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Health & Fitness

The Write Lane: Finding Your Voice

A writer's thoughts on voice and style

John Gardner said, “About style, the least said the better,” and the same may be true of voice, because the two concepts, while not synonymous, are very close.

You really don't have to go out and find your voice. It’s already there, and you already have it. It’s just a matter of mastering the tools that will help you express it. Your writer’s voice is what makes your writing unique and distinctive. The best way to let your voice be heard is to be yourself in your writing, to write in a way that comes naturally to you, to strive to be clear, and to focus on the story you want to tell, rather than on being literary or brilliant or on showing off your great vocabulary. 

Voice comes largely from style, and style is the sum total of the choices a writer makes: language, diction, syntax, paragraph length, balance of scene and summary, what to have for dinner—oops—no, that’s for after you’ve finished writing.

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The Elements of Style, by William Strunk Jr. and E. B. White- or Strunk and White as it is affectionately known—is the bible of traditional style for writers. But for a more contemporary take on style try Spunk and Bite by Arthur Plotnik.

In fiction, the voice will also depend on your characters, and on what point of view you have chosen; through which character's eyes your readers will see, through whose ears they will hear, and through whose heart and mind will your readers feel and understand.               

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    Style Tips              

  •  Use specific concrete nouns and strong active verbs.
  •  Vary the length, construction, and rhythm of your sentences.
  •  Favor the active voice over the passive.
  •  Read your drafts aloud.
  •  Write in a way that feels natural to you.

 

If you want to practice all of this, and need something to get you started, try taking my Write Now Class at the Cloisters Castle. A new class begins Nov. 8. For more information go to www.cloisterscastle.com or call 410-821-7448. 

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