I thought it fitting that Today’s writing topic of the day be about Voice. I am doing my residency for my MFA program, and voice seems to be the theme. How do you handle voice in your writing? Do you actually sit and think about what kind of voice you will use in your writing? Or does it just come naturally? In one of our discussions we talked about how an author can have a clear and distinct voice. There are some writers that can write fifty books, and everytime you pick up their work, you instantly know it’s them. They have a clear and distinct voice. Grace Paley is an author that came up in the discussion. She was used as an example of a writer who could write anything and be identified because of her clear and distinct voice. Does your writing have a clear and distinct voice?
Interesting question. I generally don't think about voice when I write, I guess that comes up more in revisions. And I do think that when people read my work they will be able to tell it is mine. I think all of my stories and my novel are all similar in voice, mood, and tone. Great topic!
You know what, I never thought that I hada distinct voice until I tried writing in another voice during the workshop. I tried to be more descriptive, since this is usually what I veer away from. However, I still had the same, stunted sentences. I'm pretty comfortable with that, though–but I think it's always a good idea to try new things.