Finding Your Voice As a Writer

More than once over my teaching career, I've told student writers the following: “I like your ideas, but I don’t hear you saying them. You're the world’s foremost expert on yourself. Make sure you speak with your own voice. Use your own words.” In a very real way, the first step of writing is to find yourself; once you have tapped into the fountainhead of your creativity, you will naturally write with your own voice.

The 6-Traits + 1 writing program defines voice as speaking to the reader in an individual and powerful way that also respects the audience and the purpose for writing. Notice that the word “speaking” was used in the definition. Often, “voice” is described as writing like you talk—in a natural manner that reflects who you are. Writing with a powerful “voice” begins, in a manner of speaking, with looking into the mirror and “embracing” the image you see and then looking out the window and “embracing” the people you see outside. Voice implies audience because we speak with different voices to different listeners.

Finding your writing voice is really the task of finding yourself, for how can you speak in your own personal, natural voice if you don’t know who you are? Or, perhaps more accurately, if you are afraid to be yourself when you write, how can you possibly have a writing voice that is uniquely your own? I've been practicing the Transcendental Meditation technique for many years. This isn't a writing technique, but I would call it a preparation for the activity of writing. I guess one could say it cleans the slate prior to writing. To speak with your own voice, you must be willing to reveal personal details about yourself, to reveal the person behind the words. Our voice represents of--in a very real way, it is who we are.

Focusing on the person you are talking to is also important to finding your voice because we use different words and styles of speaking in different situations. If you write up your job application as if you’re writing to your eight-year-old cousin or nephew, your prospective boss might think you have issues and not hire you. You don’t ask your prospective boss how his hamster’s doing.

A professional writer from Ireland, Derbhile Dromey is a freelance writer with extensive experience in news and feature journalism, publicity-generation and broadcasting. She is the owner of WriteWords, a business that offers a range of editorial and copywriting services.

She has commented about writing in discussion groups and in an article on her blog “World of Writing,” saying that connecting to your true self inside is the basis of connecting with your actual audience outside.

“Reach inside yourself for ideas. You're bound to find an angle that's of interest to your readers. Advice given to me at the start of my career by a wise old journalist, who made me realise that tales about my visual impairment could give readers a fresh angle. Of course, the material is limited, but it's still bringing me income to this day.”

From the blog article “Good copy, Bad Copy” (July 10, 2009) about writing engaging advertising:

“So what makes good copy.

• It invites readers in. It will have an introductory paragraph that speaks directly to customers, asking them questions, or creating a vivid picture in their minds.

• It addresses customers directly. It shows an understanding of concerns customers may have and what they need and demonstrates how your business can meet that need.

• It reads like a standard editorial article. People should be informed and entertained by it and not realise they’re reading advertising copy until they see your ad cunningly placed beside it.

• It gets to the point. Good copy lays out points in an attractive format, with short simple sentences which make it easy to read.

“And finally, good copy sparkles. If you’ve got a unique product, or a product which you passionately believe will improve people’s lives, that enthusiasm will flow into your copy. If your copy is interesting enough, people will read on.”

Having your own writing voice is the most mysterious of the six traits of writing. It’s not the lyrics to the song or even the melody. It’s the revelation of the beautiful, unique, individual human who is singing the song. One might say “As we are, so is our writing.”

Copyright 2012 by Thomas L. Kepler, all rights reserved

Derbhile Dromey’s writing used with permission, copyrights retained by the author

Kindle as a Writing Tool

In the movie Finding Forrester, the Pulitzer Prize winning novelist William Forrester says about writing, "You must write your first draft with your heart. You rewrite with your head."

That's one important thing the Kindle does for me as a writer. It allows me to objectify my work, to look at it with my head, rather than with my heart. It allows me to look at my writing as a reader rather than as the writer. When I see the story on the Kindle screen in the same format as all the other books I read, I slip into my "reader mode" much more quickly and read the story more with my head. Seeing the story through a reader's eyes is an important gift that Kindle gives.

