Finding Your Voice How to Put Personality in Your Writing

Find your voice - and make your writing sing! You know a great literary "voice" when you hear it: David Sedaris's humorous cynicism. Elmore Leonard's weary, smart-mouthed dialogue. Nick Hornby's simple yet imaginative descriptions. It's the kind of writing you should aspire to, right? Well, not quite. Each of these authors found success in part by developing their own unique voice: a writing style that helped define their work. Now Les Edgerton shows you how to develop a voice of your own, one that rises about the literary din because of its individuality, not in spite of it! Inside, he provides guidelines, advice and dozens of exercises of recognizing and developing a natural style that will make your characters, stories and dialogues better and more memorable. You'll lean: - How to make any piece you write unmistakably yours and your alone - What agents and editors really think about using your own voice - How to write better by ignoring the rules - The keys to getting your voice and personality on the page - How to get back the unique voice you may have lost by trying to write like someone else Whether you write fiction, nonfiction, or poetry, Finding Your Voice is a must read. Editors, agents, and readers all want to read something fresh and new; by finding your voice, you'll be giving them exactly what they want!