A Series on Voice: Day Three

Day Three: Developing Your Voice

To identify and understand my personal writing style I have worked through a set of exercises that I made for myself that I will list below. To develop my voice for a particular book I am writing I am starting to work on a set of exercises that so far have been a learning experience. These too are listed below.

Depending on the audience I am writing for, I have found that developing my voice may come naturally or may be more challenging. In certain pieces of writing (fiction and non-fiction) that are based mainly on my experiences and background knowledge, my voice flows easily into my writing. But when I am working on a piece that includes characters, settings, or plot details that are very different from me, I am not as comfortable in finding and using my voice. The key to remember, however, is that all humans experience similar core truths of humanity that come through in a writer's voice, so this is what I strive to find in my personal writing style.

Exercises to Identify and Understand My Voice

1. Take a personality quiz.
2. Make a detailed list of my hopes, fears, opinions, and beliefs.
3. Tease out the list to identify strengths and weaknesses of my personality.
4. Create a timeline from childhood to present that documents traits of my personality (i.e., tastes, dress, interests, friends, books, music, activities, choices, education, jobs).
5. Create a timeline from childhood to present that documents events in my life that deal with certain emotions (i.e., anger, pain, sorrow, love, joy, humility, hope).
6. Create a set of note cards with one word per card that identifies things I feel most deeply.

Exercises to Develop My Voice for a Book

1. Create character sketches for the central characters of the book (i.e., descriptions of appearance, actions, mannerisms, habit of speech, things that affect the senses).
2. Write several versions of the first chapter using different approaches (i.e., first person, third person, different settings, different starting points).
3. Write a letter from the main character's POV (in first person) to his/her parents, a friend, an enemy, a stranger, and me.
4. Make a list of how I want the overall atmosphere of the book to impact the reader.
5. Use the list to write several examples of this atmosphere based on setting, dialogue, character description, and a mini-plot.

Where Do We Go From Here?

When I used to paint on a regular basis, I approached my canvas having a very clear image in my mind of what I intended to create. I almost always had sketches of the entire painting or a photograph I'd taken to accompany the vision in my head. I felt more at ease planning the painting in steps on paper and in my head, eventhough the end results were usually some what different.

Like painting, my writing is more successful if I feel comfortable knowing the overall atmosphere. Researching, thinking, and visualizing are key components of preparing myself before I begin to write. But at some point I have to say to myself "Okay, I'm ready to begin." I think the final thing that I hold on to is knowing exactly what voice I will be trying to use in my writing.

After I've gone through the identification and development of my writing style, I think I will be ready to go with a first chapter and continue with the rest of the book. Right now I've been practicing with different first chapters, and it really helps me to see how my writing style shapes the story differently when I try different approaches. Perhaps as I gain more experience as a writer I won't have to do all of these steps to discover and develop my voice, but for now it seems to be working for me.

At what point in your preparation for a book or article do you say to yourself "Okay, I'm ready to begin" and start the writing process?

Thanks for following along in this short series on 'voice.' I've learned a lot by writing about this topic and I appreciate everyone's feedback!