories that I don't often write about (very mild sub/DOM (teacher/pupil thing)and descriptive anal.

The main female character was deaf so she didn't even get to speak.

I've just re-read it again and it is different to my usual style but it's still me.

In a previous story (Gliding) I tried a female voice and, except for masturbation, didn't include any sex at all. It was an attempt to go for describing feelings rather than action (the main reason it was a female perspective). It did what it was supposed to but it was still my voice.

Two stories that I never posted were completely unrecognisable as me and they were so awful that I deleted them.

I think the only way that I could write differently would be to forget my own standards such as they are.

Gauche

 

[dr_mabeuse]

I thought I already posted to this, but I don't see it. Anyhow...

I find that if I immerse myself in another author's style, I'll start writing like them. When I was reading a lot of Patrick O'Brian, I started picking up Patrick O'Brian tricks. When I read a lot of Kerouac, I start writing in longer, more convoluted sentences. If I want to write noir detective stuff, I start reading Raymond Chandler.

I don't know if this is a good or bad thing, but it's something I've always been able to do. It comes in very handy for doing satire.

---dr.M.

 

[Colleen Thomas]

Thanks everyone. I may give this one a chance under an assumed author name. I am not posting it as myself

It might be nice to have an annonamous account wehre I can try different things without antagonizing my normal readers with my experiments. In case anyon is wondering, i won't be assuming a ficticious idenitity on the boards

-Colly

 

[Guest]

 

[cloudy]

Interesting question.

I don't think I could adequately disguise the way I write, at least not right now. I've written in several different categories/genres, but no matter the subject, or the different twists to a story, I think it's still very identifiable as a "cloudy" story.

*shrug*

It may be something I try later on, but right now I'm more concerned with getting the one style that I do have working.

Would love to read it, Colly.

 

[Colleen Thomas]

Hadn't thought about that lime. I'll give it some thought. If I post and any of the Ah regulars is interested I'll let you guys know where to find it. I'm not trying for secracy so much as not wanting to subject my regular readers to my experiments

 

[Guest]

 

[oggbashan]

Hadn't thought about that lime. I'll give it some thought. If I post and any of the Ah regulars is interested I'll let you guys know where to find it. I'm not trying for secracy so much as not wanting to subject my regular readers to my experiments

If you are open on the AH about your other identity we can look at your 'other' stories. The vast majority of Lit readers won't know that the new you is Colly even if you spell it out in your profile.

Og aka jeanne

 

[Colleen Thomas]

It's pretty short, I am guessing a lit page, maybe a tad into a second. I am trying in every way to disguises it. I'll probably just pm it to anyone who wants to kibbitz.

 

[oggbashan]

Colly,

Please put me on the list.

Og

 

[Colleen Thomas]

Colly,

Please put me on the list.

Og

On it's way. I only ask that you remember you requested it

 

[oggbashan]

I know I did. Reply sent.

Og the fast reader.

 

[Colleen Thomas]

I know I did. Reply sent.

Og the fast reader.

thanks Ogs