So how does that translate into becoming a successful novelist or short story writer? Well, one way is by the way our beliefs about our writing and our world show in our voice. All agents and editors say they're looking for a distinctive voice in every submission they read. But what exactly do they mean by that?
Voice is a collection of many things; our writing style, whether our way of telling a story is straightforward with short, functional, sentences, or told in longer, lyrical sentences in a more "literary" way. It's our choice of words, and our choice of angle on the story. The way we tell that story, what we focus on, is part of our voice too.
I usually write about 'strong female heroines'. What a cliche that phrase is. So how do my 'strong' women become individuals? By what they choose to focus on, and by what they do about the events in their lives.
My characters' voices are quiet and firm, like that of lyrr musher Anyu. She resists the harassment of the alien Itea stoically, and when the time comes to get her revenge on them for the lyrr they killed, her part is to quietly transport a hit team through a blizzard.
My quiet characters explore my concerns. They seek justice for the slain creatures of the natural world. They seek to free women from sexual and reproductive slavery. And they usually do so quietly.
These are the stories that feed my soul, that say things that I need to say. They're not cashing in on some current craze. Many a time I will ignore human affairs in my stories. They're just too petty for me. My focus is on the wider universe. Only time will tell whether this feeding of my soul will resonate with others and feed my bank balance as well.
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