Don’t Just Find Your Voice—Learn How to Sing! (Guest Post by Taylor Bennett)

I’ve often thought of pitching to agents and editors (either in person or via email) as something akin to auditioning for one of those nationally televised singing shows. Much like contestants on American Idol and The Voice, we approach our dream publisher with nervous, starry-eyed anticipation.

            We’ve memorized our pitch.

            Streamlined our synopsis.

            We’re ready.

            But when we open our mouth to sing—er, pitch—sometimes we finish only to get the dreaded answer: “It’s a no from me.”

            And, just like on those oh-so-popular singing shows, oftentimes the reason for an agent or editor’s decision is the same as they are on a TV show: it’s our voice.

            Now, I’m not talking about the way we deliver an in-person pitch—whether our speaking voice is deep and confident or squeaky with nerves. I’m talking about that elusive thing known as a writer’s voice.

            What is a writer’s voice? It’s that certain thing that makes them stand out, that sets them apart from the crowd. If writing was singing and some of the world’s most famous authors were contestants on a national singing show, they’d be the ones to hear things from the judges like “Wow! Your voice is so unique! I’ve never heard anything like it before.”

            Don’t believe me? I bet you know (or can guess) who wrote each of these famous first lines:

•   “Mr. and Mrs. Dursley, of number four Privet Drive, were proud to say that they were perfectly normal, thank you very much.” (J.K. Rowling)

•   “It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.” (Jane Austen)

•   “Call me Ishmael.” (Herman Melville)

•   “Marley was dead: to begin with.” (Charles Dickens)

•   “I hate Hawaii.” (Okay…you probably don’t know the author who wrote that one, but that’s okay—I’ll tell you. It’s me!)

As a young, inexperienced writer, I had little to no knowledge of what a “writer’s voice” was when I penned the first pages of what would become my debut novel, Porch Swing Girl. And, to be honest, I really didn’t care all that much. I had a story to tell, and—one way or another—I was going to tell it.

            “I hate Hawaii” was a line that came about much later in my writing process, once I had finally begun to discover my own voice as an author. (The first draft of my book opened with “I sat on the porch swing, shivering.” Or something else equally bland and boring and…meh.)

            But how did I do it? How did I discover my own voice that set me apart from the hundreds of other YA writers in the world?

            Unfortunately, there’s no perfect formula. There aren’t “voice lessons” for writers—if there were, I think we’d all be taking them!

            But, if you’re on a hunt to find and train your author voice, here are a few suggestions:

1. Read. A LOT.

Now, you’re probably thinking what’s the point in that? Those authors already have their voices. I need to be working on my own voice!

            The reason is this: there really is nothing new under the sun.

            There are books written in every style of voice and tone imaginable—from warm and chatty to dark and mysterious and everything in between. BUT great authors aren’t just excellent writers; great authors are also incredible thieves. They steal a bit of inspiration from Author A, then borrow Author B’s writing style. They might piece together their own unique character from their favorite characters in books by Author C and Author D…get the picture? Of course, plagiarism is a horrible crime—one you want to stay far away from committing—but one of the best parts about being a writer is being able to borrow bits and pieces of our favorite tales and weave them together into a story all our own.

2. Write. A LOT.

The more you write, the more opportunities you have to make your own voice come alive on the page. Don’t just write books; write letters to far-away friends and family members. Write in a journal. Write articles, flash fiction, and short stories.

            If you have the inspiration for something, then put pen to paper and write it.

            Write in your favorite genre. Write in your least favorite genre.

            Write in the morning; write at night.

            Write in a busy coffee shop. Write when you’re all alone.

            Discover how you write best. And then use it to your advantage—seek out spaces and times that foster creativity, that speak to your soul. Let the words come to you, and then put them to work doing incredible things.

3. Edit. A LOT. (Are you sensing a pattern here?)

Just like I said my debut novel’s first line didn’t come about right at the beginning, most of our best pieces of prose or snippets of dialogue don’t happen in the first draft…or the second draft…or maybe even the third or fourth drafts.

            Writing is a lot like planting a peach orchard—or a cherry orchard, or an apple orchard, but I happen to really like peaches so we’re going with it.

            When you bring home a boxful of saplings that first year, you might wonder how these scrawny little shoots will ever produce real fruit.

            Then, a few years later, they really start growing. Branching out. You might even find a few beautiful, ripe peaches come summertime.

            Eventually, those scrawny saplings have turned into real, grown-up trees, with more fruit on them than you could ever eat on your own. And then—only then—do you start sharing your bounty with others.

            But, in order to grow those big, beautiful healthy trees, you have to tend them. They need food and water, and sometimes they need to be pruned.

            If you planted your little first-draft sapling in the ground, walked away, and expected to come back at the end of a season to find a fully formed novel, you’d be mistaken.

            Like all things, writing a good book takes time, effort, and energy. Writing the first draft is only half the battle. The question is, are you ready to keep fighting…er, writing?

4. Don’t read, write, or edit too much.

Yes, I know I’m completely contradicting myself here, but the point is this: burnout is a real thing, my friends. Sometimes we get so caught up in living the writer’s life that we end up forgetting about our real life. And you know what happens then?

            It’s called burnout, and it isn’t pretty.

            So take things slow. Allow inspiration to come to you on its own time. Don’t force the reading, writing, or editing. Let it happen naturally.

            And if that sounds weird or you don’t know what that looks like, then just stop. Wait for things to start happening in the little writerly part of your brain. Because things will happen. Sometimes we just have to listen to the music, and wait until it’s our turn to sing.

Taylor Bennett is a dandelion-wishing, world-traveling lover of books, words, and stories.

Inspired by authors like Louisa May Alcott and Lucy Maude Montgomery, Taylor makes it her goal to write heartfelt, timeless books for girls that will touch hearts for generations to come. The first book in her Tradewinds series, Porch Swing Girl, was contracted just days after her seventeenth birthday. Currently, she is trying to reach the perfect balance between writing and taking a full load of college courses. Taylor loves to connect with readers on Instagram at @taylor.bennett.author.