Today's quote is attributed to Susana Kearsley, a Canadian author of Historical Fiction and Romance. I beleive her experience as a published author leads us to put some thought into what she's telling writers. It all boils down to two little words--Be yourself.
Her suggestion that we tell a story, whether it be fiction or personal essay or memoir, as if we were sitting across the table from a friend and relating the story to her. We'd use our conversational voice, not a stilted, formal voice that might not appeal to readers. Tell the stroy as you would to a friend, and you'll draw your readers in quite soon after the opening paragraphs.
Never try to be another writer. Don't make attempts to write as Hemingay did, or as John Grisham does, or as Louise Penny. Write as the person you are. Write with your own voice, not that of another writer, even though you may admire that person.
Think back to your high school days when you had something exciting to tell your best friend. You called her on your family phone, or you cornered her in the school hallway by your lockers, to inform her of the latest happening. Did you speak in formal language? Of course not. You used contractions, abbreviations, and slang., even sentence fragmaents. The formal language was saved for writing essays or term papers in your English class.
Write like the person you are. If you do, your writing will stand out because it is not formal and stiff but more to the warm and welcoming side.
Think about this. If you read four books a month (lots of us do!), every one of them has a different voice telling you the story. The four authors are individuals which makes what they write different from the other writers.
Develop your own voice, which can also be termed 'writing style.' Your aim is to have a reader think, or say, "I like the way she/he writes.' Be your own writer, one who offers what she/he has to her/his readers in their own style.
Tell the story with enthusiasm and excitement. If you do, your reader will feel that, too.
It's a journey. We start off with our own voice, we lose it, then we try to find it again.
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