Not long ago, I started sending out queries for Lost in a Heartbeat. I didn’t expect a lot of agents to jump on it since it deals with a tough issue. It really isn’t for everyone. Fortunately, among the form rejections were two personalized ones. The agents liked the concept (yay!), but my voice was an issue. Groan.I also entered last month's Miss Snark’s First Victim Secret Agent Contest (see her blog for more info on future ones). The Secret Agent was intrigued with my first 250 words, but thought the voice was bland. Talk about a left hook to the ego. Luckily, one of my brilliant crit partners had also read the entries. She told me the ones that grabbed her attention were the ones written in a chick lit voice. She was envious because that wasn’t her natural voice—it was mine.
Now the thing is, I'm jealous of her voice. I also love the voices of Sarah Dessen, Alyson Noel, Lisa McMann, and Richelle Mead. The trouble is I love their voices so much I lost sight of my own. It wasn’t like I was trying to emulate them. Now that would have been a huge disaster. But my Voice Envy had seriously hurt me.
Finding your voice is tricky, especially when you’re a new writer. It’s so easy to want to write like someone else. But even when you’ve established your voice, it so easy to let Voice Envy sway you. Sometimes it works. And sometimes the results are disastrous—as I’ve proven.
For more information on finding your voice, check out the blogs of Mary Kole (agent with Andrea Brown Literary Agency), Elana Johnson (contributor of the Query Tracker Blog), and Christine Fonseca for their brilliant insight.
Has anyone else struggled to find and keep their voice? Or is there an author whose voice you envy? Just beware of that nasty old Voice Envy. You never know when it might strike.
So I’ve learned my lesson. I’m now storing my voice in a safe place so I don’t lose it next time. Somewhere safe from Voice Envy.
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13 comments:
I have ran into this problem before, and I have actually just gotten back on track to where I am thinking for myself, doing my own writing, being me and it feels better this way!
I think I have my own voice. No one has ever said otherwise. But I haven't submitted yet so... We'll see!
This is such an interesting topic for me because I don't fully grasp it. I just write. I know the voice of my characters. If my writing voice is like someone else's, I'm not picking up on it. How did you know you're writing was like other authors? Did someone point it out to you or did you just realize it?
Nisa--My main character is going through some pretty heavy issues in the beginning. She was raped the previous summer and spent her junior year drowning herself in her studies. Plus she was an honor student. So I gave her a more formal voice because it seemed right for her(both my friend and Sarah Dessen have more formal voices). My beta readers understood why the voice was like that, but then they'd read the book so they got it.
I think I realized (after the comments and rejections from the agents) that it was the wrong voice because my new query had my natural voice . LOL. I just had to rewrite my novel to match my query voice. :D
Thanks Jen. Glad to know I'm not the only one who went through this. Fortunately I know better so my new novel will definitely be in my chick lit voice.
I did end up query the Secret Agent with my new voice. It was rejected because the story wasn't right for her, but she commented that I have a strong voice. It went from bland to strong. Yay!!!!
Oh! Well, that makes sense. Thanks! I'm glad everything worked out! :)
I found my author's voice writing short stories. However, now that I'm transitioning to novels, I realize how hard it is to give unique voices to multiple characters.
I came up with writing exercises to help me. Once a week, I give my blog over to one of the characters from my WIP, and let him or her speak. I'm writing my novel in third person limited, but the blog entries are in first person -- as if the character were actually blogging. It's fun, and I think I'm getting to know each one much better.
That's a great idea, Nicole. On the YA threat of Absolute Write, there's a game in which you answer the last question posted, but in your characters voice. For example, what was the best birthday present you ever got? Your mc would answer.
My few personalized rejections are the opposite. I get the "love you voice" or "strong voice" but the "but" comments are about plotting issues. *sigh* Guess we all have our areas we have to work on.
The good news is that your voice is already in there, you just have to let it come through.
btw, you have a little gift over at my blog today. :)
Oh, voice is such an issue with me. I've noticed my voice waning during projects. I have to go back and reread my first few chapters to recapture that. I definitely think when we read so much, our voice is affected by the voices of others.
I think voice was the only thing that came naturally to me. The rest was an uphill battle every step of the way...but voice is my haven.
Yes, I get this. Sometimes I try really hard to "insert" voice into my writing, when really it should come naturally. And if it doesn't, I work on it until it does.
No voice envy!!
Voice definitely came first for us as well--our challenge is nailing plot--why did we decide to write mysteries again?
Great resources on voice!
I love Patricia McKillip's voice. She's amazing and funny and breathtakingly beautiful all rolled up in one.
Something I've found with my voice is that I need to be quiet for it to appear. If I *try* too hard or whatnot, my voice suffers by consequence. It works the same for my characters' voices.
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