You may ask, "What about a Nook or iPad or some other reader?" My response is that the Nook I owned (now used by my wife) was perfect for reading, but I found the note-taking and note-viewing functions not as practicable. I cannot speak for the new Nooks or for other readers or tablets. I do know, though, that the Kindle makes it easy to highlight and to take notes, and when I look at the notes, they are in a single list, the note and original text placed together, so that I can quickly go through them. Kindle's note-taking function is another powerful tool that the reader provides to help me as a writer. After reading and taking notes on a piece with my Kindle, I am able to sit at my computer and use my notes to make changes on the original file. After that, I can convert the file to a mobi file and start another round of revision.

The third reason owning my Kindle helps me as a writer is that I now tend to write in Word with the knowledge that I will convert to an e-format. This makes the final publishing steps of creating the ebook much easier. Some of the glitches that show up can either be fixed or at least noted for fixing in the final stages. I've found that adding poetry to the prose piece demands that I work with the HTML file when creating the published mobi (or epub) file. Such glitches show up during the drafting process, so the final published work usually requires fewer formatting revisions once it is uploaded to Kindle.

My Kindle provides a user-friendly device for a work in progress to "make it look different." I've also printed hard copies of my writing, moved from double space to single space formatting, and saved a file as a PDF and then read the work with Adobe Reader. All these techniques allow me to objectify my experience of revision, to increase the "writing with the head."

The Kindle reader just makes it easier in addition to providing a preview of how the piece will look on a reader. Finally, I also can use the mobi file to send the work to beta readers. They can make notes and then move the file from the Kindle to their computer and send the file back to me. In all honesty, though, I also send PDFs to beta readers because the comment function on PDFs is so slick.

I like my Kindle, both as a reader and a writer. Discovering its utility in the writing process was an added bonus. It's pretty great just as a reading device.

Copyright 2012 by Thomas L. Kepler, all rights reserved

Book Review: Pride and Prejudice

Reviewing Pride and Prejudice is kind of like reviewing the Bible. Do you talk about characterization and plot development? That Moses guy--now, come on, get real!

Jane Austen set her novels in her own time, and that time has passed. That language is gone, the sensibilities are gone, the era is history. But . . . all that is irrelevant because humanity endures, and this is a very human story.

First of all, Pride and Prejudice is a novel about survival. Sure, we don't see anybody starving in the novel. In fact, characters in the novel not of Austen's social class are just stage props, and as such are significant only in a limited sense. However, the Bennet family has five daughters and no son--and therefore the land and money will bypass the children. The girls have few "prospects."

This reality is a driving force for the novel--one that consumes Mrs. Bennet and one that Mr. Bennet deals with by putting off the time that it will have to be dealt with. If this were the only driving force in the novel, though, it would not be enough for the novel to endure. Times have changed too much, and modern women have other survival options than marriage.

Other forces are at work; Austen's novel resonates with readers on other levels. Perhaps the easiest way to look at the enduring popularity of the novel is to consider it from the viewpoint of psychotherapist William Glasser's Choice Theory. Glasser's theories of human behavior start with the premise that we have four basic needs (beyond survival): the need for fun, power, love, and freedom. Pride and Prejudice certainly engages the reader in these areas.

