Unsolicited writing advice, no. 543: Trust your voice. As with singing, everyone has a natural range. You can improve yours (with wide reading and practice), but go too far out of your natural range and you'll sound off-key and forced. Instead, use your own voice - authentically, and to the full. - ThreadSky

joannechocolat.bsky.social • 5 days ago

Unsolicited writing advice, no. 543: Trust your voice. As with singing, everyone has a natural range. You can improve yours (with wide reading and practice), but go too far out of your natural range and you'll sound off-key and forced. Instead, use your own voice - authentically, and to the full.

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joannechocolat.bsky.social•5 days ago

Same goes for your characters. Each of them has a vocal range, based on their age, culture, level of education, region, level of articulacy. If all your characters end up sounding just like you, then you didn't give them a voice, or any way to express themselves.

metaphorqu.bsky.social•5 days ago

As someone who sings, I mostly agree , but having learned to sing a top C (not like a chicken) when I couldn't before makes me wonder why I've limited my writing with "but I couldn't do that..."

joannechocolat.bsky.social•5 days ago

As in singing, just because you *can* hit the note doesn't mean you *should.*

metaphorqu.bsky.social•5 days ago

It doesn't sound that bad! 🙃🙃🎵🎵 🐔🐔 I'm a great believer in experimenting with voice in my writing so as to push the boundaries. The unanticipated nuances reset as me , but are more fun both to write and (I hope) to read....

aciliwe.bsky.social•5 days ago

You feel comfortable experimenting, that means you’re ready to try new things.
Experimenting is important.
I think it can be combined with the advice, when ready.
Experimenting is not just for fun, experimenting provides useful data (that’s my five cents).

scribblerhackit.bsky.social•5 days ago

This. Even prima voce in music isn't that straightforward.

historylecturer.bsky.social•4 days ago

Good. Thanks. I append my blog-post on the same subject to this thread in case anyone finds it interesting.
https://georgehharris.blogspot.com/2013/05/how-to-write-english-prose-with-john.html

aciliwe.bsky.social•5 days ago

good one

pascalepetit.bsky.social•5 days ago

Love this! X

gailgil.bsky.social•5 days ago

Love your tips!

citizenesskane.bsky.social•5 days ago

As a singer & songwriter, I agree wholeheartedly. When you talk about going "too far out of your natural range", it reminds me of the best advice I ever got: "Just because you can hit that note doesn't mean you should."

joannechocolat.bsky.social•5 days ago

Precisely. :-)

realfiremonkey.bsky.social•5 days ago

Thank you, although I am writing academic essays I still try to sound like myself, not always essay.

ianmccombs.bsky.social•5 days ago

I one rewrote a book outside of my voice to please a beta reader. Realized far too late it was absolutely awful. Le sigh. Not gonna do that ever again!

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