tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5936402483709284852.post93474072766944930..comments2023-06-30T14:35:38.366+01:00Comments on Burrowers, Books & Balderdash: Raise Your VoiceHart Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17599570189253229318noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5936402483709284852.post-49251049139751831222011-01-01T15:05:53.849+00:002011-01-01T15:05:53.849+00:00Great advice. It made me think about a method the ...Great advice. It made me think about a method the ski coaches sometimes use in skiing practice, in particular early in the season. It's called contrast training. First do it all wrong on purpose, leaning too much forward or backward, and weight on inner ski in the turns. Then do it right, with centered balance and weight on outer ski, to feel the difference >:)<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://cold-as-heaven.blogspot.com/" rel="nofollow"> Cold As Heaven </a>CA Heavenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07558100567878233142noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5936402483709284852.post-24427738110669360922010-12-30T14:00:22.344+00:002010-12-30T14:00:22.344+00:00Thanks, Hart. We linked to this post today! chris...Thanks, Hart. We linked to this post today! christyerica and christyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13074820593371226159noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5936402483709284852.post-27474133509356562842010-12-30T06:34:10.601+00:002010-12-30T06:34:10.601+00:00Jan, I completely agree--I think an author who is ...Jan, I completely agree--I think an author who is a brilliant plotter will sometimes hit a stinker, but a great voice might make it enjoyable anyway. I have a lot of favorite books, but my favorite AUTHORS have a voice.Hart Johnsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17599570189253229318noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5936402483709284852.post-61285173440092160372010-12-30T03:07:45.868+00:002010-12-30T03:07:45.868+00:00One of the most instructional exercises I ever had...One of the most instructional exercises I ever had, to teach me that I already had a voice, was similar to the one you described. We were to take an author's first page and rewrite it as our own. The exercise was supposed to be about noticing how we'd want to shift punctuation even using the identical words. Of course, I misunderstood. <br /><br />When I tried to write the essence of the page in my own words, I inserted characters, had a sassier style, injected setting...<br /><br />From the moment we chose our story, our characters, our setting, we're already displaying voice, IMHO. <br /><br />PS: Good topic. Voice is one of the things I need to enjoy about an author in order to invest in them.Jan O'Hara (Tartitude)https://www.blogger.com/profile/04930129153455367820noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5936402483709284852.post-38210525121508039932010-12-29T21:45:56.087+00:002010-12-29T21:45:56.087+00:00Leanne-it's nuts, isn't it--the stuff that...Leanne-it's nuts, isn't it--the stuff that sticks. and I almost think we have to test other things, but what we come back to is US.<br /><br />Golden Eagle, THANK YOU!Hart Johnsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17599570189253229318noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5936402483709284852.post-41178607104962109332010-12-29T19:07:25.839+00:002010-12-29T19:07:25.839+00:00Great post on voice!Great post on voice!Golden Eaglehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08721520451194318436noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5936402483709284852.post-72060224639471817382010-12-29T16:10:23.489+00:002010-12-29T16:10:23.489+00:00Wanna hear something funny? When I was at my pare...Wanna hear something funny? When I was at my parents' for Xmas, my mother dragged me down to the basement to help sort out some of my mountains of junk. One of the things I found was a folder of writing, including a 2-page essay on my lack of weekends. Both the voice and the topic were such that I could have written it three days ago - it was absolutely indubitably me. Plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose, hein? :-PViolaNuthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07896411685523236241noreply@blogger.com