Finding Your Voice

Before I continue with today's post, I would just like to announce that yours truly just received the Humane Award from Lydia Sharp. It is such an honor to be recognized by my friends and colleagues. I could not have done it without the support of my husband and two children. In short, you love me! You really love me! :) Was that a cheesy enough acceptance speech?

In all seriousness, in keeping with the tradition of this award, I now pass it on to:

Kim Wollenburg and her blog, The Next 24

Brandi Guthri and her blog, Cursings and Musings

and

Jai Joshi and her blog, Jai Joshi's Tulsi Tree

Please pick up your award by copying the image to your right.

Now continuing with the topic of my post I thought I would like to talk a little bit about a recent discovery I've made. For those of you who are not aware, I've started editing my novel, Aurumenas. I hope to be finished by the end of the year, so I've to kick my butt into high gear! But before taking on this task, I did a lot of research. I've been immersing myself in fiction of all sorts to find out just what publishers and agents mean by a strong voice.

I think I've discovered the answer, and in so doing, I've found my own voice. And let me tell you, I like it! I was feeling pretty down about my novel before this because I felt it was just a shell of what it could be. I realized that I was merely relaying a certain sequence of events rather than telling a story--not good. In the sections that I've already revised I feel the reader has a real chance to get to know my characters as real people with real emotions and real problems. I now am able to relate to my characters on a much higher level. I get them. And boy does it have me excited!

I've now created a narrator that has my readers' best interests in mind (with a dose of snark here and there). He's going to take care of them and lead them through the story. Sure there will be bumps in the road as the story takes certain turns, but he'll be there to assure them and move them forward. And yes, my narrator is indeed third person omniscient. I tried to fight it, but it's no use. I'm drawn to this style, in reading and in writing. And I get it now.

I think it's easy to forget your narrator(s) when writing in third person. It gets to the point where you think that just relaying certain events is adequate. With first person however, it's easy to remember the narrator because he/she is doing the speaking. But when writing in third person omniscient, your lack of voice becomes jarringly apparent. Without the voice, you just have a bunch of head-popping that ruins the flow of the story. And that was my problem. I've fixed it now and my book is coming along wonderfully.

I look forward to the day when I have the pages of my finished book sitting before me and I can breath a sigh of relief because I know that I told a story, not just events.

~Emily White