Ah, voice! (also, randomly, my 100th post!)

Voice... I suppose it always has been, and always is, and forever will be the one element of great writing that is most desired as well as most appreciated. It's a little like Aunt Jamesina (or at any rate, L. M. Montgomery through her) says of gumption in Anne of the Island: “Anyone who has gumption knows what it is, and anyone who hasn't can never know what it is. So there is no need of defining it.”

But as hard as it is to define, I believe it is something that can be learned...we weren't born knowing how to write, and even though it came “naturally” to some of us, I think in this case we give our genes a little too much credit. How many writers with natural voice didn't read hundreds, if not thousands of books as a kid? Or—and I think this may be even more important—how many weren't read to, often? In my experience, it's a rare few.

But even if voice is a struggle for you, it's not too late to develop the ear you need for it. I think the best way to do this is to read aloud and to hear stories read aloud well. It's nice and easy for those of us with children—I've been enchanted by Laura Ingalls Wilder's unforgettable voice for the past couple months as I've read Little House in the Big Woods and Little House on the Prairie to my daughter—but even for those of you without such willing victims, it's worth putting the time and effort into. Volunteer at your library and read to your neighbors; read to your boyfriend/girlfriend, husband or wife; just read aloud to yourself if you have to, and stare blankly at your apartment/dorm neighbors when they ask you who you were talking to. ;)

Here, in no particular order, are some books that you'll be grateful for having experienced with your ears as well as with your eyes:

Little House in the Big Woods, by Laura Ingalls Wilder

Peter Pan, by J. M. Barrie

Christina Katerina and the Box, by Patricia Lee Gauch

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, by J. K. Rowling (well, the whole series, but especially the first)

The Jungle Book, by Rudyard Kipling


The Graveyard Book, by Neil Gaiman


The Betsy-Tacy series, by Maud Hart Lovelace

Millions, by Frank Cottrell Boyce

Grimms' Fairy Tales (“Sleeping Beauty” is one of my particular favorites, writing-wise)

Drum City, by Thea Guidone


A Year Down Yonder, by Richard Peck (actually, his short sentences make him rather difficult to read aloud, but the voice is so crystal clear and unique that it's worth it)

Because of Winn-Dixie, by Kate DiCamillo

I Capture the Castle, by Dodie Smith (This is an adult book, but appropriate for teens. Or make your husband sit through it. ;)

The Secret Garden, by Frances Hodgson Burnett

Where the Mountain Meets the Moon, by Grace Lin

The Night Fairy, by Laura Amy Schlitz

I hope you find something here to inspire you on your quest for priceless voice! :) Good luck, and happy reading, writing, and listening!

(Note: Many of the above titles are available as audiobooks, which is a great way to experience stories, when done well. I particularly recommend Peter Pan and Harry Potter, read by Jim Dale, and The Graveyard Book, read by the author.)