Kurt Vonnegut (via Good Tithings and SDSU — Thanks!) has a great summary of what makes good writing, as well as a good writer:
1. Find a subject you care about. “Did you ever admire an empty headed writer for his or her mastery of the language? No.”
2. Do not ramble, though.
3. Keep it simple. “Remember that two great masters of language, William Shakespeare and James Joyce, wrote sentences which were almost childlike when their subjects were most profound.”
4. Have guts to cut. “If a sentence, no matter how excellent, does not illuminate your subject in some new and useful way, scratch it out.”
5. Sound like yourself. “The writing style which is most natural for you is bound to echo the speech you heard when a child.”
6. Say what you mean. “I understand now that all those antique essays and stories with which I was to compare my own work were not magnificent for their datedness or foreignness, but for saying precisely what their authors meant them to say.”
7. Pity the readers. “Our audience requires us to be sympathetic and patient readers, ever willing to simplify and clarify — whereas we would rather soar high above the crowd, singing like nightingales.”
What a great, pithy list. No excess fat here, just hard, lean advice.
So why is it so difficult?
I’ve been a writer of some sort (student, journalist, screenwriter, diarist, flack) for most of my life, and I’ve blogged for several months now, not exactly daily but quite regularly. But I still haven’t found a voice, a particular point of view. Occasionally a topic or a writing project will resonate with me, but I have a hard time isolating whatever thread it is that is vibrating in me. It’s slippery.
I’ve always been interested in women’s issues, particularly those surrounding whatever age I happen to be or am approaching at the time. But sometimes that seems, well, narrow. Books are always good, but there are (by my informal estimate) about a million book bloggers out there who are doing a fine job without my input. What about American culture? Health? Fashion? Politics? Nah. No fire there.
A mentor of mine, a wonderful professor, years ago clearly saw the coming of the Internet technological revolution. He alerted all his students and colleagues, he was there at the station, he was ready, he was motivated — and he never figured out a way to jump on the train. He watched it as it passed him by.
I think I know how he felt. I’m watching this amazing parade go rolling on, full of color and light and sound, and I can’t seem to find a way to fully join in. I feel like I’m just paralleling the parade.
On second thought: Do men ever worry about this stuff? Is this just me, the ever-dutiful daughter, asking for permission again? I’m not going to stop writing, so maybe, hopefully, over the course of things, I’ll slip into my own personal drawl.
This is probably a question for a beginning creative writing class, but I’ll ask it anyway: How do you/did you find your voice?
August 8, 2008 at 7:36 am
I am trying now to compile some good quotes to help writers
August 8, 2008 at 7:38 am
Meta – I’m going through this exact same thing right now.
I’m also a writer and have blogged about home decor, simply because it interests me. But I’m not an expert, and have no “real” advice to offer. I’m more interested in the psychology of decor – how our decor makes us feel about our lives, and why we decorate – but how many posts can I write about wall color?
I also started to blog to establish my “voice” in preparation for a book I’m writing. I’m sure the 10 people who’ve read my blog will rush out and buy my book.
I actually have been inspired lately by YOU (and a few other midlife bloggers I’ve been reading,) and I’ve started to feel I have to “come out” and write about being this age, about my life now. I’ve always resisted that because I think who cares about me. I don’t want to write about what I had for lunch. But I think it’s more an issue of being truthful and sharing, rather than just writing stuff that shows how I can construct a sentence.
I’ve started a midlife blog but I don’t know if I’m ready to put it out there yet. I’m also job hunting (in Los Angeles, in the entertainment industry) and I’m afraid prospective employers won’t hire me if they know my actual age. But I keep thinking “the truth shall set you free,” and do I really want to work for an industry that doesn’t value my experience? Is it possible for me to really be “myself” and find some kind of validation from that? Or is that just a load of touchy-feely crap?
See – that’s the stuff I want to write about. But I’m not quite there yet.
You blog anonymously so I know you understand that fear. I wish I could take that leap and really be honest. I’m getting closer, and it’s exciting.
Heavy stuff!
August 8, 2008 at 8:09 am
Tara, I think we just have to keep at it, emptying our minds on topics we have some passion about and see what develops. I like your writing and your blog. You’re very real and very in-the-moment, which is something I need to work on.
