As a novelist becomes more practiced in their work, their voice will likely develop to the point that it is rapidly recognizable to readers. While there is no foolproof way to establish one's authorial voice, here are three ways to jumpstart the process.
1. Pick a consistent voice for your narrators. Some authors are famous for first person narration, while others narrate exclusively in the third person. (Consistent second person narration—which is narration that describes "you"—is highly difficult to sustain throughout an entire novel and is rarely ever used.) While plenty of famous authors toggle between first person and third person narration, you can help establish your authorial voice by picking one style and sticking to it.
2. Decide whether you'll write formally or colloquially. When narrating a novel, will you use grammatically perfect English? Or will you use regional phrases and colloquialisms? Will you drift in and out of your characters' inner monologues? Adopting policies about word choice will further establish your distinctive voice as an author.
3. Will your novels be driven by description or by dialogue? Some authors layer their novels with long passages of description. Actions and emotional responses are brought to life via narration, and dialogue mainly exists to reinforce a point. By contrast, other authors let dialogue drive their narrative and only interject narration when dialogue simply will not suffice. Picking one of these styles and committing to it is yet another way to establish a specific authorial voice.
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Lending A Helping Hand: Writing Tips
RandomThis includes: learning how to write in first person ( if you do ) by submerging the "I" in detail, and other POV •Developing the theme of your story by shaping the readers perception of your world by presenting a limited message •Tips on how to...
