When writers submit a query with an example of their work, they wait and sometimes wait and wait to hear back. And, like Tom Petty said, The Waiting is the Hardest Part.
But then when that long-anticipated email arrives, excitement floods the writer's heart.
Sometimes, it is a quick let down with the only bit of feedback saying, "The sample didn't speak to me." Or, sometimes the feedback might be, "The voice didn't resonate with me."
"The Voice" might seem like an easy thing to capture but it's not always so easy.
Voice is a difficult thing to define but literary agent Rachel Gardner said, "Your writer's voice is the expression of YOU on the page."
But even hearing this definition, voice is still an "unseen" characteristic of your writing. I think of it as an element that makes the characters come alive.
This is a clip I put together years ago with my family to help "show not tell" what Voice is.
Each person will show an example of Voice, that illusive element all writers strive to achieve.
I hope you enjoy it.
If you can't view it, copy and paste this url into your browser: https://youtu.be/_4h_PnIFLzg
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