Web Hints on Developing Voice

PLEASE NOTE: I am running my first-ever contest. To learn more, click on the little blue "Contest" tag at right. Welcome!

We've already agreed (yes, I'm assuming you agreed with me) that one develops voice by writing, but having some hints on how your voice can develop may give you a more conscious control as you do all that great writing.

This week's hint from the web comes from writer Jayne Pupek in the Suite 101 entry on voice. Since she has already combined some of the agreed-upon elements and come up with fine examples, I will refer you to her.

You'll find her discussion of Hemingway and other "greats" enlightening, but it doesn't take a Nobel laureate to produce a strong voice.

One of the most distinctive voices of recent popular fiction is that of author Nora Roberts, who also writes as J.D. Robb. From her development of strong, memorable characters to unique turns of phrase, she is at the top of the game. I could choose to be envious of her remarkable gifts, but I don't look good in pea green.

The late Dick Francis was another fine talent with a distinctive writing voice. His mysteries, often set against the horse racing world he knew so intimately, shine. As a kid, I loved reading the works of Pearl Buck, and I've recently realized that my writing voice is often similar to hers.

Keep writing, keep reading. As you go, note what makes a writer's voice stand out to you. Then note what you are doing in your own writing. Maybe you'll find the voices of the greats influencing your own.