What are your story seeds?

[Jackarandajam]

I dont know Mr. O'Brian, so I cant comment.

But....there are a few types of voice that show up in prose. Some are better than others. I'd have a hard time defining them, but I'll take a stab.

Competent librarian voice, is like saying it plainly without a lot of flair. Uses the right words at each occasion, and at times big words to give a hint of their bigger vocabulary. Its kind of plain and drones on, but the reader is never confused as to what going on. I don't feel it is pretentious or showing off, but its also kind of unremarkable, and is not by itself adding to the experience of the prose.

There is a more pretentious voice. It puts on airs, tries to be poetic, metaphorical, and ornate. I think this is a hard one to pull off, and I think it is the one, many of those who are not well versed with writing tend to think writers use (and may use themselves till they tone it down). I think Paradise Lost is a good example of this being successful.

Epic voice, is one that is trying to immerse through the use of tone, cadence and word choice. This is a very stylized voice, it may repeat things, and look for different word choices if a better tone can be captured with it. I'd put Howard and Conan in this category.

Steam of consciousness, I don't think I see this often, but it is a story voice. I am just following along with everything that comes to mind for the MC, or the POV.

And then....a casual voice. The story is being told to me like we are just friends swapping stories with each other.


Of them all, I think Competent Librarian is the safest bed, and pretentious is the hardest to pull off. Epic Voice is probably best for niche audiences, and stream of consciousness only for the right type of story. Casual voice would probably make one wonder why you didn't try harder, but it too could have its place.

There are probably more voices out there (robot voice ), but I bet I can stuff them all into one of the broader categories. None of them are inherently good or bad, just, you know...I prefer my own

I almost wonder if a vision board would be a good idea for style inspiration.

Also, I'm not sure you aren't talking about something more akin to style.

For the last year or so ive been writing this slap-dash space fantasy in the style of a fast paced action adventure, alot of humor and explosions, bright colors and wild rides.

I'm currently digging back into my first real attempt at a book, one that I've started over and rewritten half a dozen times because I really believe in the story, I just didn't like my lack of ability to present it:
It's a completely different style. Grimdark, moonlit Tim Burton mystery epic. At least the parts I pulled off correctly.
Theyre written in two very different styles, but looking at the similarities would probably tell me something about my writers voice.
I may be straying into the esoteric with my definition, but I think voice may have something to do with how your creativity finds its way onto the page at a deeper level then the way you write your book to be taken by the reader.
Hemingway could do his best to channel Jane Austen while writing a Victorian romance, and the style would be very different then it was for The Old Man and the Sea. His voice would be why people could still tell they were both Hemingways.