C.S. Lakin: Your character's voice is more important than your own

During the public speaking portion of junior year English class, the teacher had one particularly useful bit of advice.

If you’re not funny, she said, don’t try to be.

In a similar vein, C.S. Lakin says authors shouldn’t ruminate on or work towards developing a “writer’s voice.”

That energy, in her experience as a book coach, tends to send the story off track.

Instead, Lakin says, your narrators should have distinctive voices.

She provides examples from a favorite author and clarifies voice versus style versus tone over at Live Write Thrive. 

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• C.S. Lakin: How to tell a story in your character's voice