Voice and Language by Mira Reisberg

One of the key things an editor or agent looks for is a strong author's voice and strong distinctive voices for their characters.

Way back in May, I started a series of posts on the essentials of craft in writing for children. This post on voice (and language) is the final post in that series. Here are the earlier ones:

Character Driving Plot
http://www.childrensbookacademy.com/mondays-with-mandy-or-mira/character-driving-plot

The Pleasures of Plot http://www.childrensbookacademy.com/mondays-with-mandy-or-mira/the-pleasures-of-plot-and-a-hello-from-kelly-delaney

Pacing http://www.childrensbookacademy.com/mondays-with-mandy-or-mira/pacing-picture-books-with-mira-reisberg

One of the parameters of writing a blog is keeping it short, so in honoring those parameters, I'm going to keep it as short as I can and offer folks the opportunity, until August 10th, to purchase a much more in-depth mini-intensive on voice for the incredibly low price of $19.97 right here!

So here goes for the blog length post on voice:

Author's Voice

An  author's voice is the distinctive way that they tell their stories. Some writers use directive-laden, fast-paced language with active verbs and short staccato sentences.

Others spread their language out over time and space with long languid sentences and multisyllabic words.

Some authors are masters of metaphor and simile infusing their writing with all sorts lyrical language devices like alliteration, assonance, consonance, rhythm and repetition.

Others use humor and wordplay and puns to tickle their readers funny bones, while others write in a way that drips in irony and British sounding propriety.

This is the author's voice, which manifests in how the author uses language - how they construct sentences, where they place them, and which actual words they use.

Character's Voices

The author creates their character's voice by getting to know them really well. Once they know their characters intimately-how they move, dress, think, their backgrounds and cultural influences, the kind of language that they use, their interests, passions, fears, and flaws, favorite words and expressions etc., then they know how to channel how their characters talk and act. In other words, how they talk and react to situations, how they move through the story, how they express their feelings through words, actions, and physical mannerisms with distinctive verbal and/or physical quirks and gestures.
This is character voice.

If you'd like to learn a whole lot more about developing strong voice,
click here to enroll for the mini course for only $19.97 until August 10th!

Comments and shares are much loved :)

Mira Reisberg has helped MANY authors and illustrators get published.
She has worn just about every hat in the industry including art director, editor, illustrator and author, and literary agent.
Mira holds a PhD in Education and Cultural Studies with a focus on children's literature. She is also an award-winning children's book illustrator and writer.
And most of all she loves nurturing her own and others creativity.

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