• Fun: The novel is certainly a search for happiness. The manner in which the plot unfolds regarding this need is very much a product of the Regency society of the times, but we can still identify with Austen's premise that happiness is rooted in one's social life. We see the opportunities for fun, and we see the parents and daughters pursuing that social enjoyment in very different ways.
• Love: Of course this is a love story, but it wasn't necessary to love someone (or even to like someone) in order to marry in Austen's day. That Elizabeth Bennet turned down Mr. Collins' offer of marriage was a big deal because that marriage would have guaranteed the economic safety of Elizabeth's mother and sisters. Elizabeth's refusal of Mr. Collins and the search for love is a major theme of the book and one that still resonates in today's world.
• Power: Austen's England identified power with wealth and social status--and gender. Elizabeth Bennet's appeal is that she is a powerful woman with no power. Society gives her no power, yet the power of her personality cannot be denied. Although every woman in the novel is a foil to Elizabeth Bennet, there are three significant contrasting characters. One is Charlotte Lucas, who marries for financial security. Another is Jane, eldest sister, who is more passive than Elizabeth. A third is Caroline Bingley, who is snobbish and narrow-minded. I suppose I should add a fourth, Lydia Bennet, who is as independent as Elizabeth but who is lacking insight to the morals of the time. Elizabeth seeks to "have her cake and eat it, too," and we are all rooting for her as we read the novel.
• Freedom: The boundaries imposed by money, social status, and intelligent sensibility are the most powerful motifs in the novel. It seems that everything revolves around these realities, and the enduring power of the novel must be because of the enduring realities of money, social status, and intelligent sensibility. Poverty in Austen's time was crushing; there were no social programs or "safety nets." In a later era, author Charles Dickens championed the need to deal with poverty. Poverty merely lurks in the background of this novel. Social status is something Austen, through Elizabeth Bennet, champions when Elizabeth tells Lady de Bourgh that her family is of the same strata as de Bourgh's. Elizabeth's intelligent articulation of equality and her courage during de Bourgh's brutal interview testify to the independent spirit Austen's writing enlivened--and still enlivens.

"Slow cooking" is currently the rage--take your time cooking and allow the food and seasonings ample time to fully present themselves. Take the time to align yourself with the natural processes of living.

The recent cinema adaptations of the novel are indicative of two approaches to the novel. The mini series version with Colin Firth and Jennifer Ehle is a highly stylized and comprehensive adaptation of the novel. I love it. The more recent Keira Knightley and Matthew Macfadyen movie-length version moves through the material so quickly it is almost abrupt in transitions, yet the greater realism lends its own power. (Candlelit rooms, for instance, have shadows.) We can choose our pace, along with our actors.

We can't do that with the novel, though. It is what it is. One might call reading Pride and Prejudice "slow reading." Written in a time before electronics and the highly mechanized world, the novel must be read more slowly. The rhythm of the language demands it. That readers are willing to slow down to the pace of a different time is a testament to Austen's abilities.

We want the Bennet family to do well and for Elizabeth to prevail. That she does is Austen's affirmation that one's individual character is a unique and powerful force. Use it wisely, and Pemberley is ours for the taking.

Copyright 2012 by Thomas L. Kepler, all rights reserved

How Does a Fiction Writer Organize Writing?

When I write fiction, sometimes I organize my thoughts as informal outlines of the plot--and sometimes I don't.

Six-Traits Writing says organization should enhance and showcase the writing subject in a compelling manner, effectively moving the reader through the material. Whatever structure used should match the purpose of the writing and its audience. The introduction should be inviting, the conclusion satisfying, the transitions thoughtful, and the pacing controlled—fast and slow in all the appropriate places. And don’t forget the true “introduction”: be sure to include a captivating title!

Sometimes the story is an exploration, and I find myself moving into new territory. Having been "exploring" my creativity for quite some time, I advance confidently, noting the newness. Sometimes the writing is a journey that requires a respectful attention to the new environment that I've entered. (I also keep different drafts of my "journey" when I save my files, such as story1, story1.1. This allows me to retrace my steps if I need to.)

Sometimes I have a clear idea of what the story is to be (or the chapter), and then I jot down the main elements so that I don't forget them. Sometimes I write down a scene as it comes to me, even though I'm not to that point in the story yet, just because the words are flowing so powerfully. Most often, though, I'll jot down dialogue because that has to be just right. (Yes, I hear people talking in my head.)

The last line of the current short story I'm revising, "Who Listened to Dragons," was jotted down in advance: "These are the words I speak, my wish and my magic."

Organization is a critical function of revision in fiction. How are events revealed and at what pace? How much do we reveal about a character, and where in the story is that information most important? Having "beta readers" is a good technique for determining how the story flows. Teenagers are excellent for this because they usually are comfortable with being bluntly honest--which, of course, is exactly what we want, an unfiltered response. For instance, I just added some detail to a fight scene in "Who Listened to Dragons," in response to a comment from a teenager who read the story. He even told me where to add the action. Organization is critical if the reader is to be motivated to continue reading. 

