VOICE (A 31 Days of Five Minute Free Writes Post)

A friend of mine commented on one of my early posts and said the writing sounded like me - she could hear me talking.  I have a VOICE!

I'm in the middle of reading The Art of X-Ray Reading by Roy Peter Clark.  The subtitle is How the Secrets of 25 Great Works of Literature Will Improve Your Writing.

Wow!  I feel like I've never really READ a book, and I read a LOT.  Since January 1 of this year, I've already finished ninety-four.  Not all (well, hardly any) qualify as Great Works of Literature, but of course not all books aspire to be.

Anyway, in one section of the book, Clark talks about an author's "diction," which, as he used the term, he obviously meant "voice" - the words and phraseology an author uses in writing, which are influenced by geography, economic condition, education, occupation, religion, age, and time in history.  Compare two authors' work side by side, and you can tell who is who because each has his own distinct voice.

I've just finished a section heavy with Shakespeare, and Clark points out where the important words fall in a couple of sonnets.  Fascinating.  Lots to ponder.

-----------------------------------------------------------

This post is part of the 31-Day of Five Minute Free Writes challenge link-up.  Today's writing prompt was "VOICE."  For more information on the challenge click here.