At the end of my commenting on this month’s Are You Hooked I realized I had:
30 Not Hooked(s)
13 Hooked(s)
and 8 On The Fence(s)
so I went back through and picked out my top favorites and I realized that all of them I picked for the same reason: voice.
Top Pick
11: The Biggest Weirdo in the Whole Eighth Grade***** If I were an agent, I would snatch this one up to read.
Runner Ups (in no particular order)
37: However
36: The-Not-So-Beauty-Pageant Queen
15: Panic
25: Stop the Presses
Honorable Mentions (picked for originality, not voice)
19: Prisoners of the Throne
27: Forest for the Trees
45: Pandora
Now I’ve heard agents talking about how much voice matters to them, but I never realized until now just how much it matters to me. I should have though, because in my reading I tend toward the authors with more voice than others. It’s the reason I love Patricia Briggs’ Mercy Thompson and Scott Westerfeld’s Tally Youngblood. They have voice.
Now I want voice. In my writing that is.
Maybe it’s something I can work on more.
There is, in fact, a project that I believe could be great, but I refuse to start in earnest until I feel like I have a solid unique voice for my main character.
How’s your voice?
2 comments:
I'm with you--I think your top pick was stellar and would not be surprised it if won.
Thanks for commenting on mine! :)
I didn't participate in this contest... I simply have not had the time. I didn't enter, and I haven't had time to read through, either. I will still try to get over there, though.
My voice. Hmmm, one thing I think that is essential for voice is to write the way you think. It might sound crazy, but it sure comes out fun and original, and oftentimes hooks people right away.
Post a Comment