I keep hearing people saying about finding their 'voice' but want to know exactly what it means and how you know if you've found it. Any help will be appreciated :)
I keep hearing people saying about finding their 'voice' but want to know exactly what it means and how you know if you've found it. Any help will be appreciated :)
Voice means the style of your writing. Not style that can be grouped under a name with others but the unique use of words that gives your work its individual sound. Some will have a strong, noticeable voice the reader will learn to love as much as the story; others will have a significantly weaker voice, some times purposely so as not to detract from the story.
For an example of a strong voice, consider Helen Fielding's Bridget Jones. She often spoke in affirmations without actually referring to herself - Will do this, must also do that instead of I will do this, I must also do that. Most of the sentences were very short and she even coined her own expletive (beginning with f, seven letters.)
Most Chicklit does have a strong voice compared to other areas of women's fiction. I particularly like Susan Sallis because the story appears to play before you without the interference of voice. That means the story has to be strong enough to stand on its own. So few are.
If you look through your work you will either be someone who puts everything into their story or someone who considers the way a story is told an important part of the piece. Or you could be in between. Either way, the way you write will be unique and as you write more and more you will find you develop a consistency of style that will be your very own 'voice'.