Voice is one of those unscientific writerly things that far transcends adverb use or sentence construction or plot devices. Good voice is like porn---I know it when I see it. I can’t really describe it. Two naked people might be a beautiful thing. Or not really. I had an encounter recently with a book by a multi-published author that I had to put down. It was unreadable---to me. I’m sure others loved it, but I found myself not understanding a blessed thing. The plot was interesting---original, even. Yeah, I recognized the subjects and the predicates, but somehow it was like reading a book that had been badly translated into English. It actually hurt my head to read it.
Do you think voice trumps all? Can it be improved, or are you born with it like a birthmark or brown eyes? Whose voice do you love? (For me, some favorites: Deanna Raybourn, Loretta Chase, Christine Merrill, Jo Beverley, Lauren Willig and the Queen…Georgette Heyer.)
7 comments:
Voice...
You develop it. And I think until that voice is developed you cannot tell a good story. It can always be improved, get stronger, grow, too.
Favourites for me: Jacqueline Carey, Jim Butcher, Keri Arthur, Anna Campbell, Eloisa James.
I agree that voice is very important. I know that my voice is a large part of what drives me to write in the genre(s) that I do, and why I stay away from others.
My absolute favourite historical voice from when I first started reading romance was Julie Garwood. She had a great sense of humour, and her heroines were sweet but witty as well. Now I find that I'm loving Anna Campbell for my historical fix.
I had definitely no idea what this thing called "voice" was a few years ago. Now it's like you said - I know it when I see it but cannot for the life of me describe it. LOL
A few of the voices I absolutely love and have never let me down are Mary Balogh, Susan Elizabeth Phillips and Lisa Kleypas. I've read almost everything they've written. And while not every book hit it out of the ballpark for me, I enjoyed all of them due to the voice of the author.
Voice is one of those things that when you read it, you go aha, there you are. It's like hearing a really awesome singer, and days afterward, you still hear that song.
I think one of the pinpoints of voice---for me anyway---is that the author tells the story and there is just that confidence in the writing, humor, and lots of emotional pull that makes me love/admire/squee about that partiular author's voice. It's why I love Eloisa James, Anna Campbell, Julia Quinn, Lisa Kleypas, SEP, Nora Roberts, Julie James, Loretta Chase, Kristan Higgins, Cecelia Ahern, Tessa Dare, Sara Lindsey, Courtney Milan, and Sophie Kinsella.
I love that line: "Good voice is like porn. I know it when I see it." *LOL*
Voice is very important to me. You could give the same story line by Nora Roberts and Lisa Kleypas, and I'd choose Lisa's book every time. I can't get into Nora's voice. (The one lone reader out of millions, I'm sure she's devastated.) Lisa's stories sometimes can be a bit...thin, but the voice seems to take me beyond most major flaws.
Of course, if a writer, whose voice I liked before, writes something that "betrays my trust", I tend to treat her future works with a shaky hand. I have a few favorite authors who'd done this lately. One I read over the weekend in fact. The book was okay; her voice was 'the same', but I found myself going, "She did this in another book" and "I recognize that gun" and "This just doesn't compare with her earlier stuff"--and I find myself shelving it when I'm done, not keen to brag about it or recommend it. It makes me sad.
One of the hardest things for me as a writer was to learn to trust my own voice, to accept that it was OK that I didn't sound like my idols.
As a reader, I love different voices for different reasons. Many of my favorites have already been mentioned, but some of those whose voices I love best are lesser knowns like Kathleen Gilles Seidel, Barbara Samuel, Deborah Smith. And how I miss Julia Ross and Laura Kinsale!
I think you have to have your voice inside, but then it develops and grows stronger the more you write. But I also think if you have no innate voice, you can't suddenly grow one.
I love how some voices are so different you'd know them anywhere. Much like Ely's analogy with music. If you hear Eddie Van Halen playing guitar, no one has to tell you it's him. You just know. Some authors are the same way.
I also love many of the voices already mentioned, but as I went right from Lisa Kleypas' latest contemp to one by Nora Roberts, I've really noticed how I can love very different voices equally. That's what makes reading such a joy, be it Romance or any other genre.
Great blog, Maggie. From what I've read of your many works, I always think of your voice sounding effortless. I'm sure you'd argue there's a whole lot of effort, but that it feels so easy is a lovely thing.
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