  Short Stories
This week: Edited by: Mavis Moog  
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| This week I hope to extend some of the ideas about Point of View and consider the use of literary voice. I suggest that a strong voice adds depth to a short story. |
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Recent newsletters by other editors have discussed using various "point of view " techniques when writing short stories. My subject is linked to POV but considers the characterisation of narration. This is often referred to as the voice of the piece.
Dr Ismail S. Talib (Associate professor of English at the National University of Singapore) defines Voice thus:
"Voice: The dominating ethos or tone of a literary work. The voice existing in a literary work is not always identifiable with the actual views of the author ."
Many writers have something they call their own literary voice. This means that someone familiar with their work, would be able to recognise anything they write, by the style of the prose alone. A friend once recognised a letter I wrote in a national publication as my work, because of the style. I was amazed that he could tell it was mine; but when I considered the clues, I could see what he meant. My style has changed many times since then, and I try to write in different voices, for different purposes, but certain tell-tale traces of my personality remain in much of my writing.
The art of a convincing voice, when writing either in first of third person, is one many of us struggle to master.
I will use some famous literature to illustrate my point.
Mark Twain had an exceptionally distinct voice:
"Then his pride was up, and he strode away and went outside. He stood about, restless and uneasy, for a while, glancing at the door, every now and then, hoping she would repent and come to find him. But she did not. Then he began to feel badly and fear that he was in the wrong. It was a hard struggle with him to make new advances, now, but he nerved himself to it and entered. She was still standing back there in the corner, sobbing, with her face to the wall. Tom's heart smote him. He went to her and stood a moment, not knowing exactly how to proceed."
Here, Jonathan Swift, in his essay, A Modest Proposal, satirises a very different character from his own.
"I am assured by our merchants, that a boy or a girl before twelve years old is no salable commodity; and even when they come to this age they will not yield above three pounds, or three pounds and half-a-crown at most on the exchange; which cannot turn to account either to the parents or kingdom, the charge of nutriment and rags having been at least four times that value."
Finally, Consider the voice of God used by Giovanni Guareschi in his Don Camillo stories:
"Christian charity doesn't mean giving the crumbs from your table to the poor; it means dividing with them something that you need yourself. When Saint Martin divided his cloak with a beggar, that was Christian charity. And even when you share your last crust of bread with a beggar, you mustn't behave as if you were throwing a bone to a dog. You must give humbly, and thank him for allowing you to have a part in his hunger. "
These three, fine writers, have an unmistakable voice, which adds atmosphere to their work. They give their characters opinions that may not match their own, but the integrity of those opinions is pristine. This writing is free of ego. These authors do not use their work as a platform for self-aggrandisement, rather they immerse themselves in the time and nature of their story and present it to us with honesty.
This is as close as I can get to defining literary voice. Ones voice does not need to be ones own. A story can have a character of its own.
Some of you will have tried to write from the point of view of very different characters. Middle-aged women can write from within a six year old boy; a pacifist may write about a war-monger. There should be no limit to the range of characters we can use to tell our stories for us. Remember to build a strong character in your mind, and then imagine him telling his tale. A talent for acting is always useful, but keen observation and deep understanding of motivations can be sufficient.
Those of you who search for a general literary voice, to use throughout your work, may be missing the opportunity to develop an essential writing skill. Using our own natural language and opinions to colour our writing at all times, can make our work predictable and dull. When we write in a similar manner to the way we speak, we find many readers find the flow difficult to follow. This is because so many of us use rhythms and idioms which are too localised. By borrowing various characters to narrate our stories for us, we have fun, and enliven our work for the readers.
Here are some narration characters for you to try out:
 Narrow-minded gossip.
Pompous braggart.
Wily rogue.
Sandal-wearing, vegan hippy.
Confused political activist.
Hypocrite.
Choose a character which intrigues you and imagine him telling the story. You can use any POV you like, 1st or 3rd person, omniscient or not. All that matters is that you think like your chosen story-teller throughout the writing.
Another Point of View
While researching, I found this comment on the subject, and include it as a counterpoint to my suggestion:
"take the pressure off and just let the words flow. There's too much pressure in "finding your voice" - so much that trying to find it can actually cause you to lose it. When you stop trying to find it, you'll recognize it, but not until you're able to look back in retrospect a few years from now."
Quote of the Month
Writing is easy. All you do is stare at a blank sheet of paper until drops of blood form on your forehead.
~Gene Fowler
Please submit any stories you have which you think have particularly strong voice. I would love to feature the best of them in future newsletters. |
This story by a well-known WDC author, is quite long but is well worth the reading.
Two interesting stories.
| | Another (18+)
It just happened, right? No one's fault. Not his fault, anyway.
#885925 by Tiggy  |
This is a short fantasy, rich in imagery.
I liked the rhythm and repetition in this very short but striking tale.
| |  | She is (18+)
An attempt to get a lot of punch into a very short story.
#1052709 by matt |
This story has more than one level.
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Thank you for your comments about last month's newsletter
Please feel free to disagree, ask questions or generally draw attention to yourself  .
All comments and submissions are welcome.
Pen Name
Dear MM,
I know I am behind, but I found your editorial on imagery extremely helpful. I have never used personification. I now will look for a chance to use it, but sparingly. I think the best example of imagery you offered was "Noon would whistle to me from her perch" by J.G. Ballard.
Scarlett 
A wonderful Christmas anecdote and certainly very different! I've often wondered if people in warmer climes have Christmas cards of Santa in trunks on a beach?
I must try to read all your picks - I know they will be entertaining and of a high standard.
bazilbob
Let's hear it for bad christmasses! (actually, I don't think I've really had any that bad...)
April Sunday
Keen on-location Christams report, Mav.
A-Plus newsletter!
dusktildawn
What a wonderful story. I agree with you, Mavis. Christmas means different things to different people. Your story is but one, and I found it entralling to read. Many thanks for sharing, Mavis (as usual).
schipperke
I heard there was a tradition of telling ghost stories on Christmas Eve in GB and that is why Dickens wrote "Christmas Carol" which is really a ghost story.
Great newsletter!
You're right there, we do tell ghost stories on Christmas Eve, but we don't all have to be tradition slaves. - MM
billwilcox
 Mavis,
What a heart-felt newsletter, thanks for sharing. |
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Short Stories: January 11, 2006 Issue [#816]
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