Does Our Voice As A Writer Change Over Time?

As writer's we all know what our "voice" is - it is how we express ourselves through our characters. It is the emotions, feelings, and ways of looking at things that make our characters real. It remains the same from book to book, article to article. Well, it does if we have defined our voice, that spark that make reflects the authenticity of who we are. It reflects our personality and life experiences. It is what keeps our readers coming back.

Does our voice change over time? From my experience, I would say yes. So, what are we doing ... reinventing ourselves? Not at all. We are simply reflecting new life experiences and our evolving personality because of them. The change comes over time, and is very subtle. We are simply an updated version of who we were.

Allow your voice to grow. Allow yourself to reflect your life experiences. Allow your readers to grow with you.

(c) October 2019 Bonnie Cehovet

Reproduction prohibited without written permission of the author.

Discover Your Writer's Voice

As writer's, we all have our own voice. And what exactly might that be? It is who we are, and how we express ourselves. It is our style - it reflects our concerns, our goals, our perspectives, and how we approach life. Our voice evolves as we evolve, reflecting who we are and how we present ourselves in the present moment. 

When I first started writing, I had a hard time finding my voice. I wanted to emulate authors that I admired - I wanted to express myself in the best way possible. I lost myself in the process. So how exactly do we find that voice that is us, that represents who we are? We need to be aware of what we like, what we dislike, and why. We need to understand why we make the decisions that we do. Even the music that we listen to reflects who we are. This is the perspective that we want to show in our writing. 

We have to be willing to show all sides of ourselves, to open the door to our inner shadows, and to allow our writing to be multi-dimensional. The choices that we make, if they are honest choices, reflect who we are, where we are in life, and where we are headed.

What I found was that the harder I tried to develop a voice that was me, the emptier I sounded. My writing was hollow - it had no depth, no perspective, didn't flow, and wasn't even consistent from paragraph to paragraph. When I stopped trying, when I simply sat down and wrote, the world opened up for me. 

My advice - the best way to find your writer's voice is to simply write! Sit down and write! Allow your characters to talk to you, allow them to be. Know that if you are having to force your writing, you are on the wrong path. Set your writing project aside, and start writing something else. Listen to those inner voices - they are there for a reason!

One final thought - read! Read everything you can get your hands on. Your perspective on life will grow exponentially, and you will discover parts of yourself that you never knew existed! I cannot begin to tell you how Louisa May Alcott's "Little Women", "Little Men", and "Jo's Boys" expanded my world!

How well is your writer's voice representing you? If it really isn't, then it is time to step up your game!

(c) March 2019 Bonnie Cehovet

Reproduction prohibited without written permission of the author.

New Year - New Voice?

Going into the new year, many things are changing ... as they should. Some projects have been brought to completion, some have been released,new ones have come into being, and thoughts are coming together on others. As my life undergoes various changes, I find my author's voice changing with it. Perhaps I should look at this as a fine tuning, rather than a massive change. I have more confidence in my writing now, and allow my muse to say whatever she wants to. Certainly makes her happy!

So, what is this thing we call our author's voice? It is, of course, simply our style of writing. This will change from genre to genre, and project to project. We work within certain inner guidelines that define who we are,and this is the over-riding quality that we see in everything that we do. We need to be authentic to who we are, and who we are is an evolving person. Therefore, our author's voice will evolve along with us.

Over the years this little Cappie person is very pleased to see that she does have a modicum of a sense of humor. Not all the time, just sometimes. But it is there. I am comfortable with letting it come out to play - as long as it doesn't get too sarcastic! I know that a writer's style is a combination of their basic personality, and a consideration for the specific audience they are writing for. (Yes, one of the things that this self-taught writer learned was to target her audience before defining a project, and before beginning to write.)

I would add one more thought to the mix - the tone of the times that the author is writing about. The tone and style that one writes in is just as much a part of the backdrop for a story as the characters personal style,and the physical world around them. Going into 2012, we are looking at huge social and economic changes, and a spiritual quickening in life on the physical plane. i never want to be afraid to express the changes around me as I see them in my work, whether it is fiction or mainstream writing.

Is your writer's voice changing? If it isn't, does it need to?

(c) January 2012 Bonnie Cehovet