When we start out on our writing journey’s we are plagued with self-doubt.
Is my story exceptional?
Have I learned the ‘rules’ well enough?
Will anyone read it?
It is easy to compare ourselves to the ‘greats’ (whichever genre great you follow) trying to glimpse within their writing the ‘how they do it’.
Taking advantage of other writers interviews, writing courses and the knowledge of members of your writing support group are all ways to increase your skill. If you have a particular genre you wish to excel in, then read as many novels in that genre as you can. Dissect the story, its characters and how the story arc is constructed. Notice the details, the amount of dialogue compared to exposition, how the characters are introduced and how they ‘change’. These are essential lessons to help you excel in your craft. Also, books on writing are a good investment but chose carefully to ensure they are complimentary to your style.
The main focus after learning your basic skills should be your uniqueness, what is known as your ‘voice’. We are all distinctive beings, even twins have their own personalities, likes, and dislikes. We have at our fingertips an unlimited amount of personality types to choose from or create.
How you tell your story makes it special as no one else will write it exactly the same way. The more you write and practice, the more you will find your ‘voice’ forming, it will become distinctive and your readers will know, without looking at your name that they are reading your words. It is your combination of structure, character building, and language that creates your voice.
When did you realize your ‘voice’ was forming?
How did you find out?
Mandy Eve-Barnett's Blog for Readers & Writers 