Aloha, everyone! I’m so excited to be joining the lovely ladies here at Go Teen Writers as a guest this summer.
I’m the author of Porch Swing Girl, which I actually started as part of a GTW challenge way back in 2016. The incredible help from Stephanie, Jill, and Shan eventually led to me getting a publishing contract for that book, and now I’m so excited to visit and share some of my own favorite writing advice with all of you!! If you want to connect with me, I’d absolutely love to do so via my website (http://www.taylor–bennett.com/) or Instagram (http://instagram.com/taylor.bennett.author/). Happy writing!
Have you ever taken voice lessons? What about piano or guitar? Chances are if you play an instrument or have ever watched The Voice, you’ve heard musicians talk about things like tone, phrasing, and feeling. Imagine you’re sitting in the front row of your favorite Broadway musical, listening to the show’s most well-known song. What does it do?
It makes you feel something.
It does that because of the singer’s tone. Their phrasing—the feeling. In short, it’s because of the singer’s voice.
If we want to write books that truly grab hold of people and touch their hearts—shake them to their core—we have to put aside our status as writers and learn how to sing.
Now, I’m not suggesting that you actually go out and start taking voice lessons (unless you, like me, have a secret dream of singing somewhere other than your shower) but it’s important to use the same techniques as vocalists when we’re developing our own author voice.
Technique #1: Watch the Tone
“She stepped outside in that magic hour between sunset and nightfall. Birds, sequestered high in the boughs of the neighbor’s ancient oak, whispered amongst themselves as streetlights lit up with a warm golden glow.”
How does that make you feel? Happy? Peaceful, maybe?
What about this?
“She stepped outside just after the sun had disappeared from the sky, stolen away by the ever-impending night. Sharp chirps and trills sounded from the old, gnarled tree across the lane and a streetlight flickered to life in a feeble attempt to delay the coming darkness.”
How do you feel now?
These two snippets have the exact same location and context but a vastly different feel because of the tone I used while I was writing. If you’re working to polish your voice, you might start first by describing the same scene using several different tones. Not only will it stretch your creative muscles, but it will also give you more insight into the tone that fits best for you.
Not sure which tone to try? Pick a location and describe it in ways that will make readers feel joyful, frightened, confused, curious, or even sad. Which tone comes most naturally to you?
Technique #2: Phrasing Matters
How do you say the things you say? Are you a literalist? Do you appreciate alliteration? Smile at similes? Marvel over metaphors? Chances are you have a favorite literary device or two in your back pocket that you just love to pull out—and that’s part of your voice!
I’ll never forget when I heard an author refer to a man’s beard as “a flowing Niagara”. The metaphor instantly brought an image of the man to mind, and it solidified the author’s voice and writing style.
If you’re new to the game of similes, metaphors, and the like, that’s okay! Take a day and see how you can use these unique methods of phrasing to describe ordinary, seemingly mundane things. You might hit upon a style that you love so much you want to make it part of your voice!
Not a fan of flowery prose? That’s okay. If your phrasing is more direct and to-the-point, that can be part of your voice too. Instead of playing with description, vary your sentence length and structure to see how you can get your story across in the best, most engaging way possible.
Technique #3: Feeling it
What’s the difference between tone and feeling? They bothreflects the overall mood of the scene, but feeling goes deeper.
When you write with feeling, you not only strive to write in a way that emphasizes your story’s atmosphere, but you do it in such a way that directly impacts your reader and paints them into the story too.
We want our readers to experience the same emotions our characters are feeling. That’s what creates a truly moving story. When we write scenes with feeling—scenes that make readers want to reach out and give their favorite character a hug or high five—we’re using our voice.
Think about how the classics Little Women, The Hobbit, and To Kill a Mockingbird couldn’t be more different, yet there are countless people out there who have read and loved all three. That’s because each author wrote with feeling and tackled subjects that spoke to their very soul. When you write, pick topics that make your heart sing.
When we feel strongly about an issue or even one of our characters, it will be reflected in our writing. When we write with feeling, our readers will read with feeling. They might even cry! (Because that’s secretly what all writers want, right?)
Do you feel like you have an author voice? If so, how are you working to “train” it? If not, have you ever tried to “find” it?
Taylor Bennett is a dandelion-wishing, world-traveling lover of books, words, and stories. Based in the PNW, she dreams of seeing the world and writing stories set in unique locations.
Although she dreams of traveling to many different places, her favorite destination thus far (aside from her charming hometown in Oregon) is Lahaina, Hawaii. Her love for this tropical hamlet led her to write about it, hence her debut YA novel, Porch Swing Girl, the first in a series of books set in Hawaii.
Good morning, Taylor! Thank you for this post!
I have noticed that I do tend to write elegant, melodic words befitting of say, the elves from Lord of the Rings. One time one of my friends advised me that I actually have to make a somewhat stupid character in my book. 🙂
I’m working on a historical fiction book about pirates, so that is helping me learn to change up my language.
Do you have any tips for varying your author voice if you have two POVs in your story? I vary between two POVs every chapter or so, and I want to make sure that the characters don’t seem like they are the same because of my voice. Thanks!
