Comments on Livia Blackburne: Does Your Voice Change?

Good question. I've written YA, 9-12 and adult...

2009-12-09T18:46:07.921-05:00

Good question. I've written YA, 9-12 and adult fiction and had to find appropriate narrative styles for each. I think they are all the same 'voice', ie similar in tone and use of humour, but the style for the younger age groups has to be simpler. It's an interesting exercise to flip between them.

My novels tend to be less dark than my poetry or s...

2009-12-08T09:05:57.240-05:00

My novels tend to be less dark than my poetry or short stories. But I'm sure my style or "voice" is still uniquely mine. It comes more from how my brain works than any design. I have to write how I write because to write another way won't work - my brain won't accept certain things, or won't "allow" me to write or see the world in ways outside of how it functions. So, that's how my stuff comes out.

People who read my novels may be surprised by some of my poetry and short stories, but I think they'll still see the same kind of "style or voice" within it.

Nice article.

Great post! I'm not sure how I would identify ...

2009-12-07T19:37:53.741-05:00

Great post! I'm not sure how I would identify my voice, but I know it when I see it :) When I try writing too far outside of my comfort-voice, it sounds stilted, too formal.

I have a post scheduled for later this month on th...

2009-12-07T17:33:27.201-05:00

I have a post scheduled for later this month on the conscious linguistic choices I make depending on the setting of the book... my overall 'voice', though, is fairly close to me talking. And is very similar whether I'm working on a novel, a travel piece, my blog, or my thesis.

Lol -- that's an interesting challenge -- firs...

2009-12-07T15:54:52.931-05:00

Lol -- that's an interesting challenge -- first person without internal monologue...

Ah. I should have said my close third person
2009-12-07T15:54:02.459-05:00
Ah. I should have said my close third person writing eschews internal monologue. In the first person, it's expected, no?

Simon - I'm surprised you eschew inner monolog...

2009-12-07T15:52:26.046-05:00
Simon - I'm surprised you eschew inner monologue -- your paragraph for Nathan Branford's contest had some nice internal narration.

I think I might still be working on finding my voi...

2009-12-07T15:50:31.233-05:00
I think I might still be working on finding my voice, or at least articulating what it might be. I tend to write at a slight remove, eschew inner monologue, and strive for clean, simple prose. I like to let my characters' actions and words speak for them, with minimal editorializing. It's how I think and how I work, so that's comfortable for me.

Huh. I just did articulate my voice. I guess that's my through-line, then. Thanks!

This was a really interesting post, especially as ...

2009-12-07T11:51:42.428-05:00
This was a really interesting post, especially as I am still struggling to find my own voice. I find that I also have a dry humour in my best writing, and when I try to write 'seriously' I end up waffling or just sounding pretentious. After reading this I will definitely be paying more attention to my voice next time I am writing.

Thanks for the post!

Comments on Livia Blackburne: Does Your Voice Change?

Good question. I've written YA, 9-12 and adult...

My novels tend to be less dark than my poetry or s...

Great post! I'm not sure how I would identify ...

I have a post scheduled for later this month on th...

Lol -- that's an interesting challenge -- firs...

Ah. I should have said my close third person 2009-12-07T15:54:02.459-05:00 Ah. I should have said my close third person writing eschews internal monologue. In the first person, it's expected, no?

Simon - I'm surprised you eschew inner monolog...

I think I might still be working on finding my voi...

This was a really interesting post, especially as ...

Ah. I should have said my close third person
2009-12-07T15:54:02.459-05:00
Ah. I should have said my close third person writing eschews internal monologue. In the first person, it's expected, no?