It Sounds Nice, but There’s Nothing More to It

Stephen over at NovelDoctor.com had a recent post that made me sit up and shout “What he said!” (I think I scared the cat.)

The gist is that you can learn all the tricks of writing, polish and revise and caress and nudge and wipe each chapter down with a wet rag; but if your unique voice doesn’t shine through, what’s the point?

And I really started jumping up and down with frothy-mouthed exultation when I got to his solution:

When you finally do go back to your manuscript, forget the rules. Just (re)write as you hear the story in your head. You already know craft – that will come naturally now. This time, listen to your inner voice, follow it. Trust your instincts with word choice, pacing, rhythm, attitude. And here’s the real key: have fun.

Can I get an amen? Or at least a huzzah?

There is no writing advice out there that can compete with having a compelling voice. You’ve read all the plot/character/adverb-slash/pacing/revising/critiquing blogs and books. Time to just write.

All that other stuff is now in your palette; you can write like yourself now. Honest.