Finding Voice: Your Ultimate Superpower

Okay. I’m finally going to share a secret with the world, something I’ve never actually told a soul. Ready?

I have...a super power.

No really. It's true. So stop laughing or doing that head bobbing thing with one corner of your lips pinched, as though I'm fruity and out of my mind. Noooo, I can’t fly—though that would totally rock—I can’t see dead people or scale tall buildings, and worst of all, I can’t “Wonder Twin Powers. ACTIVATE!!!” with anyone, but what I CAN do, is remember people to a freakish degree. I never forget people. I call it Social Photographic Memory, though that’s not quite what it is. I remember people I meet, but beyond that, I can remember events, blocks of conversations and things people tell me about themselves, especially if they’re unique. It’s all about people. I can’t find my misplaced debit card, historical junk in my brain or any mathematical solutions beyond Pre-Algebra. I CAN call up my Bio notes from college, but that’s only because I turned Dr. Spohn’s notes into song lyrics. Such things, most of which don’t benefit me at all to know, I will remember until the End of Days or unless Alzheimer’s or amnesia take my mind.
One reason I have vivid recall is my piqued senses intertwine with images, people, objects and events, turning them into lasting memories, infusing them into my brain. I remember not just things from when I was five, I remember BEING five. And not just events, but emotions I felt, smells in the room, tastes, textures, etc.
For instance, they're gone now, but my grandfather’s name was James and my grandmother referred to him as Jimmer. She was the ONLY one who ever called him that. And she always did. Never James or Jim, just Jimmer. I wasn’t even two, and I remember the first time I called him Grandpa Jimmer. Everyone in the kitchen, my aunt, my uncles, my parents, cracked up, bowling over and everything. I remember this wonderful feeling, a sense of pride and accomplishment, for making people laugh.

Another reason why I have Social Photographic Memory—and this is my secret part—is because every person I come across gives me a…hmm…a sensory impression I’ll call it, that is unique to them. In the split second I see someone, and every time, I detect this texture in a person’s soul that triggers an instant yet momentary emotional response. Some are dull, others vibrant. It can be linked to personality, interests, what a person's going through at the time I first see or meet them or how they’ll make me feel in the future.

Whenever my husband walks into the room, I get a peace that's so soft, like a dryer-fresh towel, all smelling nice and feeling warm. My best friend from college = a teddy-bear warmth. Another friend = a zippy jolt. She loves to travel and is always on the go.

Some guy who's guarded can be reminiscent of a stone wall or an onion, and even after I demolish the blockade or peel all the layers, he'll forever and always give me that same evanescent impression. I can instantly know some strange lady loves cats even if she’s not wearing a shirt proclaiming it because her impression is tied up with cats. Totally creepy I know—I get freaked out all the time when I gather enough info for the impression to make sense—but I'm hoping I can someday lend my super power to a character when that perfect plot match enters my brain. I've never heard of anyone else, fictional or not, possessing my offbeat...whatever-it-is...oh, super power, right.

You want your writing to be as distinctive as the sensory impressions people give me. It needs to stand out in a crowd, be unforgettable and expose the deepest parts of your soul. And this beautiful power you possess to make your mark is called voice. Writing voice is as individualized as, well, voice. Every person has their own way of speaking. Even identical twins have differences, revealing their inner selves through attitude, emotion, diction, pacing, tone, word choice.

When you write, your basic speaking voice should be emerging and spilling onto the pages, not Hemingway’s or John Grisham’s or your mom’s. Not that you should write exactly as you think or talk because you could be narrating from an evil POV or a sarcastic or unreliable one, or maybe you curse more than a work can stand. But your prose should contain your uniqueness and also be appropriate for your audience. Tell your story, poem or novel in the way only you can tell it. Voice is what I'm using to write this blog. It exposes so much about me, even if I never mentioned one personal thing. That's why writing on the whole feels so soul-baring. It is. It was pretty scary to hand my work over and have people read and critique it, but I took the bold step and just did it so I could improve.

Here are some things you can do to make sure your voice comes through in your writing.

∞ Relax and just write. Don’t concentrate too hard because it will stifle your voice. Just be free and go.

∞ Broaden your vocabulary. Learning new words all the time will give you a bigger reserve to draw from so your voice doesn’t become stale, so you’re not always falling back on the same crutch words and phrases.

∞ Know the basic writing pitfalls to avoid like misplaced modifiers, too many adverbs, adjectives, etc., so those glitches don’t muck up your prose.

∞ Break out of the clutches of cliché and search inside for some originality and zest.

∞ If grammar’s a weak point for you, get Elements of Style or a book like it to have handy when you hit a bump or have a question.

∞ Every voice has rhythm. Find your ebb and flow and boogie with it.

∞ Have confidence. Trust in your ability to tell the story.

∞ If your voice is eluding you or not sounding quite like the real you, shut out all outside influences so they don’t become infused in your work.

