Voice challenge

It may look as if we've been on hiatus lately. We haven't. Not really. Well, maybe a bit on the blogging end of things. However, on the writing front, we've been moving along.

Between the voice class that 5 of the 6 of us are in, the famous author mentor one of us has, the kids 4 of us have, the bill-paying jobs 4 of us have, the home-schooling one of us does, the research work one of us does, the MIPs we're all working on, and one Oregon trail trip, we've been a tad bit busy.

Of everything listed, I think voice -- learning about it, discovering it, developing it, claiming it, accepting it -- is what's demanding our time now. Voice is a hard-to-define quality that is crucial to be a successful novelist. We're in week 2 of a 6 week exploration.

The article Voyage to Voice contains some tips for finding your voice. One that validated the exercises in which we are currently engaged said that "stream-of-consciousness writing is a necessary exercise for any author who wishes to fully comprehend their voice. When we write without concern for the mechanics, we free the voice locked within us. As with a toddler, these first steps will be awkward, shaky, and we may land on our derrieres, but as with a child, the more often we use those muscles, the stronger we become."

Writing with the internal editor turned off, pen to paper, is what we are doing now. As a matter of fact, one of the exercises for this week is to list 25 things we love -- to really describe them.

But sometimes we sensor ourselves. What if everyone thinks I'm a freak because of something I love? And that, of course, is the other big area to overcome -- fear.

So, here's what I propose, over the next week I'm challenging the authors of this blog to post a blog. Make it your list of 25 things you love. Put it out there and don't be afraid.

If you're a reader of this blog, post your 25 things in a comment.

Do it.

I'll post mine as soon as I'm done. I know Alyson is done already. Maybe she'll go first.

Be brave. Find your cadence. Embrace your destiny. Own your voice.

Macy