StoryCraft Novel Challenge Day 19: How do you find your literary voice?
Voice is one of the most complex parts of the writing process, because it’s something every writer needs to discover on their own. Voice is the quality of writing that makes your work stand out as yours, and can be compared to the style of an artist. How do you know a painting is a Picasso versus a Monet? It’s a slightly intangible quality that we all need to develop in order to showcase who we are as artists.
Discovering your voice also comes with practice and experience. If this is your first novel, it might not come right away, and that’s okay. The more you explore and the more you search within yourself for what you have to say, the more you’ll discover your own unique qualities.
This also weaves together with the authenticity of your writing. When you’re writing the story only you can tell, it can be easier to find your literary footprint.
Luckily, we have some questions you can ask yourself to start this process:
What kind of writer do you want to be? Literary? Commercial?
Who are your favorite writers and what qualities do their voices carry?
What do you do well? Description? Dialogue? Steamy situations?
Are you funny? Devastating? Terrifying?
Where would this book fit on the bookshelf?
These are only a few of the elements to think about, but it’s a good start to begin exploring who you are as a writer and who you want to be. If you’re looking to dive deeper, you can join our online course, StoryCraft: Writing Your Novel, which is currently in Beta. You can save $150 with SCBETA.
Think of your literary voice as part of your writing brand. It may seem a bit alien at first, but eventually, you’ll want your readers to be able to distinguish your writing from anyone else’s.
Share your personal brand with hashtag #StoryCraftNovelChallenge and connect with other writers in similar spaces! Tomorrow, we’ll talk more about the voices of your characters.
Happy Writing,
Jess and Theo