∞ Experiment with different voices, like an array of hats. Obviously from my blog, you can tell I look for the humor that’s all around me and don’t take certain things too seriously. But, I do take my writing seriously. And I use different voices for different mediums and audiences.

∞ Do writing exercises like free writing, random word stories or poems or write first thing in the morning. Work specifically at discovering voice.

∞ Use your emotion.

∞ Write with authenticity and integrity. Be true to yourself. Don't mimic.

∞ Don’t puff up your work or make it loftier than it should be.

∞ Say aloud what you want to write before putting it down and see if it sounds like your true self. You can use a tape recorder for assistance. Or write it first and then read it aloud. Check for continuity and ask yourself if it sounds like you.

∞ Think positively. Published or not, consider yourself a true writer, seizing your passion, honing your craft, living your dream.

Voice can’t be enhanced, borrowed, copied or sharpened; it must be found. It is your ultimate super power, your best tool to reel readers in and turn them into fans. Make a lasting impression, and you can only do that when you tap into that inner you and reveal that to readers. When you find your true voice, your writing will sparkle and be a wonderful reflection of you. Then you'll be able to turn your voice into a brand. You can do it. Let the quest begin.

[Oh. And keep my secret on the down low. Thanks. I don't want the masses hounding me to find out what impressions I get. Sometimes words can't adequately describe anyway.]
~Signing off and sending out cyber hugs.

Make Your Prose Sing & Zing

Words are not just symbolic constructions put on paper. They breathe with sound and resonance from their syntax and phonetical tone. When strung together, they can create music. Sometimes it can be a chaotic mess, sometimes a concerto. Here are some things you can do to help your give your prose more zing.

♥ Find your true voice. That is probably one of the most difficult things for writers to get right, but it is a necessary process if you want to be successful.

Voice is a combination of your unique way of expression, your vocabulary, your inflections and your poured out perspective. It is the way you relay things most naturally and vividly. No matter what the tone of your work, once you publish, readers will eventually come to know your work by your voice. It is part of your brand. You can broaden and sharpen your diction of pen by building your vocabulary and learning proper grammar, but you can't really hone it. Voice must flow out from the depths of your soul. Sometimes it takes a bit of practice and sometimes you have to block out other sources, but keep working and you will find it. You will be writing one day, and it will just click in place. It will emerge.

♥ Vary your sentence length. Many short sentences can make for a choppy read. And many long-winded ones can become exhausting to read. Mix it up. This will give your prose a great rhythm and meter to follow.

♥ Drive in some undertones. Secret currents flowing within your work can come from symbolic imagery, metaphors, parallel nuances that drive home the themes. My novel has a chess theme but it doesn't really have anything to do with chess. It's more a live representation of chess. There's a struggle to outwit and defeat opposition, to overcome conflict and ones weaknesses, to win. Hints of chess are everywhere from my character's name being Majesty to some sort of mind game going on, and then its move-for-move action and references to kings, queens and pawns and a project called Checkmate. Satanism and Wicca have very small roles and my deliberate word choices in both narrative and dialogue reflect this: as if by magic, enchantment, bedazzled, wicked game, swallowed up by darkness. I tie many links to chess and evil that are closer to subliminal cues than overtly drawn points.

Sorry to let the secret out, but writing is all about manipulation and undercurrents help steer your readers into making assumptions. That's why twists are so much fun.

♥ Ignore that compulsion to let it all out at the onset. It's better if you spill details a little at a time. In the first chapter of Kings & Queens, I mention a girl disappearing years ago, then in the second chapter, I use word choices to convey that an alienated character once received condolences. Later on, I reveal in dialogue that it was his sister who disappeared. And three-quarters of the way through, I finally reveal what really happened to her and why. This is a very minor point in my book, a detail I used to bring some history to the town. I could have just given this all in a paragraph of exposition in chapter one, but it's much more fun for readers to uncover this info bit by bit. I have many instances where I hint at something and then give more pieces later. Using a varying degree of reveal for even the small things creates an overall good tempo and helps readers to stay engaged and interested.

♥ Let your inner poet dance on your pages once in a while. Poetic devices like alliteration—the repetition of initial consonant sounds, assonance—the repetition of vowel sounds, personification—endowing animals, ideas, or inanimate objects with human traits or abilities, and hyperbole—intentional exaggeration, can all give your prose a more interesting ring.

♥ Experiment with phraseology. Changing up words can give your work an entirely different feel. I had to work at some scenes and write them several different ways before I struck the perfect chords. Different words can alter the tone and texture dramatically. I love words, so this is my favorite exercise. Twist things up and use words in creative ways.

There are many things you can go do make your prose come alive and sound zingy and fresh. Don't just write a book. When you're going through to edit, make sure your work gets molded into an artistic treasure, a literary song, bursting with enticing sounds and intonations. Make it not just a reading pleasure but a listening pleasure as well. It will make your work stand out from the slush and readers may not even understand why.
~ Signing off and sending out cyber hugs.