Table Of ContentFinding Your Voice
how to put personality in your writing
by Les Edgerton
Blue Skies Books, 2012
Finding Your Voice: How to Put Personality in Your Writing. Copyright ®
2003 by Les Edgerton. Manufactured in the United States of America. All rights
reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any
electronic or mechanical means including information storage and retrieval
systems without permission in writing from the publisher, except by a reviewer,
who may quote brief passages in a review. Published by Writer's Digest Books,
an imprint of F +W Publications, Inc., 4700 East Galbraith Road, Cincinnati,
Ohio 45236. (800) 289-0963. First edition.
Published as an ebook by Blue Skies Books, 2012. Second edition.
Visit Les Edgerton’s blog site at http://www.lesedgertononwriting.blogspot.com/
for information on the author.
08 07 06 05 6 5 4 3
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Edgerton, Leslie.
Finding your voice: how to put personality in your writing / Les Edgerton.
p. cm.
ISBN 1-58297-174-9 (alk. paper)—ISBN 1-58297-173-0 (pbk.: alk. paper)
1. Authorship. 2. Creative writing. I. Title
PN147.E28 2003
808'.02—dc212002191020
Ebook cover design by Bo Goff.
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Dedication
This book is dedicated to all those who were in my psychic “gang” back in
public school. You know, the kids teachers called the “Under-achievers.” All us
poor souls who didn't live up to our “promise” (whatever that was) or our
“potential.” Which, translated, meant all of those poor slobs who didn't fit their
mold. The daydreamers. The ones who didn't know from kindergarten that
selling insurance or being President was their shining goal. That's the gang I was
forced into . . . and I'm glad I was.
It left my imagination in working order and I trust it did yours, too. After all,
it's our reward for being the daydreamers.
Acknowledgments
A very special note of gratitude to a hulking mouthbreather I only remember as
“Waldo” in the fourth grade in Freeport, Texas, who used to viciously bully my
skinny scared butt in front of the other kids. I began writing little humorous
vignettes about Waldo {he may not have found them humorous . . . ) and passing
them around to my schoolmates, and that had two major effects on my life.
Waldo quit bullying me because of the resultant public derision and I found out
the truly awesome power of the written word and became a writer. Wherever
Waldo is today (prison, I hope) I say, “Thanks, creep.” I think he learned that old
nursery rhyme about sticks and stones just isn't true. Words can hurt you.
They can also help.
A lot.
Just ask Waldo.
About the Author
Les Edgerton lives with his wife Mary in Fort Wayne, Indiana, where he writes
full-time and teaches creative writing online for Phoenix College and for a
private class. He co-teaches a class on Story Beginnings with author Jenny
Milchman for the New York Writer’s Workshop. He formerly taught online for
the UCLA Writer's Program. For three years, he was the Writer-in-Residence for
the University of Toledo and for one year for Trine University.
He has two daughters from a former marriage; Britney, who works in the
computer industry in Louisville, and Sienna, an artist who lives in Indianapolis
and who just gave Les his first grandson, the cute-as-all-get-out Logan. Les and
Mary’s son Mike lives in Ft. Wayne and attends college for filmmaking and is a
barrista at Starbucks and has one of those prized black aprons. Les writes short
stories, articles, essays, novels, nonfiction books, and screenplays. His fiction
has been nominated for the Pushcart Prize, O. Henry Award, Edgar Allan Poe
Award (short story category), Jesse Jones Award, PEN/Faulkner Award, and the
Violet Crown Book Award, among others. One of his screenplays was a
semifìnalist in the Academy Awards Foundation's Nicholl Fellowships and a
finalist in the Writer's Guild's “Best American Screenplays” competition as well
as the Best of Austin competition. His existential novel, THE BITCH, was
named the Best Thriller of 2011 by Preditors & Editors, and it was also a
nominee for Spinetingler Magazine’s prestitious Best Novel Award of 2012
(Legends category).
Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION
The importance of writing in your voice and why—to give ourselves a much
better chance of getting published!
CHAPTER ONE
Why Writers Lose Their Original Voices
How ”da rules” take us away from our personal voices. Who “Critic Nag Dude”
is and why he needs to be smacked up alongside his ugly head and locked out of
our writing spaces. Ways to tell which rules to follow and which to thumb our
noses at. Archaic writing—how to recognize it and those voice-crippling “so five
minutes ago” writing techniques. Why synonyms can be dangerous to your
(writing) health. The very best way to learn to write. How to begin to regain
your own wonderful voice!
CHAPTER TWO
Why Unpublished Writers Have an Inferiority Complex
What a “writer's inferiority complex” is and how it hurts you and how to get rid
of it without having to pay a shrink big bucks. What editors and readers want
from you. Writing a “poison pen” letter that will change your life forever and set
you free!
CHAPTER THREE
You Want Me to Change My Entire Writing Style?
Be not afraid, Little One. The Force is with you . . . Actually, it's within you,
right next to your spleen or gizzard, or one'a them parts. Changing your writing
style is going to be a day at the beach. You're not going to change except to go
back to being you. This is going to be fun! And profitable.
CHAPTER FOUR
It's Okay to be Yourself. I mean-It's REALLY OKAY!
Finding the “real” you and seeing what a truly wonderful and interesting person
lurks within. A writer the world eagerly awaits . . .
CHAPTER FIVE
Here's Lookin' at You, Kid ... A New and Different Way of Looking at Your
Audience
Who your audience really is and how to connect with large numbers of ‘em.
Why you may have a “superiority complex” and how to make it vanish
overnight (or quicker). The most common reason folks go unpublished and an
easy method to change that. Why you should respect the reader—leads to sales!
Solid techniques on how to remain yourself on the page and write more
memorable and different characters than you ever have. . . by stealing techinques
from actors.
CHAPTER SIX
The Elements of Personality or “Voice”
Identifying the elements that make up that thing we call “voice”— tone,
vocabulary, imagery and rhythm. Simple, practical exercises provided that will
help you see which elements you need to strengthen to get your voice on the
page very quickly.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Strategies for Getting and Keeping Your Voice on the Page
How to stay in your voice from now on and keep it from “sneaking away” ever
again. How prewriting helps get you firmly into your voice and some easy
prewriting techniques. The importance of molten, fiery, hot passion is to your
writing. Why censorship from without and within is bad for your writing. How
to select the proper form for your material. How to edit wisely in your first drafts
without interrupting your creative juices. Why being a schizophrenic is
beneficial to your writing career.
