The Writer's Voice ~ Beauty In Expression

What exactly is “writer’s voice?” This question has plagued me since the first time I heard the term used. It seems to be some illusive, intangible thing shimmering around in the writer’s world. We kind of know what it is, but we can’t quite grasp it. Every time it flutters near, it slips through our fingers with every effort to grasp it. 

Linnette R Mullin & Julie Lessman

My dear author friend, Julie Lessman of “A Passion Most Pure,” unintentionally helped me when she wrote a blog post on rhythm. She said that according to MacMillan dictionary, rhythm is “a pattern in a work of art that makes it beautiful.” Wow! That got me thinking. Whether it’s the ability to move your feet like Fred Astaire, create cuisine like Paula Deen, move on the court like Michael Jordan, or tickle the ivories like Billy Joel – rhythm is the ability to create beauty through a pattern of steps or movements.

For reasons unknown to me, a young girl in my Kansas City home church has always been enthralled with my piano playing. In fact, God seems to have used me as a sort of muse for her. At least I think so. :-) She is one of those rare pupils who is gifted with both natural talent and “go to” power to study, work hard, and achieve amazing musical goals. Her ability at the piano far exceeds mine, yet she still wants to hear me play every time I visit. The last time I played for her she said, “You have a unique tone to your piano playing that I’ve never heard from anyone else.”

What is this tone she speaks of?  I couldn’t tell you if my life depended on it. It's kind of like hearing myself talk and then listening to a recording of my voice. To me, they sound very different, but everybody else knows the recorded voice to be mine. It's the same with my piano playing. There is a rhythm to my music, a voice unlike any other, and she hears it. This is how it is with our writing. The tone, the rhythm, the sweep of our words are uniquely ours. 

I’ve tried to put together a definition for writer’s voice. It goes something like this: A writer’s voice is the rhythm or pattern of words, phrases, sentences, and paragraphs that make the over-all piece flow as a unique and beautiful expression of the writer’s heart, mind, and soul.

            How do we know what our voice is? We come to know our voice by testing things that click with us and things that grate on us. Julie suggests reading your words aloud to see if they flow. What flows to you might not flow to someone else. That’s ok. That means their voice is different from yours. The important thing is to learn to recognize what touches you or what grates on your nerves.

To read Julie Lessman's amazing insight into voice or "rhythm," read her post at Seekerville. She also has some great examples to study. But remember. The best way to get to know your voice is by reading aloud to see what works for you and what does not.

Now whether you're a fiction writer or non-fiction writer, here's a story prompt to help you practice your voice:

Lost & Found

I want you to know that I didn't cheat. When we did this writer's exercise at our last meeting, this is the flash fiction story I came up with:

Lost & Found

Jimmy's eyes widened. "Cool! Look at that, Dad." He glanced up, but Dad was gone. His gaze darted in every direction, but too many people milled about the fair grounds.

Where could Dad be? They had been walking side by side on their way to the hotdog stand when a juggler had caught Jimmy's attention and he stopped to watch.

Panic coursed through his ten-year-old body. Where was the hotdog stand? He couldn't remember. Afraid to move, afraid to stay, he spun in every direction but still couldn't find his dad or the stand. 

He looked the direction they had been walking, but the ferris wheel stood there. He looked left, but that was where the juggler stood moments before. He looked right but the path split two ways. One way led to a long row of game booths and the other to several more rides.

He'd never find his dad. The panic ballooned in his chest. He swallowed back the lump in his throat and blinked back the tears.

"Jimmy!" 

He pivoted, but couldn't tell where the voice came from.

"Dad?"

"Jimmy! Over here, son."

Looking down the left split, he saw his dad striding toward him. His heart nearly burst with relief. No longer lost, he ran to his dad. Found was a pretty good feeling.

"There you are, Dad. Did you see the juggler back there?"

~ by Linnette R Mullin

So whether you write fiction or non-fiction, what does "lost and found" inspire you to write? Feel free to share what you write or even your idea.