tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6360410252358941163.post2309952981506087217..comments2023-12-09T00:33:24.572-08:00Comments on Novel Matters: Project! The Art of Voice in FictionBonnie Grovehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11377519561074174038noreply@blogger.comBlogger21125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6360410252358941163.post-55870534936560489142010-07-12T12:50:19.710-07:002010-07-12T12:50:19.710-07:00What a great post! And I appreciate the referral ...What a great post! And I appreciate the referral of Pen on Fire. I've never heard of that.Julie Musilhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02150454913885915017noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6360410252358941163.post-49555429149886119482010-07-11T20:24:22.773-07:002010-07-11T20:24:22.773-07:00Great post
What do you think of the distinction b...Great post<br /><br />What do you think of the distinction between the writer's voice and a character's voice?<br /><br />Should the writer's voice be invisible in the face of a character's voice? Or should writers have a recognizable voice/style separate from their characters?Mayowahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02123151836752576609noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6360410252358941163.post-62531344964012372872010-07-08T08:44:16.562-07:002010-07-08T08:44:16.562-07:00Oops, meant to say "The HOURS," not &quo...Oops, meant to say "The HOURS," not "The HOUSE." I knew I should have proof-read that comment before posting it!Susan Cushmanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12513534110522851590noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6360410252358941163.post-36422260340716632602010-07-08T08:43:03.093-07:002010-07-08T08:43:03.093-07:00Excellent post, Patti. In my current (fiction) wor...Excellent post, Patti. In my current (fiction) work-in-progress, I'm trying to use a kind of stream-of-consciousness stlyle to reveal the characters' interior monologues...changing voices with each chapter, which features a different character. (There are 3 main characters.) Tricky business, but an exhilarating challenge! (Loved Michael Cunningham's "The House.")<br /><br />I think of how Harper Lee used Scout's voice as a child for some of "To Kill a Mockingbird" and at other times spoke through her adult voice, looking back. Also tricky business, and most of us probably can't pull it off!<br /><br />More recently, Kathryn Stockett did a great job of capturing the very distinct voices of the characters in "The Help," even to the point of changing the dialect of the maids when they were speaking with their white employers vs. speaking with each other or their families. Very authentic.<br /><br />I also love Ann Lamott's voice and thanks for the link to the podcast. Mary Karr is also a master at this.<br /><br />So many great models.... back to work!Susan Cushmanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12513534110522851590noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6360410252358941163.post-45475813267606081162010-07-08T08:21:47.287-07:002010-07-08T08:21:47.287-07:00I define a "great post" as one I want to...I define a "great post" as one I want to print and tape to my laptop. This is one of those.<br /><br />Anne Lamott is one of my favorite people. And maybe it's because of her voice that I forget I know her only as a writer. She jumps off the page with authenticity.<br /><br />As a high school English teacher, I often want to poke my eyes out with a red pen reading student essays because, initially, they read like they were written by drones.Boring drones. <br /><br />The easiest way for me to get them to an initial idea of voice is to have them read their journals (freewriting they do almost daily a la Natalie Goldberg's Writing Down the Bones). And when I ask permission to read some of them aloud, without identifying the students who wrote them, they know the writers...by their voice.<br /><br />Voice is one of the reasons I loved THE HELP...and A PRAYER FOR OWEN MEANY.Christa Allanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12620389675433700944noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6360410252358941163.post-42752181144297819562010-07-06T21:32:25.306-07:002010-07-06T21:32:25.306-07:00Patti, me too. I love that little revelation about...Patti, me too. I love that little revelation about a character's opinions. I have a character whose defining trait is that she avoids opinions, but I can see now that I'm going to have to give her a strong opinion about not having opinions.Kathleen Popahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03682046279211463305noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6360410252358941163.post-41275087257658626122010-07-06T16:42:22.029-07:002010-07-06T16:42:22.029-07:00KerCHING! Wow, this is absolute genius! It's n...KerCHING! Wow, this is absolute genius! It's never before occurred to me that the portrayal of a strong voice is so enhanced by that voice's OPINION. <br />The strongest narrative voice in all my years of reading has to be Holden Caulfield in The Catcher in the Rye. Now I can see it was because he was so incredibly opinionated about EVERYTHING! People with strong opinions tend to take others with them, or they create CONFLICT - the other necessity in good storytelling. <br />Wow. Thanks Patti!Megan Sayerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15410068162701570057noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6360410252358941163.post-89152527101202536802010-07-05T21:30:37.422-07:002010-07-05T21:30:37.422-07:00You're my new hero, Patti. Juggling four balls...You're my new hero, Patti. Juggling four balls in the air is past me. :PDebbie Fuller Thomashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09174333267329587740noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6360410252358941163.post-37588174224113133842010-07-05T20:05:49.372-07:002010-07-05T20:05:49.372-07:00Latayne: I'm breathless with anticipation. And...Latayne: I'm breathless with anticipation. And you are hands down the funniest lady I know. <br /><br />Rebecca: The quiz was fun! You managed to develop character/voice with one piece of background.Patti Hillhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07575415697841348226noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6360410252358941163.post-27785657764173191972010-07-05T17:59:12.851-07:002010-07-05T17:59:12.851-07:00Excellent look at voice. This is definitely a keep...Excellent look at voice. This is definitely a keeper. In fact, I'm on my way back to Chip MacGregor's site to leave a comment about this (voice was his topic today too).<br /><br />I wrote a fun post about voice in dialogue last month, sparked by an article Kay Marshall Strom wrote. There's a <a href="http://rebeccaluellamiller.wordpress.com/2010/06/16/writing-dialogue-%e2%80%93-develop-character-voice/" rel="nofollow">little quiz</a> if anyone's interested. <br /><br />BeckyRebecca LuElla Millerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06823550402103559922noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6360410252358941163.post-19494557903404453912010-07-05T17:41:24.476-07:002010-07-05T17:41:24.476-07:00I've set myself what may be an impossible chal...I've set myself what may be an impossible challenge-- having the first-person narrator actually change her voice toward the end of a novel. There's a reason for it. Wish me luck. Or bury me deep enough that I won't stink.Latayne C Scottnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6360410252358941163.post-75839609626205117112010-07-05T13:46:52.384-07:002010-07-05T13:46:52.384-07:00Patti, I'd read your biker dude story in a hea...Patti, I'd read your biker dude story in a heartbeat!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6360410252358941163.post-79669516517471393032010-07-05T12:18:40.850-07:002010-07-05T12:18:40.850-07:00Nicole: I feel like a piker compared to you. Eleve...Nicole: I feel like a piker compared to you. Eleven voices! But what an amazing exercise. And you've hit on the strength of multiple POV characters. Each will see their world a bit differently, enough to ease the reader into a comfort zone with ambiguity. Not an easy task. I listened to The Help. I didn't need any cues as to who was speaking either. Magnificent use of voice. Opinionated? Oh boy! Strong? Like nails. The Help is also a great example of what it means to have tension on every page without planting a bomb. Love it.<br /><br />Sharon: That contrived voice is all too common. It seems to show up most often when the writer hasn't taken the time to develop their character or spend time with someone similar, like me trying to write a biker dude story.Patti Hillhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07575415697841348226noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6360410252358941163.post-73341043388683974442010-07-05T11:36:31.815-07:002010-07-05T11:36:31.815-07:00What a great post, Patti. And what a great subject...What a great post, Patti. And what a great subject. Voice is crucial to a novel. When I open a book and immediately find the character's voice I'm drawn into the story, like being welcomed into a friend's home. Likewise, when I begin reading a novel and can't find the voice, or if the voice seems contrived, those typically are the ones I never "get quite into." I love to read a novel barely whispering the words so that I truly hear the voice of the characters and the voice of the story, whether through dialogue, internal dialogue, or narrative. It puts me into the story. Of course I only read a novel that way when I'm alone -- which is probably why I love reading alone in the living room long into the night, after Rick has gone to bed.<br /><br />I love the voice in Jamie Langston Turner's novels. There's a great deal of introspection, and much less dialogue. That's one of the things I love about her novels. Because I really get inside the head of the protagonist when I read the introspection. I love when I pick up the syntax of the character. That's when I really feel as though I've stepped into that character, as if it's my story being told. Elizabeth Berg does that same thing for me.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6360410252358941163.post-69986481502199095932010-07-05T11:13:53.644-07:002010-07-05T11:13:53.644-07:00Probably the biggest writing challenge I have ever...Probably the biggest writing challenge I have ever faced was writing a book, Holiday Cards, which had ELEVEN (!!!!) voices. I hope to revisit it someday to rework but it certainly helped me practice voice. <br /><br />The book was set at a family Christmas Eve card game and each of the 11 years was narrated by a different family member. Just when you thought you had the family nailed down, you met another family member who saw things in an entirely different light. <br /><br />One of my challenges was Leroy, the patriarch of the family. He was decidedly rough and crass, who LOVED to use strong language, especially Christ's name in vain--as he knew it irked his wife, Bernice.