By Todd Allen,@ToddAllenAuthor

If you ever see me at a writing conference you’ll probably notice a brown writing journal clutched in my hand. If I don’t write down the jewels of wisdom I hear during these talks I’ll never remember them. Often I go back and read my notes when I need a shot of inspiration.

The first set of notes I recorded occurred at a writing retreat hosted by literary agents, bestselling authors, and editors. I remember my anticipation building all morning. Then the topic was announced: The Importance of Voice. I looked at several faces in the audience, wondering if anyone was as surprised as me. I’d never even tried to define voice before, and hadn’t thought much about it while writing my manuscripts. But these professionals thought voice was so important they featured it as the opening topic. I knew I had much to learn. I opened my new writing journal and held my pen ready. Here are a few quotes from the discussion:

“Voice is a distinctive narrative from a particular person.”

“A strong voice always stands out, separating good authors from average ones.”

“Without voice, any story is dead.”

I left the session curious but still confused. I knew I needed to incorporate voice into my writing, but the idea of voice seemed to escape me. I decided to read the novels the panel suggested as examples and study on my own. After years of reading, writing, note-taking, and candid discussions with other authors, I developed my own definition of voice.

Voice is an Opinion

Stories are told from a particular point of view. Usually that view is from a character integral to the plot who interacts with the setting and other characters. Voice is the opinion this character carries with him. He injects it into every sentence. His opinion permeates the narrative and makes the story unique. The best example of this I’ve discovered comes from Andy Weir’s incredible novel The Martian. I’d start with the legendary opening line, but in the interest of keeping this post free of profanity, I’ll skip to a cleaner section.

It’s almost time for the second harvest.

Ayup.

I wish I had a straw hat and some suspenders. My reseed of the potatoes went well. I’m beginning to see that crops on Mars are extremely prolific, thanks to the billions of dollars’ worth of life support equipment around me. I now have four hundred healthy potato plants, each one making lots of calorie-filled taters for my dining enjoyment. In just ten days they’ll be ripe!

How did a self-published sci-fi novel dominate the New York Times list and spawn a Hollywood blockbuster? The secret rests in the text above. Weir’s sentences are literally packed with voice. Much of The Martian is written to sound like log entries. Each line is colored with opinions and attitude. Mark Watney describes complicated technical processes with a voice that stays with the reader long after he closes the book. Once we recognize the power of voice, the reason for this book’s success seems obvious.

Voice is a Filter

Every element of a story passes through the POV character. That character necessarily experiences everything—the glare and heat of the sun, the texture of satin sheets, the tone of the operator asking him to hold—through his own perception, which is different from any another person on Earth (or Mars!). If we’ve done our best to create a unique character with distinct attitudes and perceptions (I like to use the word “filter” to cover these terms), his voice will become impossible to ignore. When I find it difficult to make the narrative unique to my character, I imagine he’s writing in his diary. We tend to write more informally to ourselves than to others, and that’s where voice comes through strongest. Give this technique a try, and see what you think.

One last opinion on voice. This one uses second-level thinking, and I learned it from bestselling author Lee Child:

Voice is Actually Two Filters

Not only does the story pass through the filter of your POV character, it also passes through you, the author. We are an integral part of what we create. Give ten writers a scene setup and they will produce ten different endings. An author’s filter—or voice—remains visible across his entire catalogue of work. I see it in my favorite authors’ books. Dean Koontz’s characters seem to enjoy a deep relationship with dogs, tend to see the world as outsiders, and strongly believe in the power of good and evil. Stephen King’s characters usually share his wry sense of humor. While each character’s voice is different, strains of their voices are common to other characters. That’s the author’s contribution to voice.

So how do we incorporate voice into our writing? I think we need to dive as deeply into the head of our POV character as possible, experience everything as the character does, and tap into his opinions. We must relax, write as informally as we dare, and remember the backspace key can save us in case we go too far. I tried following this advice while writing The Keeper, a manuscript narrated by a spirit who didn’t know his own name. I lived inside the Keeper’s mind for over a year, and I enjoyed every minute.

I remember opening an e-mail one evening, a reply from a bestselling author who had promised to write an endorsement for The Keeper. This was my first blurb. I nervously clicked the mouse. What I read blew me away.

“Todd Allen offers an exceptional, unique, and wonderfully fresh voice to the thriller genre. From Page One, I was hooked!” — Heather Graham

I’m eternally thankful to receive such a compliment. I still haven’t discovered all the nuances of voice, but I understand it better than when I first started taking notes at writing conferences. Hopefully those who read this can also gain a better understanding on how voice affects our stories

Todd Allen writes short stories and thrillers infused with an element of the supernatural. His work has been published in literary and suspense magazines including Chiron Review, Thought Magazine, and Futures Mystery Anthology Magazine. He also offers free samples of his stories and manuscripts on his website, toddallenauthor.com. He lives near Houston, Texas with his wife and three sons.

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