What Is Voice?

I just returned from a dog aggression class. Oh erase that stupid cartoon bubble you have of me lunging at dogs. Sheesh. What I mean is that I returned from a class I take my dog to because she lunges at other dogs.

Now that we've got that cleared up, what I learned tonight is that voice is super important, second only to body language when it comes to dog behavior modification. It's the tone that cues a dog in to what we want them to do and how urgently we want them to do it. And doggone (sorry, couldn't resist) if writing isn't a whole lot like that.

The subject of voice comes up frequently in writerly circles, mostly among newbies. "What's a voice? What does that even mean? Can I pick one up at Target? I'm only an alto, is that bad?" The whole concept of voice seems kind of nebulous, but really it's pretty simple . . .

Write like you think.

Trying hard to attain a "voice" only messes you up, and guess what? You don't need to attain one, as if you could go pick one off a shelf and bring it home in a bag. Your voice is the way you process information. Do you think in complete sentences? Then write that way. Is there a big sack of slang words dumped onto the floor of your brain? Write that way. Fast thinker? Slow thinker? Whatever. Write that way.

Your voice is your style of thinking captured with words onto paper. It's what makes you unique, and it's what readers will come to expect of your writing.

" . . . Your voice is the key to getting dedicated followers and fans, and that's the only sustainable way to write. If you’re not being yourself, you’ll eventually burn out."

~ Jeff Goins