What’s the Difference Between Writing Style & Voice?

When we think about our favorite books, the stories that have gripped us most are the ones that have connected with us. Sure, the plot could’ve been gripping. The characters may have been likable and well rounded. But if the book lacked a distinctive and compelling voice, then I doubt it would’ve made an impression on us. Why is this?


Because it’s the voice that carries a story through to completion. An author uses his/her unique writing style and combines that with the character’s voice to keep the story moving forward. A well-captured voice is the foundation that all other elements of fiction should be planted on—description, dialogue, exposition, etc.

For writers of young adult fiction, voice is especially an important skill to master. Teen readers tend to gravitate toward YA fiction that portrays authentic and compelling voice that authentically reflects their youth culture, angst, and language. If we can hone and capture voice, then we’ll bridge the gap between the reader and our main character.


But what’s the difference between writing style and voice?


There are some writers who like to weave in heavy description throughout their scenes. Others, however, prefer to construct scenes that are bare-boned and action-packed.


Your writing style is defined by the unique way you utilize fiction mechanisms to unravel your story.


Voice, on the other hand, might differ from book-to-book. Why? Because it should reflect the book’s mood, as well as the point of view and language of your main character. This voice is captured within the interior monologue since it reflects the interior commentary of your character. But it shouldn’t stop there. This voice should also be reflected in description, exposition, characterization, etc.


To help you better grasp this concept, think about your closest friends. If you were to ask each of them how they spent their weekend, not only would you receive a variety of responses, but each response would vary in language and speech. Your friends don’t all sound the same, and neither should the point of view characters in each book we write.


What factors play into the construction of a voice? Here are a few…

• Age
• Gender
• Personality
• Worldview
• Time period
• Setting
• Culture
• Influences
• Intelligence
• Attitude
• Values
• Life experience
• Genre of book
• Tone/mood of book (and each individual scene)

Really, everything your point of view character has experienced can contribute to their distinctive voice.


Are they sarcastic? Do they like to crack jokes? Then allow their humor to be reflected in their voice. Or perhaps they’re intelligent and serious. If so, be sure that the voice stays true to these qualities. Maybe this character would be more likely to use bigger vocabulary words in his/her voice. And if your character is an introvert, then that can be reflected through incorporating more interior monologue throughout the book and weaving in the character’s thoughtful reflections into the voice.


Sure, we might have an impressive writing style. We might understand what it means to “show instead of tell” and write poetic descriptions. Yet if we fail to flesh out the unique voice, then editors and agents are not as likely to take a chance on our story. It’s our job to craft a voice that stays true to the tone of our book and can remain strong and consistent throughout the duration of the story.

How would you define the difference between writing style and voice? Do you find it difficult to capture the unique voice of your protagonists?

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Why Does A Reader Close The Book Before Reaching The End?

The passion I have for books and coffee are almost the same. Well, not really. I'd much rather be without coffee than without books. But I can be very picky about both of them. I can't stand reading a book that isn't well-written, and it's the same with coffee - I don't even enjoy a pot of coffee that isn't fresh.

And I can usually tell if I'll like a cup of coffee by the first sip. Same with reading. Most of the time, I can tell whether or not I'm going to like a book just by reading the first chapter.

Sometimes when I read, I can tell if an author did a lot of studying on the craft of writing before seeking publication. Just because someone loves to write doesn't mean they're an automatic genius at it. A writer who seeks publication without learning the craft first is almost the same as someone auditioning for American Idol because it's their dream. Most people who have never taken voice lessons before auditioning (or just don't have the gift for it at all) end up walking away with no golden ticket in their hand.

If you want to see your name in print one day, having the passion for writing is just not enough. You must study. And if your book ends up getting published despite your bad writing (yes, many "bad books" are published nowadays), you most likely won't end up with good reviews. Some of your readers may even stop reading before getting to the last chapter.

So what are some things that make me put a book down within the first few chapters?

• The book starts with a descriptive sentence or paragraph that's filled with several adjectives/adverbs. Movies and television have caused people to become more impatient when reading. Most of your readers will want to get dropped right in the action of the story. Dialogue is often the best way to go about doing this.
• The dialogue is saturated with "he murmered" or "she demanded", etc. on almost every single dialogue tag. This is probably my number one pet peeve when I read. Not only do these distract me from the story, but they cause my focus to be shifted from the dialogue to the dialogue tags. It's lazy. Instead, why can't the author show how the character said it without telling? It also bothers me when the author uses a normal dialogue tag (he said, she said) on almost every line in the dialogue. Try your best to make the tags invisible to the reader.
• Bad dialogue. The dialogue should not be a normal, every-day conversation. Instead, your dialogue should have a purpose and be important for the plot and/or character development. If it has nothing to do with anything, then cut it out. Avoid making it too wordy also.
• A character's appearance is described all in one sentence, filled with adjectives and adverbs. This is a very cliche, lazy, and uncreative way to describe what someone looks like. I usually have to memorize the character's appearance when an author does this. Show what a character looks like in a creative way, and try not to do this all in one sentence.
• Perfect characters. It frustrates me when I read a book where the main character is popular, beautiful, a "good" Christian with the perfect Christian family, cheer captain, straight A student, and is perfect at everything she does. Some of you may argue that you really do know some "perfect" people (I think I just described my sister when she was in high school...). However, everyone has flaws. And realistically, not everyone is going to be amazing at everything. No one wants to read a book where the MC is perfect. Why? Because readers like to read about characters that they can connect with, not characters that the author made up because it's someone they wish they could be.
• Unrealistic scenes, scenarios, dialogue, and/or plot. I usually close a book when I'm reading a YA novel where I can tell that the author is no longer a teenager and has no idea what it's like to be one anymore.
• The writing lacks voice, and it's really just boring to read. Every sentence sounds the same as the one before. They all have the same length and structure. Might sound choppy. Or it might sound like a run on sentence that just keeps going and you have absolutely no idea what's happening anymore or why the sentence has yet to end and why you're even still reading this book because the writing is so terrible.
• It's repetitive. This is something that I struggle with. It's hard finding new ways to say things such as "she smiled, he laughed, she bit her lips", etc. But it bothers me when an author is repetitive. Either find fresh, creative ways of saying something or cut it out if it's used too much throughout your story.

