Seriously. You plague my head, you bastard catch-all phrase wielded by insiders as a shield. Didn't connect with the voice. Not feeling the voice. Great voice. Love the voice. Didn't connect with the voice. What does that mean? You know how to use sentence fragments? Inverse phrases? How 'bout snarky snarkiness so oft seen on blogs or urban words in a clever manner (like crozzled, Mr. McCarthy)?
Snark's easy voice. Dialogue's easy voice. Easily cultivated, grown, harvested, replanted. And razed.
Hard voice? Related to style? Flow? Rhythm (isn't that sort of like flow... uh oh)? How do you know when you've got it? Or do you ever? Is it something that comes easy or just seems to? According to "writing" books, you're not supposed to think about voice -- well, here's something for you, how 'bout you stop brining it up. Like saying don't look down. Assholes.
Voice, bane of my thoughts, I search for you hard, but until then, fuck off.
9 comments:
You sir, have just just made my morning.
Ha! Loved this.
Totally agree that snark is easy voice. Nine times out of ten, when some critique blog says, "I love the voice here," it's snarky. Honestly, aside from humor, I have no idea what voice is!
Voice is like saying, Don't Look Down!
Outstanding and true.
- Eric
Completely true, every word. Voice is like the gentleman's club of writing-- you have to already belong to be in it.
This was the best post I've read all day. Thanks!
Oh, Bane. You rock so very much. :)
More and more I'm convinced all these "rules" are just bunk. Worse than bunk - the "gentleman's club of writing" hits it dead on. (also see: echo chamber)
All that aside, I been thinking of you all week: I just finished reading The Red Pyramid (MG novel with lots of Egyptian gods), and Anubis was the sexy teen god of funerals and the dead. I kept laughing, thinking how much better you would be as the gatekeeper of the Land of the Dead than some brooding teenager.
"Yer dead? Yeah, yer f*cked." - Sue's impression of Bane.
Ricardo, I aim to please :)
Rick, ASAP ;)
Adam, yep snark seems to = voice too often, IMO.
Eric, I'll I do anymore is watch where my feet are walking.
LT, you must be thinking of your fiance's bachelor party,hmmm ? LOL
Susan, you made me blush. Thank you.
Susan #2 (i.e. The Medicine Woman), thank you as well. My short story coming out (supposedly in August) in an Apex anthology is all about Gods harvesting souls... and it includes Anubis, but he's a badass black man who doesn't suffer fools (and I like your impression :). I will have to check out said book b/c it looks to be right up my alley.
Yeah; I seem to recognize it easy enough in others writing, but I'm still searching in my own. Sounds too much like myself.
But sometimes, its just a good read and I enjoy it and who cares about voice.
Good post Bane; really enjoyed this. So suits my mood, because at my day job, everyone is telling me to use my "leadership voice". What's wrong with grumpy?
.........dhole
Donna, there's nothing wrong with grumpy... I'm trying to become an expert myself.
Post a Comment