Craft Chat Voice

[RK Wallis]

Halfway through this vlog, Alyssa talks about how taking on board GOOD feedback can help develop you voice.

So, I challenge us all to help strengthen one another's writing and voices. When you critique someone else's MS, push yourself to point out MORE of what is working than you ever have before.

Let's get this writing gig on the road

 

[Bloo]

I'm seriously in the cups, so take this methanol-soaked opinion for what it's worth.

I didn't watch the video. However, I recognize that even the most well-intentioned critique runs the risk of dulling the author's voice. We all need to be hyper aware of this.

What we have to do is ignore our personal preferences, biases, and beliefs when critiquing a piece. It's so freaking hard to do, because the urge to rewrite - to "improve" - another's writing is strong. Yeah... I'm so guilty of this.

That's why the few recent critiques I've made focus on mechanics and feelings. Is such-and-such plausible? Does your narrative make sense in context? Here's what I thought or felt while reading this passage. Are those thoughts and feelings what you intended?

I sometimes have to disassociate myself from what I'm reading to ascertain whether or not it "works". If I'm not the target audience, I need to put myself in someone-else's shoes to inform the author if the prose is on target. For example, I personally find a neat, wrapped-up story with a happy ending a bit contrived. Yet if it's a romance novel and a HEA is the outcome expected by readers of the genre, I need to shift my expectations regardless of personal opinion.

There are lots of other examples. Emily Dickenson wrote depressing poetry with lots of em-dashes. I can't remember who or when, but someone "corrected" her prose by replacing many of those dashes with commas. It thoroughly diluted the impact of her prose.

Whatever critiques we do, whatever improvements we suggest, we must be aware that one cannot "correct" an author's voice.

 

[Aethalope]

Her scene remixing exercise is an excellent idea.

 

[Hannah Faoileán]

Her scene remixing exercise is an excellent idea.

When you re-write a scene from another character's POV, it also helps you know that character better which improves your fleshing out of both that character and the scene itself.

 

[Hannah Faoileán]

Your voice is your heart. Don't try too hard to write lovely prose, pausing to admire your excellent metaphor etc etc. Concentrate on feelings. Be your character and write what bleeds out of their heart. The lovely prose will put itself on the page and be better than all your efforts simply to write well.

Also important when editing: don't be too picky about perfect sentences. Don't iron out your voice.

That's advice I try to follow.

 

[Jake E]

Feedback is a nebulous beastie. It's not the same for everyone.

 

[Bloo]

Your voice is your heart. Don't try too hard to write lovely prose, pausing to admire your excellent metaphor etc etc. Concentrate on feelings. Be your character and write what bleeds out of their heart. The lovely prose will put itself on the page and be better than all your efforts simply to write well.

Also important when editing: don't be too picky about perfect sentences. Don't iron out your voice.

That's advice I try to follow.

I need to follow your advice. I often try to polish a sentence like it's an heirloom cabinet. Oops... missed a rough spot. It's no wonder my productivity sucks.

 

[Bloo]

Feedback is a nebulous beastie. It's not the same for everyone.

Can be so - 'specially when it softens your voice. If I did that to you in Hunters, I'm really sorry. It was good to see you finally publish

 

[Jake E]

Can be so - 'specially when it softens your voice. If I did that to you in Hunters, I'm really sorry. It was good to see you finally publish

Nah, you didn't.

 

[Bloo]

So I watched the first part of the vid and listened to the rest. The zoom in out in out cuts was disorienting. I get she did this to disguise the speaking breaks but I'm not a fan.

Anyhoo... I liked the remix advice, too. I did something like this on my website. There's a page where my characters speak in first-person present - even though they don't do that in the novel I'm writing. Makes me wonder if they should.