I think that by figuring out the reasons why you stopped reading a book can help improve your book if you avoid those things in your own writing. The same can go the other way around. If you try pin-pointing the reasons why you kept turning the pages of a book, then you can weave those elements into your books as well.

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What are some things that make you close a book? Why do you think so many "bad" books get published? Are you as picky as I am when it comes to books and coffee? =)

Have You Lost Your Writing Voice?

If you've ever lost your voice, I'm sure you know how frustrating it is to not be able to talk. The only thing that comes out is a hoarse whisper. It's not a very pleasing sound. It's difficult to communicate and people can hardly understand what you're trying to say.

Losing your writing voice is just as frustrating as loosing your speaking voice. People don't understand you - your words come out sounding scratchy, or your voice varies each time you speak. How are you supposed to relate to people without a voice to communicate?

On the television show "American Idol", judges constantly ask the singers if they know who they are as a singer. Their voice, along with the genre of the music they want to pursue, their style, and their age all contribute to who they are as an artist. I'm 16, so my voice will read as a teenager, not an adult. The teenagers on American Idol are often told by the judges to sing songs that suit their age. In other words, don't try to sound like something you're not. Does your writing voice suit who you are? How do you know if you've completely lost your writing voice, or maybe you just can't seem to find it?

Without your voice, you can't communicate. Your voice is important. It has to be consistent. Do you know of anyone who has a different voice each time they speak? People recongize you not only by the words you say, but also by the voice you use to say your words.

Symptoms of Loss-of-Writing-Voice-Syndrome:

• Your words don't have rhythm. If. Your. Sentences. Sound. As. Choppy. As. These. Words. Do - then most likely you are suffering from the loss of your writing voice. Don't be too upset though, there's a few cures that you could try.
• Your words don't match your personallity. No offense to rebellious teenagers, but I don't think the poems that emo people write are all about sunshine and the beauty of nature.
• Your words don't suit your age or your audience. Singers on children's shows will have a much different voice and style of singing than the singers on a gospel music show.

Your words don't suit your genre. A lead singer for a screamo band wouldn't sound the same as an opera singer, nor would they have the same audience. Authors who write for young adults will not write on the same level as those who write for business men.


So what are the cures? When singers lose their voice, they try everything they can to immediently get it back. They can't sing without it. It's impossible to create a new voice, so they have to find it instead. How do you find your voice? Is your voice being heard as just a slight whisper? Does it need to be stronger? Here are a few cures that I've learned. Feel free to comment with your own “remedies”.


Loss-of-Writing-Voice-Syndrome Cures:

Read it out loud. Your writing should reflect who you are. If what you wrote doesn't sound right when you say it aloud, then it won't sound right on paper. Do people often say that you're funny? Include more humor. Are you someone who is always cheering up people and encouraging them on? Then what you write should be uplifting. You recongize a writer by their voice and their style of writing just like you would recongize a singer by their voice and the style of their music.
*Think of the reasons you write. Do you write to inform or educate people? Do you write to encourage people, or make them laugh? Make sure to stay true to your writing purpose.
*Write constantly, read constantly. Eventually you'll hear your voice. This would be the opposite for a singer. When they loose their voice, they have to give it a rest for a few days. But writers have to keep writing words until we finally find our voice.
*Make sure your sentences aren't all the same length. Have them flow, like the beat to a melody.
*Let someone else read your writing. If someone you know personally reads your writing and doesn't think it sounds like you, try rewording it until it does.
*Don't force words. Let them come out on their own. Keep it natural. Ocassionally you may hit a road block, but for the most part the words should flow with ease.
*Take writing breaks. Don't try to complete a chapter if you've been writing nonstop for the past five hours. Just like resting helps you recover more quickly when you are sick, taking a writing rest will also help when you have been writing so much that the words are starting to bump into each other. Close the laptop and go out for a little while so that when you come back you'll have all the energy you need to keep on writing!
*Do writing excercises. Doing a few writing prompts/excersises can help waken your mind and help to find your voice. Every workout should include a warm-up and a cool down. Simarly, warming up your words will help your writing not to turn out so strained.
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So open your laptop, make yourself some hot honey and lemon tea, take a few cough drops, and start typing away! Your writer's voice should be cured in no time.


"A writer's voice is not character alone, it is not style alone; it is far more. A writer's voice line the stroke of an artist's brush - is the thumbprint of her whole person - her idea, wit, humor, passions, rhythms."~Patricia Lee Gauch