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Uniqueness of the Writer's Voice

I recently did a series of posts comparing our writing to birds. (Click here to read.) If you haven't figured out yet, I'm a big bird watcher. I have six bird feeders outside my kitchen window, along with a heated-bird bath and secluded bird house that was home to two families of sparrows this spring.

Because I love birds, I've learned quite a bit about them. I'm particularly fascinated with bird songs and calls. Each species has its own specific songs and calls. Cardinals make a different sound than chickadees and if we pay attention we can often learn to recognize birds just by their calls.

Interestingly, even birds within the same species have their own songs. I can't tell the difference between one cardinal's call versus another. They sound alike to me. But birds have excellent hearing and have the ability to distinguish even the slightest differences. A parent can find its chick in a crowd by its call alone, though to us, it would sound the same as every other baby bird.

If God created every bird with a unique song, then I'm positive he's given each writer a unique voice too. We often hear about writer's voice. But it's one of those terms that makes us shiver with dread. We wonder, what is voice and how do we find it?

James Scott Bell, in his book Plot & Structure, takes some of the nebulous fear out of the concept of a writer's voice. He develops what he coins "Bell's Pyramid." The foundation of the pyramid is passion. He says: Passion is the most important for your writer's soul. . .we writers must nourish and nurture our individuality. Only then do we rise above the commonplace."

Bell says that the reason so many novels are rejected is because they're "cookie cutter." Writers follow the crowd, thinking that if they imitate something successful, then they'll get published. Bell says this is a mistake. We shouldn't strive to sound like the crowd. Instead we should have a passionate commitment to the story we're burning to tell. Only then will we unleash our own original and compelling voice.

So, how can writers be like the birds and sing their own unique songs? How do we give expression our God-given voices?

Passion. We have to be deeply passionate about our stories. They have to burn within us until they ache for expression. The words have to stir us first before they can move others. They have to well up so forcefully that we're helpless to do anything but write them down.

Passion. That's how we writers find our voices.

How passionate are you about your stories? Have you unleashed your writer's voice yet? Or are you struggling to squeak out the words that are unique to you?

P.S. Thanks to everyone who read my interview yesterday! If you haven't read it yet, you can see it here.

30 comments:

  1. Passion is definitely it, and a willingness to let go of fear, I think, too.

    I just love how you eased into voice with the birds songs. Beautiful, Jody! and I learned something about birds too.

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  2. I couldn't agree more, Jody. When I began the manuscript I'm working on now, I was having trouble with voice. But, I skipped ahead to write a scene at the heart of the story I wanted to tell, and I found my voice. I found the passion in this particular story.

    Great post!! And congratulations, again, on the awesome interview.

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  3. So true! When I'm writing something I feel passionately about, the words just sort of flow. The tricky part is finding sotries we're passionate about...since I'm not a fan of just sitting around waiting for the next idea to strike, I have to be very intentional aobut finding those passions. :)

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  4. Yes, there are scenes and moments when I feel so passionately for the character and their dilemma. I think I've found my voice. :-)
    Cool post. I didn't know that about baby birds. God is amazing.

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  5. Wow! Great post and congrats on the interview. I pray many more to come.

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  6. Oooh, we love birds too, especially "hummers" and cardinals. I enjoy the female cardinal's orange lipstick!

    I love this analogy to writing, Jody. Your creativity sparkles!

    Some days I am more passionate than others about my writing, depending on the rest of my life. But I've noticed an interesting factor: whenever I'm "prayed up" and walking closely with Jesus, my writing flows like a river from my soul onto the page. Hmmm...

    Loved your interview yesterday--- you rock!

    Happy Weekend,
    Jen

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  7. To write without passion is a useless exercise.

    I really love birds too and have a found feather collection.

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  8. Hey! Are we on the same wave length? ESP? Or is there a message that needs to get out there and we're the ones to tell it???

    As always, I love your posts. I could read them over and over and still be blessed and learn something.

    I'm also a nature lover especially birds and was out this morning taking pictures in knee high, wet grass with the bugs and snakes!!

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  9. I think I've unleashed my voice. But voice is something that's so innate, it's hard to say. In the course of blogging, people have told me things about my writing I was unaware of. My fiction is completely different, though. I do notice my voice more when I go back to read something I wrote months or even years ago. It's hard to look at it objectively when you're in the middle of it.

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  10. More bird lovers here! We've owned 5 parrots, and currently own six finches...