Hi Adi! One tip I have for varying character POV voice is to consider the differences between your characters. Consider how their upbringing varies, and let it color their descriptions, dialogue, and way they see the world. If one character is musical, they might describe things in terms of music, while another character may be more prone to artistic analogies. People all have their own unique mental quirks, so consider how your characters THINK differently. A great way to explore this is to write journal/diary entries from both characters’ POV. Not only does it help you process the story’s plot through the eyes of your characters, but it’s also super helpful in develop their unique voices. Does that help?
Hi Adi! One tip I have for varying character POV voice is to consider the differences between your characters. Consider how their upbringing varies, and let it color their descriptions, dialogue, and way they see the world. If one character is musical, they might describe things in terms of music, while another character may be more prone to artistic analogies. People all have their own unique mental quirks, so consider how your characters THINK differently. A great way to explore this is to write journal/diary entries from both characters’ POV. Not only does it help you process the story’s plot through the eyes of your characters, but it’s also super helpful in develop their unique voices. Does that help?
Yes, it does help! Thank you!
Hi Adi! One tip I have for varying character POV voice is to consider the differences between your characters. Consider how their upbringing varies, and let it color their descriptions, dialogue, and way they see the world. If one character is musical, they might describe things in terms of music, while another character may be more prone to artistic analogies. People all have their own unique mental quirks, so consider how your characters THINK differently. A great way to explore this is to write journal/diary entries from both characters’ POV. Not only does it help you process the story’s plot through the eyes of your characters, but it’s also super helpful in develop their unique voices. Does that help?
Thank you for this post, Taylor! It was amazing.
I feel like I know my voice pretty well. It’s definitely more on the flowery, metaphorical side. I love using similes and having an aesthetic in the narrative. I also love sentence fragments and standalone sentences, although I probably need to dial down my usage a bit. XD
Sentence fragments are the best. No question. ?
Seriously though, your voice sounds lovely! Hopefully I’ll be able to read one of your books someday ?
Thank you!
Hello, Taylor! Thank you for this lovely post!
These tips are especially helpful for me as I’m about to pick up a new project, and therefore really want to solidify my voice for consistency. I love the idea of actually trying out different styles to see what fits you best! Something to add to my weekend projects list. ?
I have noticed that my writing changes quite a bit depending on what I’m reading. Do you have any tips on making sure what you take in doesn’t drastically change what you put out?
Ohhhh the million dollar question! ? I struggle with this too, and it can be really tricky. One tip I have is to read broadly. If you’re knee-deep in a project, don’t start a 1000-page book!! Read books that don’t sit with you quite as long; that way they have less of an opportunity to influence your voice. Similarly, don’t read exclusively in one genre while you’re writing. If you read only contemporaries or only fantasy…that’s going to be reflected in your own writing. To keep your voice from getting drowned out by the voices of other authors, you need to make sure that you aren’t listening too much to any ONE voice. If you read broadly, you’ll have more of a chance of weaving those little bits of styles that you like into something completely your own. Does that make sense?
Thank you, Taylor! What you’ve said totally makes sense, and it will definitely be helpful as I move forward.
You are so welcome. Happy writing! ?
This was a super helpful post!
I love when sentences and books flow like music. But it’s so challenging to nail down! I’m still discovering my voice, so I’m excited to experiment and try different styles and tones.
Thank you for these tips!
You are so welcome, Alana!! That sort of “musical” voice can be challenging to develop at first, but I know you can do it. Good luck!
So many great tips, Taylor!
Thank you Ashley!!
I actually just finished reading The Hobbit, (I’m definitely putting it on my favorite books list!! ?) the wording and voice J.R.R. Tolkien uses is so awesome! I love all the songs the dwarves and elves and Bilbo sing, and the chapter where Bilbo and Gollum have their riddle contest is my favorite!!!
I absolutely ADORE metaphors, similes, and alliteration. Me and my siblings watched this cartoon, and there’s one scene that is sooo funny, especially since I love schemes and tropes so much.
One of the characters, who calls his teacher Master because he’s the only person he’s met who’s smarter than him, says, to his younger brother, who hates teachers, but finally decides to cooperate with his teacher: “It’s wonderful, Leonhard! Not only have you protected your claim to the throne, but you’ve also finally come to accept Master’s brilliance! All those who are lost on the shores of knowledge shall be enveloped by the ocean known as Master!” And his brother says, “Was that a metaphor? I can’t quite tell…” I think that’ so funny!
Anyway, I really like using metaphors, similes, strong verbs and adjectives whenever I can, since one can get soooo creative with them.
Tanks for the post, Taylor! Very helpful, and I hope to hear more posts from you! ?
I read your paragraphs that are about the same character, time and place, but with 2 different tones, and wanted to try my own.
Here they are!
The soldiers marched across the field, banners and heads lifted high, the crowd around them clamoring applause. The sun was in the top of the sky, and the drums beat out a sharp rat-a-tat to the rhythm of the army’s boots. A band, marching proudly in front of the men, sang out the anthem of the troops as they headed off to battle.
The soldiers trudged across the wet field, their mud-splattered pennant dragging behind and their heads bowed in defeat. The people around them roared abuse, angry that their beloved country could let them down. Rotten fruit was thrown, and the dispirited men did not even try to dodge. The wounded stumbling behind the troops fell, and no one tended to them or cared.