Most writers nowadays also have to maintain a blog as part of their writing presence online. The same general rules apply to writing non-fiction: ideas need to be organized. Whether we focus in the beginning on the flow, or whether we focus in the beginning on the direction really isn't important--as long as we make sure the piece has structure that lends itself to comprehension and the reader's pleasure.

I never let anyone else read a piece until I have revised it multiple times. I find holding a story close in its initial versions keeps me in good emotional health and also helps my relations with my family and friends. If no one else has read a story, then I can do anything I want to with it and nobody will ever know. It's a great feeling of empowerment and freedom. I can experiment, backtrack, be downright goofy, and then throw it all out or not. I said to a friend the other day (who now is looking at a short story for me), "Why should I let you look at something I've written when I still know myself there are things that need to be changed? Why should I put you through that?" At some point, though, the seed has to slip its sheath.

Line your ducks up in a row; it makes ‘em easier to count. Some readers will count by 1's, some by 2's, and some just do a rough estimate. If the story has clarity and coherence, everything will add up in the end, no matter what personal counting system the reader uses.

Copyright 2012 by Thomas L. Kepler

A New and Better Review of The Stone Dragon by My Former Student

My former student is grown up now. The last time I saw him was in the 7th grade. Now he's in the 10th grade, has started a blog for the books he's read, and has written an extended review of The Stone Dragon.

Here is the link to his blog--Sebastien Lacasse's Blog--and his review is added below.

Published in August was a book written by my former English teacher, Tom Kepler. Two years ago when I was living in the same town as him, I found out he was writing his own novel. Originally, I thought it was a research-heavy nonfiction book (well, hey, what else does a student think when they hear their teacher is writing a book?). But anyway, it turned out to be one of the best books I've read.

The Stone Dragon is a fantasy book revolving around the protagonist, Glimmer. At first glance, it may seem like the average fantasy novel, solely about dragons: the fire-breathing monsters who live in caves of solitude and horde massive amounts of treasure. The dragons in this book are much more complex. They are more like divine beings than just physical creatures. Like primal forces of the Universe would be the best way for me to describe them. The elements of fantasy that do show up in The Stone Dragon  are refreshingly original in the way they are told and crafted in the story. Gnomes, dragons, and magic would be my prime examples of individuality.

The characters in the story are interesting and each have their unique personality. For funniest character, I have a soft-spot for the character, Cabbage-pants. This little cabbage gnome has some of the best dialogue of the book and is obviously the witty comic-relief. His unique personality constantly kept me on my toes as to what he would do next and his mysterious disappearances and reappearances added to the magic of the story. Perhaps, Cabbage-pants has some magic of his own... ah, ah, ah, you'll have to read the book to figure that out. Cabbage-pants even ends up being a kind of mentor to Glimmer as the story goes on. His wise sayings can be found all throughout the book:

"Glimmer, gleam, glitter-it's not name but person that makes th' worth."

Hmm, it's probably all that cabbage tea...

Another one of my favorite characters is obviously the dragon. I will leave this character a little mysterious for now because I don't feel I could do him justice. The dragon is an amazing source of plot development and you come to like him as an actual person (or dragon) as you get to know him better.

Other than those two, I like Mage DeVasier, Master Alma-Ata, and, of course, Glimmer. Throughout Glimmer's adventures he discovers he is the most dangerous kind of mage: a dream mage. His magic is the most dangerous because it is unpredictable and cannot be controlled. Glimmer copes with his magic until he learns a technique from Mage DeVasier known as the Silence of the Saints. I will leave this a secret as well because it's a very interesting part of the story and I would hate to spoil it.

This book, however, also has an underlying theme of consciousness. As you read, it is easy to see how consciousness effects Glimmer through his dream magic and how all things are connected through it. Whether human, gnome, dragon, fox, or some other bizarre creature, they are all connected through consciousness and the true power of magic lies in delving deep within one's self to that state of inner being.

Overall, The Stone Dragon was a great and interesting read. It was cool to see how the author had a different take on the genre of fantasy and how he incorporated his one style into it. I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys fantasy. Actually, I recommend it to anyone!