The Backward OX

__________________
How Beautiful it is to Do Nothing, and then Rest Afterwards . . . . . Spanish proverb

GodofLiterature

voice. (n.d.). The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition. Retrieved June 04, 2008, from Dictionary.com website: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/voice


Voice:

n.
1.the sound or sounds uttered through the mouth of living creatures, esp. of human beings in speaking, shouting, singing, etc.
2.the faculty or power of uttering sounds through the mouth by the controlled expulsion of air; speech: to lose one's voice.
3.a range of such sounds distinctive to one person, or to a type of person or animal: Her voice is commanding.
4.the condition or effectiveness of the voice for speaking or singing: to be in poor voice.
5.a sound likened to or resembling vocal utterance: the voice of the wind.
6.something likened to speech as conveying impressions to the mind: the voice of nature.
7.expression in spoken or written words, or by other means: to give voice to one's disapproval by a letter.
8.the right to present and receive consideration of one's desires or opinions: We were given no voice in the election.
9.an expressed opinion or choice: a voice for compromise.
10.an expressed will or desire: the voice of the people.
11.expressed wish or injunction: obedient to the voice of God.
12.the person or other agency through which something is expressed or revealed: a warning that proved to be the voice of prophecy.
13.a singer: one of our best voices.
14.a voice part: a score for piano and voice.
15.Phonetics. the audible result of phonation and resonance.
16.Grammar. a.a set of categories for which the verb is inflected in some languages, as Latin, and which is typically used to indicate the relation of the verbal action to the subject as performer, undergoer, or beneficiary of its action. b.a set of syntactic devices in some languages, as English, that is similar to this set in function. c.any of the categories of these sets: the English passive voice; the Greek middle voice.
17.The distinctive style or manner of expression of an author or of a character in a book.


–verb (used with object)

18.to give utterance or expression to; declare; proclaim: to voice one's discontent.
19.Music. a.to regulate the tone of, as the pipes of an organ. b.to write the voice parts for (music).
20.to utter with the voice.
21.Phonetics. to pronounce with glottal vibration.
22.to interpret from sign language into spoken language.

–adjective

23.Computers. of or pertaining to the use of human or synthesized speech: voice-data entry; voice output.
24.Telecommunications. of or pertaining to the transmission of speech or data over media designed for the transmission of speech: voice-grade channel; voice-data network.

—Idioms

25.the still, small voice, the conscience: He was only occasionally troubled by the still, small voice.
26.with one voice, in accord; unanimously: They arose and with one voice acclaimed the new president.

JosephB

OX, my idea of voice is, the writing is consistent with the how the character would react, speak, and think given the attributes of that character.

If you are writing from the perspective of a ten year old girl, then you'd use the appropriate vocabulary. And the character would react to things based on a particular frame of reference.

On the day of the party, Jenny looked in her closet and decided to wear her favorite pink dress. This will be just right, she thought.

On the day of the party, Jenny perused her wardrobe and carefully considered her options. She selected her favorite pink dress. I'll look stunning in this, she thought.

Which is the right voice?

And the voice needs to be consistent throughout the story. This is where people sometimes trip up.

Har har.

__________________
"The secret to creativity is knowing how to hide your sources."
-- Albert Einstein

"I am really only interested in a fiction of miracles."
-- Flannery O'Connor

The Backward OX

Well, there you go. Two answers, two different ideas.

Joseph, I liked the har har. And you were right about the pink dress. She did look stunning. *drools lasciviously at memory*

__________________
How Beautiful it is to Do Nothing, and then Rest Afterwards . . . . . Spanish proverb

Foxee

Joe's example is good. Another way the word 'voice' is used is when we talk about a writer's specific way of writing. In visual art we called it an artist's 'thumbprint' and it is the concept that each person has their own distinctive style.

Read three pieces that Chris Miller has written, then read three from Eggo and three from Loulou. Each author might try different things and their characters are distinct from each other but the writer's work is consistent and sounds like that particular author wrote it.

