An authentic voice
On developing a natural cadence in writing
A big part of the beauty of human-generated writing is the naturalness of the flowing, rhythmic cadence of language. An author’s voice is the signature of personal authenticity and it will emerge through writing that doesn’t lose touch with the spirit of the author. Even through the dense filtering work of revising multiple drafts. To ensure that true voice emerges demands a certain quality of lightness.
This is the essence of the writing craft: maintaining a connection with the reader through voice – that of one human speaking to another. With the new generative tools now available, the effort taken to develop one’s writing skills may seem moot, but the fact is that automation and tech advances don't replace craft, though they might change how writing functions within the realm of ideas. Voice and cadence can be replicated and made consistent, but at the loss of the enriching process found in the creative act of writing.
In her 2004 book The Wave in the Mind, author Ursula K. Le Guin mapped out the cadences in the writing of well-known authors to illustrate the intricacies of voice and how that personal stamp matters in the transmission of ideas and images in the mind. As another set of eyes and a real-life proxy for the reader, a perceptive book coach can read these subtle and nuanced changes of voice to bring an author’s attention to any lapses in cadence (and tone). What have you noticed in your writing? Do you struggle with voice?
What writing will you generate?
(IMAGE: “Buttersmog”, paper collage by Melanie Hopkins)