August 8, 2008 at 11:58 am
I’m not sure this is a man/woman concern, we all have it. As different as men and women are, we’re still fundamentally part of the same species, and on the whole we think alike (certainly we think more alike than either of us think like a hippo!)
All bloggers (I’m sure) worry about whether what they are writing is worth it, whether people care at all about what they are writing. Writers in general do to, but bloggers are in a weird spot. The writing is so transient, on the front page one day, forever off of it in a few weeks.
But, without fail, the most interesting bloggers (writers) just write about what interests them, and do so mainly for themselves. You don’t need a “topic” or a “focus” or a “point of view”.
Pretend somewhere out there is one reader who is EXACTLY like you. What would you write to excite and interest her? That’s what I do. I pretend the entire audience is like me. It’s ridiculous, but it’s a useful fiction.
If that means that you’re all over the map, so be it (lord knows I am!). Nothing wrong with that. I blog about human evolution one day, dinosaurs the next, politics, legal philosophy, Barrack, and the Incredible Hulk … No rhyme nor reason. It ain’t pretty, but it’s fun.
Have fun. That’s the real point. Success is in enjoying yourself while you can. Life doesn’t pass anyone by. It is constantly happening to and with them. It’s our job to notice.
Two great quotes:
“Life is what happens when you’re making other plans,” John Lennon. We all know this one, but the hidden message is that we ought to take a deep breath, look around at our own life and remind ourselves what is great about it.
“If you don’t like the process of your sport, find a new sport,” Arnold Schwarzenegger. He may not be a philosopher, but he makes a great point. Work hard at the things you love. If you love to write, it’s its own reward.
July 25, 2009 at 8:33 am
Love your thinking!
The Nerd
August 9, 2008 at 6:33 pm
Thanks Saij, great commentary, and thanks for taking the time. As I’ve reread my post and the other comments, I’ve already decided that I’m going to keep writing, no matter what. In fact, based on the interest this subject has sparked — it’s one of my most-viewed posts ever — I’m going to explore this topic a little more. It’s apparently of concern to a lot of bloggers.
August 10, 2008 at 7:34 am
I’ve struggled with the same voice thing since I started blogging. I refused to be stuck in a ‘what this blog is about’ box, which is what ALL the advice tells you you must do if you want to be successful. I named my blog ByJane because that was my byline and it enabled me to write about anything. Last year at BlogHer, I made up cards for ByJane that referenced Life magazine. When people asked me what I blogged about, I told them I was like Life magazine, only it was my life. Then I finally decided that I didn’t care about being successful, that I was just going to write as and when and how I felt like it. And then MidLifeBloggers happened. I don’t know if I would have leapt on the idea if I were still trying to make ByJane something successful. All of which is to say, keep on keepin’ on. It’s a process, and there is no single train leaving the station. That’s a killer metaphor, by the way, certain to ensure blocks of all sorts….
August 11, 2008 at 7:51 am
Jane, I agree. It’s really a process, and I believe we need to explore a lot of topics and issues to find those that we really feel passionate about and can best express ourselves about. I’ve always liked the “potpourri” nature of your blog. I never know what to expect from you, although it’s always interesting and topical.
Hope the move is progressing well!
August 11, 2008 at 4:12 pm
I think to find your true voice you need to not censor anything you write for awhile. Write what first comes out and don’t go back and self-edit, at least for awhile. Let it cool and go back and read it and see if it sounds true. Sometimes we edit ourselves according to what we think others want to hear or what others might think of our word choices — or even our honest opinion of something.
To find my voice, I had to quit taking out the smart-ass commentary, the humor, the funny moments in a serious scene. I can write drama just fine, but when the humorist in me begins to take over, I know that particular piece of writing needs to be in my humorist’s voice, as she is very loud and bossy and demanding. That squeaky wheel thing, you know.
KJ
http://interminablewriter.wordpress.com
http://nanadiaries.wordpress.com
July 25, 2009 at 8:30 am
Hey oh! I like the question: “How did you find your voice?” I found mine inside the safety of a community of writers.
It took years for me to get to this place, the place where my voice (now raised) felt like it was finally being heard.
But, I’m there, loud and clear. And I’m loving every minute of it!
The Nerd
July 25, 2009 at 8:32 am
PS: I also believe we have more than just “one” voice. Ask my muse how many voices I have — she’ll say “enough to be worthy of medication”.
The Nerd