    "Voice" came easily in my first novel, because I was, indeed, very passionate about the story, and my MC was speaking very clearly. I'm a little more worried about the next book, because I'm not quite sure of the story yet, so naturally I'm starting to wonder, is this next MC just a cheap knock-off of the last one? Is she a cheap knock-off of ME? But I'm sure she'll start speaking up on her own soon enough...

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  11. I'm learning to watch birds as we are starting to have so many varieties visit our yard in the last few years.
    I love what you say about voice and being passionate about your story. It hasn't been until I started writing my third book that I felt the passion and need to write it the way I thought it best should be told. I think my voice came through and that's what I hoped for:) Finally!

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  12. The passion is there, but sometimes I feel like a bird that makes sheep noises.
    :D

    Have a great weekend!
    ~ Wendy

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  13. Great post, Jody. Until recently, I'd muffled my natural tilt toward humor because of the genre I wrote. Well, no more! I'm writing to my strengths. Sometimes it just takes a while to know what our strengths are. Have a great weekend!

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  14. Hi, Jody! This is a great post! It was a great encouragement to keep writing, to keep taking risks, and to keep developing my voice. You (and Bell!) are so right--passion really is the most important element in writing. Thanks so much for that reminder!

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  15. Passion is the most important thing for me in my writing. If I'm not passionate about something, I'm not going to give it my best; I'm not going to finish it. I've tried writing something just because I thought it would sell, or because I thought it was what others wanted. I could tell it was fake. It was painful to write it!

    Thank you for this wonderful reminder to follow our God-given passions and WRITE!

    Happy Friday,
    Jen

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  16. What great comments about passion from James Scott Bell. I agree with them and I felt his passion, just in those few sentences.

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  17. Another great post, Jody. My pastor often comments about my passion, which infuses much of what I do, whether it be my writing, delivering the announcements on a Sunday morning or giving a speech at Toastmasters. I'm passionate about my stories and my characters. If I'm not, my readers won't be.

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  18. Jody, great post. I definitely have passion for writing. I LOVE writing! I love getting to know my characters and helping them through their lives. I love starting with a dilemma or quickly creating one and then resolving it to make a happy ending. I hope I've found my voice. At the very least, I've started to discover what I write best. After trying many genres I realize the one I was least likely to attempt is the one I'm the best at. Strange but awesome at the same time. God's definitely given us all unique gifts and it's so much fun to explore them and figure out how we can be the best we can be with them!

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  19. As usual, another great post! Passion is definitely the key. I think when we're writing what we are passionate about, our voice naturally comes out.

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  20. I think voice emerges when we let go of expectations and fears, imitations and limitations and just write the story in our heart and head. That Passion that Bell talks about. It's locking up the inner editor and all other critics and writing.

    My voice didn't begin to emerge until I had written at least four novels, though hints of it could be dimly seen in earlier works. It takes a lot of words and practice writing to be able to let go of the writer's doubt and just write the way I write.

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  21. Absolutely! If you're not passionate about writing your story, your reader will not be passionate about reading it!

    Great post again, Jody!

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  22. I felt like I had a great story, but was fearful in the writing of it, having read so many how-to books and freezing up over all the rules. I think I'm probably more like Erica and will find my voice the more I write.

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  23. Great post, Jody.

    I think writers start out with a lot of passion. When they begin learning the craft, it's an awkward time mixing good writing and passion. I think I'm coming to a place of merging the two.

    Once you've been through the process of adding to your knowledge base, the next go around is easier. (At least, I hope it gets easier!)

    Blessings,
    Susan :)

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  24. passion can consume me sometimes. i have to temper it with priorities. its a touch balance some days when the story is burning me up!

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  25. When i first started writing I thought I had to sound smart and "writerly". Now I've gotten to where I say it the way that seems natural to me...right or wrong.

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  26. Just read the interview. It was great!

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  27. Jody,

    The interview was great, and I learned some news things about you and your writing process. Well done! Thanks, as always, for your sharing.

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  28. Wonderful Post! It's getting me to think about my WIP and I think what makes it unique is the passion I have for this particular story, plus I loooove it so much!

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  29. I really needed to read this today. I've struggled with "fixing" my novels so that they would be more marketable. But, that would kill me to edit stuff because it didn't fit the market as opposed to editing because it simply needs to be edited. I am going to stay true to myself and my voice.

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  30. "The words have to stir us first before they can move others." Wise words, Jody, and a great post.

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