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VOLUME 61 • NUMBER 5 • MAY 2012

THE WRITER’S VOICE

BY DORRI OLDS

WE WRITE WHAT YOU READ™ THE WRITER’S VOICE

BY DORRI OLDS

Illustration by Andy Mitchell

ou’ll hear the voices of three Shapiros in this article and first cousin is Hollywood screenplay writer Gina Wendkos, and none are related, but let’s get the nepotism out in the ASJA member Susan Shapiro is my beloved writing mentor. See Y open: I’m the daughter of ASJA Career Achievement what these and other writers say about voice—what it is and Award recipient Sally Wendkos Olds. My fiancé is Steve Geng, how much it matters in getting you published. author of Thick As Thieves, a memoir about his relationship with his sister, The New Yorker humorist Veronica Geng. My What the heck is a writer’s voice, anyway? Let’s start with what it isn’t: plot, conflict, theme, and set- Dorri Olds has written for and The Jewish Daily Forward. Her essays appear in ting. A literary voice refers to a writer’s turns of phrase and how book anthologies and she is a weekly contributor they turn, descriptions of people and places, and styles of sto- to Petside. Olds is also a web designer and social rytelling. My favorite voices include Augusten Burroughs and media consultant. continued on next page

MAY 2012 WWW.ASJA.ORG C1 continued from previous page to write about how to choose an executor for your estate—and make it funny.” Jeannette Walls. Despite my short attention span, when I crack A few years ago, in a race to replace a therapist, Shapiro their books open, I can’t stop reading. They tell a story with saw eight shrinks in eight days. natural flow and flair, and without flowery words. Augusten “Instead of speed dating,” she said, “I was ‘speed shrink- Burroughs brings a plus because he’s quirky, funny, and dark: ing.’ My agent said I was the only person in the world who would “I polish my allowance. I boil it clean… I like coin that phrase and called it ‘Shapiro-ian.’” Speed Shrinking shiny things. Sometimes I wrap aluminum foil around became the title and focus of Shapiro’s first novel and got her on Cream’s middle, around her legs and tail and then I TV ten times (rare for a first novel). She attributes that to fol- walk her through the house on a leash.” lowing her most idiosyncratic voice. Sally Olds strives for a voice that expresses her interest in —Augusten Burroughs, Running With Scissors readers and a desire to help them by sharing her research, life experience, and insights.

A writer’s voice exists like a fingerprint and it’s hard to distinguish voice from other factors, like honesty, courage, and determination.

While reading Steve Geng’s memoir, I fell in love. Geng is For Dani Shapiro, author of Devotion, Slow Motion and a charismatic storyteller with an original, accessible, ebullient five novels: “A writer’s voice exists like a fingerprint and it’s writer’s voice. He told me: “I’ve always listened to how people hard to distinguish voice from other factors, like honesty, cour- speak the same way I listen to jazz tunes. I can remember whole age, and determination.” solos by John Coltrane note for note, so remembering dialogue is easy in comparison.” He made the point that people cut each Tips, tricks, and tools other off and don’t speak in complete or grammatically correct sentences. How alike we scribes are—and how different. I’ve been a Sally Wendkos Olds said she never knew she had a voice ham since birth. Just ask Mom. Making people laugh was al- until editors said they liked it. Two writers she especially ad- ways easy, but sometimes my writing doesn’t sound like me. mires for their voices are Calvin Trillin and John McPhee, both When I record my voice and play it back, places I run amok are of whom have written for The New Yorker. easy to pinpoint. “When I read Trillin,” she says, “I feel as if a friend is talk- Many writers swear by workshops. I do because feedback ing to me and I love McPhee’s skill in explaining difficult sub- saves me from public embarrassment or annoying an editor. jects in ways that I can understand.” Sometimes while thinking I’m so funny, I read to my group and Susan Shapiro, ASJA member, writing teacher, what I thought was the best part falls on its face. and author of eight books including Five Men Who Broke My Sue Shapiro reads aloud to her weekly group. “I can tell Heart, Lighting Up, and most recently Unhooked, said the first when a funny line lands or bombs and if something I wanted to time you come up with a piece your family hates, you’ll know be poignant is boring.” you have found your voice. Most evenings, Dani Shapiro reads aloud to her writer husband. Latus agrees. “I like to read aloud,” she said, “in order to Does voice get you published? watch which of my pacings and pauses bring wry smiles, tears, Literary agent Ryan Harbage, of The Fischer-Harbage or glazed-over eyes.” She conveys voice in her writing through Agency in ’s Chelsea district, said, “If the voice punctuation, phrasing, and pacing. When she speaks, she aims isn’t there, it’s a lot to ask readers to turn the pages.” He referred to control the pauses and let things sink in. to Jackson Taylor’s The Blue Orchard, which is narrated by a fe- Not all writers like this approach. Hollywood screenwrit- male character. The narrator’s voice is convincing, despite being er Gina Wendkos (Princess Diaries, Coyote Ugly, The Perfect so different from the author’s. Man) said, “I can’t do writer’s groups. I’m too shy. Dinner par- “Jackson read the daily local newspaper for the 75-year ties are torture for me. What success I’ve had comes partly from period of his novel,” Harbage said. “He interviewed 300 peo- my voice but even more from my unhealthy desire and need to ple connected to or descended from those involved in the true be alone.” events in the book, and nailed the vernacular of the time, place, Veteran journalist Bruce Frankel, ASJA member and au- and characters.” thor of What Should I Do With the Rest of My Life?, said he hates Harbage found it rare to see that level of research in fic- the sound of his voice, so he won’t listen to a recording but often tion, but the research and voice paid off: The book is in its tenth reads aloud to someone over the phone. printing and has sold tens of thousands of copies. Geng’s editor at Henry Holt often said, “Say that in a more When I asked each writer if they owed their success to their writerly fashion.” But when Geng tried to be more writerly, he voice, I got a smorgasbord of responses. said the result was awful because he writes like he talks. ASJA member Janine Latus, author of If I Am Missing Or “I have found it helpful when others read my work aloud in Dead, said some of her consistent magazine clients told her a flat tone at a good pace,” he said. “That way I can immediately she was brought in for her voice. One told her: “We want you spot where I was being too cute or (God forbid) ‘writerly.’”

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