Hearing You Write
MOOD STATUS: "Productive". Got a rough synopsis done and a chapter finished on my wip.
BOOK UPDATE: Georgie on His Mind is scheduled for release October 24... 2010.
Well, my friend's mom is reading my book The Role of a Lifetime now.
Eeep.
She even came up to me the other day and said, "You know, it's funny. But I can actually hear you as I'm reading."
Another eeep.
Of course the first thing I thought was... My hero sounds like a girl? But then I quickly calmed myself down. The woman didn't really say that. She just said she could hear ME in my writing. I didn't ask her if that was a good thing or a bad thing. But I did think it was interesting none the less. :)
We've heard countless discussions on establishing your "voice" as a writer, but I never thought about it going so far as actually hearing that voice!
It's funny but I don't think I speak how I write at all. I'm much more chatty as a writer ( case in point is my BLOG) than I am live and in person. I'm actually quite quiet. (Unless I have more than one margarita or more than three cups of coffee. Those two things usually gets my mouth moving--to the point where you want to gag me.) But I suppose a little bit of your personality and how you talk can't help but come across in your actual writing.
Have you ever had a comment like that from people who know your personality?
Do people hear you when they read your work?
27 comments:
lol. Your hero sounds like a girl. :) I think if you're a good writer people do 'hear' you in your book. After all writing is suppose to be a part of us.
I think she just paid you a great compliment. :)
And no, no-one has mentioned my writing sounding like me. BUT I'm not pubbed either and very few have actually read my work so...
I think your Mom's friend likes you and likes your book so she was definitely giving you a compliment. And that's interesting - no one has said that my writing sounds like me. I know when a friend or relative says they are reading one of my books, it does make me nervous. :)
I'm quiet in person, too.
Good luck on your wip.
Nobody has told me that exactly, but Zaynah said she believed I had found my voice in my first person stories. Maybe that's why they were easy for me to write.
I love your voice. It's fresh and funny without being silly.
I hear voices too..... :O) It's usually mine.
Glad on your release next year!
I love this question b/c one of my favorite things about writing is discovering my voice. I'm with you on the margarita and the coffees.
I'll have to ask this question in some clever form.
~ Wendy
i often hear writers when i read their work, especially if i know them.
people who know me and my blog, say it is very me. but in person i am quite the introvert too - always better at the written word.
My best friend has said the same thing about my writing. This is a little troubling because my book is written from the perspective of an eleven-year-old girl.
We have known each other since we were kids so maybe she's just remembering me as an eleven-year-old. Or maybe I still sound like I'm eleven.
I think it's interesting that so many writers are introverts and yet we keep blogs (and write books really) so we can connect with a lot of people.
What a compliment, or at least I would think.
Georgie on His Mind is scheduled for release October 24... 2010.
Is this the Avalon one? YAY!!!
Natalie: LOL!!
Terri: Yes, this is the romance for Avalon Books.
I have heard that before and I took it as a good thing...mainly because I wanted the piece to kind of sound like me.
If I hear that about all my writing though, I won't know wheter to rejoice or to "eeep".
Hey, Jennifer!
I've had people say that about me too, which I always think is funny because I'm really quiet too. But I like that my voice is recognizable. Hopefully it's unique enough to get me published one day!
Have a great day!
My sister-in-law said that about the last book of mine she read. My first reaction was to make a face. "Oh really?" I figured if that much of me was coming through it wasn't a good thing. But after awhile I decided it was okay. The way I describe certain things and the words I use--a lot of that was in my book, particularly with the protagonist. But not so with other characters, so that's okay. Right?
No one has ever told me that. I'm much like you in that I'm quieter in person (unless it's with my girlfriends) I am a great deal snarkier in written language than in real life. At least I hope I don't come off so snarky in real life as many of my characters do. LOL Otherwise I'm surprised I have any friends at all! LOL
How wild to have a release date on the calendar! That must be so cool. It's also exciting to have someone you know comment on your book--and it would a tad "eep-ful". ;)
I don't have any published books yet, but people have said that to me too. I don't think it's a bad thing.
I think the people closest to us will say that, for sure - I know my mom and best friend have said the same thing! I love the margarita and coffee comment - so funny! I wish I had that excuse...eep!
Yes, I've had comments like that. My daughter has pointed out several places where I sound like myself in my writing. Good thing she's a teenager and can help me out of that mess since I write YA.
Jennifer, I think it's a compliment. They don't know exactly what to say so they say they can hear the writer. And like you said, you do put some of yourself in your writing
I need coffee to get my mouth going too. Margaritas do fine also. :)
When I had my husband read my second book, which I thought was as different as could be from my second one he commented on how similar they both were. My reaction !?!?!? He then explained that they both "sounded" like me. Hmph. Okay.
I think it was a nice compliment too!
Kate: LOL! I would have been like WHAT?!, too. :)
Jennifer: This is a great compliment. It means you are true to your voice-- congratulations!
It's an interesting point. Yes, friends and family have often said they can 'hear' me in my work, and I find I can 'hear' them in theirs - but part of that must be, like many other commenters have said, because I enjoy their company. But many of my published novels are ghosted for other people, and sometimes I'm not the first person who has ghosted for them. So the voices of their books should all be different - but no reviewer seems to notice! Interesting!
Yeah, I think they have said that to me.
I do try and change my voice in my stories though.
I hear that comment often when people read my writing. I like it because I hear in their comment that I have my own voice. Sounds like you do, too. I'll look for this book. Thanks for visiting my blog Jennifer!
Just the thought of my mother reading something I wrote would send me around the bend. But that's me. I'm with you on the margarita thing, get a drink in me and I start yapping!
Glad I found your blog.
I'm with you that writing is better than talking because no one interrupts! I'm quite anti-social if talking is required, but with a pencil or keyboard... I'm good!
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