Although my focus is on learning the craft of picture book writing, I occasionally genre-hop during writing practice/brain dump sessions. It seems my brain has ideas of its own.
The other day I was brain dumping, and the following character plopped out: (excerpt)
Diary Entry - Date and time
...They say it was a miracle I survived. I say it was a miracle I was ever born, that God saw fit to reward Peter Pony (real name Jango Lipschitz – yes, that’s right, my real last name is Lipschitz) and supermodel Mette Svingerviposidedeneyen with a child. Or maybe it wasn’t meant to be a reward. Maybe I was meant to make their lives unpleasant. I think perhaps it’s the latter. Neither Mom, when she was alive, nor Dad have ever been able to look me in the eye. Not since I was a toddler, anyway. I think my eyes are the only mirror they ever encountered through which they weren’t catapulted into narcissistic Valhalla by means of their own reflection.
Bitsy, aka Grandma, Dad’s Mom, says I haven’t been right or “raht” as she would say it, since the accident. It was for that reason she suggested I stay with her and her “inmates” as Dad calls them, at Bedford House, instead of accompanying Dad and Nanny Naughty Nurse on the Pulsating Pony Absolute Final (For real this time!) World Tour.
Diary Entry - Date and time
It has been decided. I will be allowed to stay at Bedford House for a period of 6 months. If all goes well, I will be able to continue the school year (REAL school!), but if I blow chunks and frick up the whole deal, I will be expected to return to Beverly Thrills, under the tutelage of my long-time nanny turned Stepmom, Nanny Naughty Nurse.
This, of course, is not her real name. Its appearance coincided with her shift from loving nanny and devoted overseer of my health and well-being to Stepmom extraordinaire, complete with new boobs, new lips, perky Brazilian buttocks, and a sudden devotion to three-martini lunches. Naughty nurse, indeed. It was said that nobody goes through that many tennis racket strings without ever setting foot on the court unless a little hanky-panky is involved.
Blech. The thought of her and Dad as a couple still makes my stomach want to crawl down my intestines and hide. Not that Dad’s all that normal himself. He may be a bit of a freak, but he’s my freak and my daddy to boot. Let’s just say that I love him, but I don’t always like him.
I know the writing, organization and grammar are doo-doo, this is just a brain dump. My main concern at this point is VOICE. I wrote over 1,000 words, but I couldn't bring myself to pursue or revise. I kept wondering: Is this the authentic voice of a 17 year old girl? Is her thinking too negative? Are her words too big? Is it all too heavy? How can I get the feedback I need in order to make an informed decision and grow?
I'm thinking this is one of the many uncertainties of creative writing. You can't tell, don't know, and you probably won't get the feedback you need in a timely fashion without forking out big bucks to an editor or writing mentor. And who wants to do that unless you have a pretty good idea that there's something "there"?
I was able to procure some indirect help, though. When I was scratching my bum and pondering all of this, Mary Kole wrote a post over at KidLit.com that she finished by asking if anybody had any burning writing or publishing questions. I wasn't about to let that opportunity slip! I asked her about YA voice, and she was freaking awesome enough to respond in her post "Mature Voice for the YA Market".
There is some invaluable general information there. I have read that it's best to save first-person voice for romance, mystery, etc., but I hadn't thought to expand the notion per her suggestions. Voice and action should be complementary. Makes sense. It's still hard, though, to get outside of yourself and tell if your female YA voice is actually coming across like that of a 56 year old longshoreman.
Conclusion: I picked the wrong day to stop sniffing cat food.
All brain dumps © Heather Kephart.
Ironically, I've been noticing this "voice" in a lot of YA lit lately, and I'm not sure I like it. (Makes me wonder if I dislike teens, or just the DiGrassi version of what teens are supposed to be like, or if I just loathe the adults who encourage them to be like this. ARE they like this? Do they really WANT to be?)
ReplyDeleteThanks for taking the time. Holly's Verdict: commonplace and loathsome. I don't read a lot of YA so I haven't come across anything like this. Can you give me some examples off the top of your head? Would be great for research purposes.
ReplyDeleteTo answer your question, I think lots of kids have had a hard time in their lives, and things can seem particularly bleak from 15-17, especially if you're surrounded by superficial people who don't pay you any attention. What do you mean by "encourage them to be like this"? Do you think that writing in the voice of a troubled teen encourages teens to be troubled? And are you asking if the kids are "like this", or the adults (including myself) about whom you are speculating?
No, can't really think of anything specific offhand... I was flipping through some of the current YA books, though, at the store and at the library, noticing a definite trend towards edgy, smart-a**, "hate my awful parents who act more like teenagers than my friends and I do" - I don't know, it just seems depressing. If this is what teens want to read, I'm not sure I can do it - or that I want to do it. I'm not trying to discourage you, really. It would be just as unrealistic to try to return to Andy Griffith's Mayberry. But maybe something in between?
ReplyDeleteOkay, so the voice is current and possibly sounds like an actual 17 year old. Hey, at least that's something! I loved Judy Blume and whatnot when I was very young - up until about age 11. After that I was reading adult novels - mostly horror and mysteries and Nora Roberts-type stuff. I hate to think that a 12 year old with a still-positive outlook on life would be influenced by any negativity written by me. Something to think about, for sure. I'd prefer to have kids relate and feel as though they're not alone, but a lot of 17 year olds don't read YA.
ReplyDeleteWhen I started goofing around I was going for a humorous voice. I had no idea where this other one came from. I think there is probably a market for it, but I don't think it's the kind of voice I want to adopt, unless the character changes considerably by the end of the book.
Mary Kole says this type of voice works for urban fantasy and that type of thing, but probably wouldn't be good to carry a regular novel. And MG is totally different, regardless. Much more upbeat.
I think the moral here is to listen to our own voices. Mine was obviously telling me that something wasn't right, or I would have ran with it. One thing I'm noticing about critique is that any little things that give me cause for pause are always brought up by others. Every single time. I also think it's about trust. When self-editing, we need to trust our instincts. As a learner, I don't yet trust my instincts. Hopefully that will be earned over time.
Thanks for your thoughts, Holly. I really appreciate your honesty.
You're so right about trust. See, I trust your instincts, and sometimes it's difficult for me to see why you don't. And then I think back - I don't suppose I've always trusted my own, either. And even when I do, it doesn't hurt to see if others see things in the same light. Not that I'd let that stop me if my gut said "Run with this! It's PERFECT!" but if I have doubts and others echo them without my having to say what they are, I know - something's off. Maybe it's a near miss. Maybe it's just one of those odd things that had to come out, but is better left in the trunk.
ReplyDeleteIt's the real Heather I enjoy reading. If I could offer ONE bit of advice, it's "Stop trying so hard, because when you just let loose and play, you nail it. It's your own natural voice that sings."
Thanks, Holly. That was awfully kind of you. :) That's the thing I don't get about voice - we're supposed to be writing in a character's voice instead of our own, aren't we? (Or is that just with first-person?) But I know that authors' voices carry over across characters and novels. It confuses me much, and if I could just figure out how to include my own voice while creating a character that should have a completely different voice, I might have something to work with ! lol
ReplyDeleteThanks, Holly! I already close my eyes and let things flow organically while picturing the "actors". I will work on voice, and on seeing the world through the eyes of the different characters, and letting that influence their words and actions.
ReplyDeleteMy point, Heather, is to worry LESS about "voice." Just let them act and react while you relax and take dictation. You may have to throw the challenges and obstacles at them - or hand them an "out" now and then (but don't just HAND it to them - make it available, see if they figure it out). Just let it happen.
ReplyDelete