For all you writers out there…
“Believe in yourself and in your own voice, because there will be times in this business when you will be the only one who does. Take heart from the knowledge that an author with a strong voice will often have trouble at the start of his or her career because strong, distinctive voices sometimes make editors nervous. But in the end, only the strong survive.”
– Jayne Ann Krentz
(c) istockphoto.com, pearleye 2010
I question my work sometimes, as I’m sure most writers do. I’m learning and growing with every project, both as a writer and a reader (in terms of what I enjoy reading and what I look for in a love story). This fosters questions as I move ahead in my writing career.
I recently read this article about voice (Voice – answering Jane’s Question), and it resonated with me. I think a part of me was holding back when writing lately. What is my voice? Can I repeat it? Do I want to? Do I want to change some aspect of the way I write? I’d like to grow and evolve as a writer, but in what ways?
As I’ve mentioned before, the good reviews can mess with your head as much as the not-so-good reviews. There have been some stellar reviews for BREATHE. In some respects those have been great for my confidence level, but I’m not sure I always want to–nor should I–attempt to write something as heavy as the theme/topic of BREATHE. Can anything else measure up? For me? For readers? Will something lighter and sexier appeal to readers who enjoyed BREATHE? Can BREATHE appeal to those who loved MORE? Should I be writing in third person or first? Where is my strength as a writer and how do I repeat that in subsequent stories?
Those types of questions weren’t a big distraction because I do believe in writing for myself first or I lose the passion for storytelling. But as I said, I think I was holding back when it came to my voice.
Kate Walker’s article helped me to relax and get back to the core of what I’m writing, why I’m writing it, and how I like to convey a story, the importance I try to place on the deep point of view of each main character. I was able to let my own passion and emotion flow through the words.
So far this week, I’m feeling really good about the revising I’m doing on HOME AGAIN. I’m still working on the first three chapters, but I’m writing with the love of this story and these characters, and that always feels good. I’m finding that place where I can’t wait to share these men and their love story with others.
Now, back to the manuscript…
Happy reading, everyone!
Sloan