tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2488887316391780144.post3219611944667689170..comments2024-03-29T07:43:01.003+00:00Comments on Help! I Need a Publisher!: BIG MISTAKE 1: A SLIP OF THE VOICENicola Morganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12189894289540344094noreply@blogger.comBlogger16125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2488887316391780144.post-31488386185906902692010-12-19T09:52:07.672+00:002010-12-19T09:52:07.672+00:00Shame nobody noticed this with Time Traveller'...Shame nobody noticed this with Time Traveller's Wife and The Historian, both of which use exactly the same voice for different narrators.nonehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00415222406280230021noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2488887316391780144.post-85671492619710009952010-01-27T01:29:48.188+00:002010-01-27T01:29:48.188+00:00This was incredibly helpful. I know it's a pro...This was incredibly helpful. I know it's a problem with my current WIP, but I don't want to be limited by the voice of my six-year-old main character! I want him to use bigger words and think deeply...so I keep adding a few years on him every time I revise.Lorel Claytonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06749366331989131894noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2488887316391780144.post-73102297670048495362010-01-11T12:51:18.031+00:002010-01-11T12:51:18.031+00:00Alan - good to see you here. And no, it's real...Alan - good to see you here. And no, it's really not more than a munro...Nicola Morganhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12189894289540344094noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2488887316391780144.post-16925689206564808542010-01-11T12:41:29.766+00:002010-01-11T12:41:29.766+00:00Aaaah. Very good. I'm finding your blog very u...Aaaah. Very good. I'm finding your blog very useful and it hadn't registered with me till now that you were in Scotland despite the use of crabbit in your blog header.<br /><br />I'm gathering good advice from yourself and blogs of other published authors to improve my writing especially since I want to try for illustrated books for children. I have already got the message that that Alan Scotthttp://www.stooryduster.co.uknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2488887316391780144.post-81987558732549148762009-02-24T21:32:00.000+00:002009-02-24T21:32:00.000+00:00Excellent blog... you should write a book... you k...Excellent blog... you should write a book... you know - about writing books or something.<br><br>Looking forward to you helping me work out what else I'm doing wrong.<br><br>Cheers for now.Garethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03983925992806220943noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2488887316391780144.post-25038277513583942082009-02-23T09:40:00.000+00:002009-02-23T09:40:00.000+00:00oops - but you don't expect me to be good at...oops - but you don't expect me to be good at counting as well as boot selection, do you? Now fixed - thanks.Nicola Morganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12189894289540344094noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2488887316391780144.post-62668809678719039952009-02-22T23:48:00.000+00:002009-02-22T23:48:00.000+00:00What happened to number 3? ;-)I'm going to try...What happened to number 3? ;-)<br><br>I'm going to try these exercises in voice. Thanks for all the helpful goodies!Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06842712720778708758noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2488887316391780144.post-42658569537017113642009-02-21T19:36:00.000+00:002009-02-21T19:36:00.000+00:00I know I'm commenting late, but I was somewhat...I know I'm commenting late, but I was somewhat occupied with a stomach bug the last few days. (Oh joy...<br>) <br>Anyway, I find voice slips most often in third person narration during description. You're going along, enjoying these characters you've met, then stumble across a paragraph that sounds like it's out of a guide book. <br><br>Of course, I see it because I'm Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06909176210194176373noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2488887316391780144.post-43018581821772452992009-02-20T11:14:00.000+00:002009-02-20T11:14:00.000+00:00Thanks, Adele. BTW you'll be glad to know that...Thanks, Adele. BTW you'll be glad to know that Vanessa has your new and GLORIOUS book on full view in her shop. Meanwhile, I think I need some new boots this weekend - I have a reputation to maintain, after all. They should be tax deductble at this rate. <br><br>And Ebony, yes, get yourself sorted out before your Scottish lingo book comes out. Or should that be oot? <br><br>Donna - good Nicola Morganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12189894289540344094noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2488887316391780144.post-83754612575207324952009-02-20T10:53:00.000+00:002009-02-20T10:53:00.000+00:00Very interesting and also USEFUL! And one of my be...Very interesting and also USEFUL! And one of my betes noires( sorry can't do accents on here!)is when the narrative voice/viewpoint CHANGES half way through a scene. You are in Mary's head and then suddenly you're in John's. It's very annoying and very easy to fix! But I reckon you've nailed it. VOICE is easily the most important thing about a novel and can sometimes make adelehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15826710558292792068noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2488887316391780144.post-43323448470728027872009-02-20T02:15:00.000+00:002009-02-20T02:15:00.000+00:00Another great post!I have trouble hearing the diff...Another great post!<br><br>I have trouble hearing the difference between a Scottish "now" and a Scottish "no." That could land me in a lot of trouble one day!Ebony McKenna.http://www.blogger.com/profile/02724727996270658767noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2488887316391780144.post-4157388731993302142009-02-19T20:31:00.000+00:002009-02-19T20:31:00.000+00:00Very funny - as I was reading that school visit an...Very funny - as I was reading that school visit anecdote, the first thing that came into my mind before I reached the end was "I bet the girl was Scottish!" It took me four years before I could understand a darned word spoken by my husband's family. It was like being in a never-ending Rab C. Nesbitt episode!<br><br>I'm currently reading Anne of Green Gables, and the main reason Donna Hosiehttp://musingsofapennilesswriter.blogspot.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2488887316391780144.post-31820677765270370832009-02-19T19:10:00.000+00:002009-02-19T19:10:00.000+00:00Ah - a classic - the line you are most proud o...Ah - a classic - the line you are most proud of sounding different from the rest of the book: bad luck! As you know, it's just got to go! It's the murdering of darlings that Tom mentioned. But it sounds as though you already know that. And your analysis of the sections of the Scarlett Thomas book sounding younger than the older version sounds spot on. Once you can identify these Nicola Morganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12189894289540344094noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2488887316391780144.post-83649592703075337102009-02-19T18:54:00.000+00:002009-02-19T18:54:00.000+00:00Thank you for such a useful post, I can already th...Thank you for such a useful post, I can already think of one voice slippage in my work in progress, I know what it is because it's the line I'm most proud of, ergo it sounds completely different from the rest of the book!<br><br>My current read is an excellent example of different voices, Scarlett Thomas' PopCo, her first person narrator describes events in her adult life and her lacerhttp://lacer.wordpress.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2488887316391780144.post-340336205316774632009-02-19T17:36:00.000+00:002009-02-19T17:36:00.000+00:00That tickled me, Nicola - you asking her which one...That tickled me, Nicola - you asking her which one she liked best and her thinking you meant which boot! She must have thought you were a bit mental, bless her. Personally I always prefer my left boot...Sarah Hilaryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03379986260169703599noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2488887316391780144.post-16400345645051509792009-02-19T11:15:00.000+00:002009-02-19T11:15:00.000+00:00Brilliant post. I remember a writer adorning the c...Brilliant post. I remember a writer adorning the chapter I'd asked him to read in damning red ink: 'Voice slips here. And here. And...' But, I thought later, I sweated for hours on those sentences. They do this. And that. They all went eventually, 'murdered' along with other 'darlings'. Reading aloud, as you say, is sometimes the only way to spot voice-slippage.TOM J VOWLERhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00436338454781485164noreply@blogger.com