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JosephB

Yup. Someone in the workshop said in regard to my writing, she'd recognize it without attribution. This was a compliment. I think if your voice and style is all over the place, you aren't approaching maturity as a writer. That's not saying you shouldn't experiment or that your writing won't evolve.

It doesn't happen overnight either. And in most respects it can't be forced, it has to result from a natural progression, I think.

I have certain broad themes I write about and I hope I have a certain, recognizable style. I can't name many successful writers who don't.

__________________
"The secret to creativity is knowing how to hide your sources."
-- Albert Einstein

"I am really only interested in a fiction of miracles."
-- Flannery O'Connor

HarryG

I read of a court case concerning plagiarism, heard in New York, I think, where publishers used a software programme to distinguish which author had written a particular piece.


It only needed a relatively small sample, I think it was several pages, to definitely identify the author, his voice being almost like his fingerprint, and the plagiarist was exposed.


Wasn't a similar technique used in the Da Vinci Code civil court hearing, in the High Court in London?


Also, as Foxee said, I can identify several posters on this forum from their 'voice', no matter which subject they are discussing.

lisajane

I would define voice as one's personal writing style. Find your own voice when writing, one that people know that you're the author as soon as they begin reading - make it original.

__________________
'Beauty stands and waits with gravity to start her death-defying leap. And he, a little charleychaplin man, who may or may not catch her fair eternal form spreadeagled in the empty air of existence.' - Laurence Felinghetti, 'The Acrobat'

qwertyman

There are two types of 'voice':

'The Author's Voice/Thumbprint/signature' as described by lisajane.

and

'The Narrative Voice', as described by Joe.

The only thing I would question is:

I think that the Narrative voice can change according to the POV - a different character's POV (hopefully in a different chapter), would have a different Narrative Voice.

HarryG

I don't think there's any doubt that each writer has has own, distinctive voice. I got into some difficulty when thinking about when that voice was in place – is it after a long learning process, after studying, reading and learning from your peers, or is it in place from day one?


My inclination was towards day one, the genetic factor, maybe; but then I thought of an Iraqi, a Palestinian, or a Jewish writer, would their voice be formed on day one? Couple that with a natural desire to wrote about what you know, how can that voice be there on day one?


I'm going to argue that it still can be, that our voice is our voice, from day one, and that whatever we are forced to write about because of outside factors, we are born with our 'voice'.

The Backward OX

I'm beginning to wish I'd never asked the question. Maybe I'll take up whittling.

__________________
How Beautiful it is to Do Nothing, and then Rest Afterwards . . . . . Spanish proverb

qwertyman

I'll go the other way. Firstly, because I think the Author's voice is also recognised by it's literary and grammatical style - which develops.

I was 'born' using too many personal pronouns and my sentences are staccato and lack flow, when I have sorted that out my 'voice' will change. However that will be a remedial change.

Secondly, using your example of Iraqui, Palestinian or Jewish writers, my gut feeling is that missiles landing in the streets, neighbours disappearing and living under the threat of torture, would produce a recognisable change in the author's voice.

I have no examples and it is unresearched - anyone know of identical literary twins separated at birth....?

The Backward OX

Staccato.

I have a nidea. It may not work for everyone, but here’s what I do about some sentences. I see them as speech even when they’re not, and where possible think of myself saying them to someone face-to-face.

For some people, that may go some way to overcoming staccato.

Or they could join Toastmasters.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toastmasters

__________________
How Beautiful it is to Do Nothing, and then Rest Afterwards . . . . . Spanish proverb

qwertyman

Thanks Ox i'll try it.



OX, you don't have an identical literary twin do you? - head drops on chest and begins to sweat uncontrollably.

HarryG

I fully agree that our technical writing ability can be improved by learning, but stick with my contention that our 'voice' is already in place.


My eyes have seen the deprivation and injustice of a horrible slum, and the same eyes have sat in at meetings with top bankers discussing takeovers, and I've written about both – with what I believe to be the same voice.


I've never witnessed a cluster bomb going off and thanks to my everlasting good fortune, I've never been waterboarded, but if I had been, my voice might have been a pitch higher, but it would still be my voice.


Put me out of my misery, Ox, what's 'whittling'?