<br /><br />I really struggled on letting him swear and curse but it was so much a part of his personality. He does come to Christ in the end but his needling of his wife though passive-aggressive word choice was crucial to his character development. <br /><br />IF I ever chose to try to pursue publication, I am not sure how I would address the vulgarity. Since it was a practice novel, I allowed him to rant. <br /><br />One thing I did practice in voice was notice factors. Leroy was sensitive to hypocrisy--believing himself to be free of it. Darlene was obsessed with children as she faced infertility. She noticed pregnant women everywhere and it angered her. Bernice was especially sensitive to smells and their memories.<br /><br />All of these factors helped me hone their voice. <br /><br />As for an example of pitch perfect voice, I just finished The Help yesterday and her three voices were ideal. You didn't need to read the chapter heading to see who was talking. <br /><br />Thanks for the post!Nicole Amslerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16750415400799986476noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6360410252358941163.post-25864659491131800622010-07-05T10:38:01.691-07:002010-07-05T10:38:01.691-07:00I totally agree that voice is a craft learned over...I totally agree that voice is a craft learned over a lifetime.<br />There are so many layers to the notion of Voice in fiction. There are character's voices (which we are discussing today), then there is authorial voice - the way you interject your unique spin, your take of what it means to live well, how you soften the blows, and harden the edges. They blend together to create something fresh, as well as something so familiar to the reader.<br /><br />Yeah...so easy, eh???Bonnie Grovehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11377519561074174038noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6360410252358941163.post-26515850798639475882010-07-05T10:17:30.072-07:002010-07-05T10:17:30.072-07:00Isn't anyone going to mention Black Beauty? Th...Isn't anyone going to mention Black Beauty? That was the voice--of a horse!--that captured my reading heart. I'm so grateful.Patti Hillhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07575415697841348226noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6360410252358941163.post-78932979195620710672010-07-05T08:08:56.078-07:002010-07-05T08:08:56.078-07:00Lori, I so appreciate your practical craft-buildin...Lori, I so appreciate your practical craft-building points. I'm going to try that. Thanks.Patti Hillhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07575415697841348226noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6360410252358941163.post-241028172166559472010-07-05T07:44:08.049-07:002010-07-05T07:44:08.049-07:00Patti, I read The Curious Incident recently too. I...Patti, I read The Curious Incident recently too. I agree, powerful and unique voice. In fact that's the reason I read the book, I wanted to hear the voice of such a person, to be inside his soul. The book didn't disappoint. <br /><br />Thanks for the reminders from Maass. Characters stating an opinion makes them come alive to me, so I must remember to do this! <br /><br />Voice is a craft issue I came late to trying to grasp and master. In my last WIP I paid special attention to it (compared to earlier novels), and found the only way I could capture one character's voice was to write her scenes in first person. They've since been converted to third, like the male POV in that book, and they retain her voice. But I could not capture it in third to begin with. So one tip I now have to offer is is if third person isn't working to nail a character's voice, try first. Or the other way around. Or switch it to present tense for the first draft. I often do that too.Lori Bentonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04714197239425827339noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6360410252358941163.post-72545987570497542952010-07-05T06:45:19.621-07:002010-07-05T06:45:19.621-07:00Wendy, you made perfect sense. Welcome back.
I re...Wendy, you made perfect sense. Welcome back.<br /><br />I read The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime recently. The narrator is a boy with autism. The author provides an amazing view into the mind of autism all through voice. Very powerful.Patti Hillhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07575415697841348226noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6360410252358941163.post-59916898025182568342010-07-05T05:32:49.644-07:002010-07-05T05:32:49.644-07:00I recently read The Art of Racing in the Rain. Ver...I recently read The Art of Racing in the Rain. Very fresh voice. POV of a dog. Now that can't be pulled off often. I enjoyed it. <br /><br />I love this topic of voice.<br /><br />I'm hoping I'll have the voice thing down by the time I'm old as Methuselah in dog years. <br /><br />If that doesn't make sense, no worries. I'll be okay. I'm just screwing my brain back on still after being away on vacation for a week.<br />~ WendyWendy Paine Millerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15136235074351188350noreply@blogger.com