A Study in Voice
In my MFA classes, I am constantly asked about voice. What is it, how to find it, how to make it stand out, and how to make it unique, and what is an "authentic" voice. On one hand, a writer’s “voice” refers to the rhetorical blend of word choice, tone, point of view, and syntax that create phrases, sentences, and paragraphs to flow in a particular manner. This voice comes through in two main ways: through omniscient narration or through the character’s point of view. For example, Tony Morrison and Nathaniel Hawthorne tell their stories through an omniscient third person narration. However, both authors have a unique voice, set by the tone, word choice, organization of paragraphs and chapters, and pacing that set each novel apart. A writer’s voice often refers to the overall theme expressed within the pages of a novel, highlighting the book’s mood and worldview. For example, in discussing the books of Margaret Atwood, readers might note themes, character types and...
