I’m so far thrilled that reviewers find this theme relatable.  All of us have a choice of whether to show our true face – or not. And I think this also applies to authors and their craft. It is a journey of self-awareness and courage to find your true writing voice or style, and be brave enough to release it to the world at large.

I’m no expert but here are my tips for finding that voice or style, based on my experiences. It took me a while!

NB:  for me (others may disagree), voice and style are very closely linked and I’ll use the words interchangeably here. I think voice is more an author’s tone. Style is more the nuts and bolts of how they write, such as short or long sentences, flowery language or not – but both are unique to the author).

Firstly… break the so-called “rules” if your heart tells you to. I recall messaging an established author once, when I first started out, asking them about grammar points and why they used a particular one in a certain way. They must have been baffled and just replied that they never thought about it – that was just the way they wrote. I was still at the stage of thinking I had to follow all the rules about writing I had learnt – point of view, show not tell etc. I eventually realised that it was fine to break them, from a position of knowledge. I blogged about that here.

I once received a review saying my grammar was bad because I had written the equivalent of “The kids and me went out,” instead of the grammatically correct “The kids and I went out.” Thing is, my voice, my style, is to write as I speak. I knew it was ungrammatical but it fitted the character. Reviewers can think that authors and their editors have missed all these so-called “mistakes” but more often than not – unless the reader has received a less refined early proof copy – this is not the case. The lack of grammar is probably due to the author creating a life-like, flawed character and by following their writing heart when putting pen to paper.

You need the courage to look people in the eye and stick to the values of your own writerly self, despite the criticism you may receive.

Secondly… don’t be afraid of not following the norm. One reader criticised me for speaking to the reader, within my prose, like in this extract from my 2013 bestseller,  Doubting Abbey (the words in bold).

“Within minutes of this announcement I had one of my funny turns. Unsteadily, I wavered from side to side, before my body went into spasm. There was no need to call the doctor. I’d suffered this before. The remedy was an afternoon in bed. Otherwise, I might have had to pull out of the show…

Sounded believable, didn’t it? And, sure enough, everyone in the orchard fell for my act, which was the only way I could cope with Edward’s terrifying announcement about me being some cookery teacher.”

The reader said that they’d been taught, in writing classes, that this was wrong. No, no, no! There are NO such boundaries. Okay, it’s a little unusual, but if your character wants to speak to the reader, why not? In my opinion it involves them. Makes them feel closer to the protagonist and story. It comes naturally to me to write like this now, I can’t fight it, it’s me being true to myself. It took a few years before getting published, but eventually I became confident enough to follow my instincts.

Thirdly... having said all that, there is one critic to listen to – your editor. Remember, a writer can never stop learning and should never become complacent. If your editor questions something about the way you write, consider carefully what they say. Perhaps your uniqueness does, at times, pull the reader out of the story. And also, if many reviewers make the same critical point, then take note. Remember, constructive criticism is an author’s best friend and I always appreciate the thought and time people put into commenting about my work.

Yes, we must follow our hearts but like in life, sometimes a little  moderation from our heads is necessary. We may have the biggest crush on Chris Hemsworth, (ahem, speaking purely hypothetically here ) but that doesn’t mean we should jack in our lives and marriages and head over the Atlantic to track him down! It’s the same with your writing heart – if it suddenly suggests, for example,  to include, ooh, say a pet stick insect’s point of view into your romantic novel, consider whether that will that pull your reader’s attention away from the main plot (and possibly send their finger straight to the delete button on their ereader!)

Finally... the extract below is from the acknowledgements in my #coffeeclub book. Don’t try to imitate anyone else with your writing – or in life. Often aspiring authors start off by trying to write like their favourite author, and that is fine whilst they are learning. But eventually, in time, as they grow in confidence and gain knowledge, they will reach a very exciting moment when their own style evolves. At this crucial point they must be brave enough to go with it.

Fantasy lover – real or fictional? Chris Hemsworth

Favourite cocktail? Ooh something with strawberries and champagne

Famous person who inspires you? Jessica Ennis, to be a Heptathlon athlete is just amazing

Favourite book heroine? Bridget Jones

Author you most respect? I love Sarah Morgan, her books tick every box for me

Jane Austen, Stephanie Meyer, John Green, E.L. James and J.K Rowling are all in a hot air balloon – one  must go overboard to save the others. Who would you throw over? Oh wow, what a question, i think I would jump over myself as these writers are all very talented in their own right.

Cheese or chocolate? Chocolate every time

Sparkly party outfit or understated elegance? Sparkles!!!!!!

What would a book about your life be called? Round Peg, Square Hole

Thanks Holly! I wonder if you will write that book one day! And wishing you every success with The Revenge.
Here is the blurb:

He was created to be her back up and now he’s out to take her place
After the Oraculum orders Eve’s execution, she has to flee her home in the fort as those that have been guarding over her are forced to turn against her. Amongst the chaos, a new Sentinel is named. Adam, Eve’s half-brother.

Adam has spent his life incarcerated by the Oraculum while Eve was allowed to grow up with a family and friends. Now he is hell bent on revenge. He rules over his Guardians and his new kingdom with arrogance and a cold heart, but his one ambition is to make Eve’s life a living hell. Nowhere is safe from him, not even her dreams.

With the threat from the Putarians moving closer, her own Guardians betraying her, the survival of the world hinges in the balance.

Above all else, Adam must be stopped. But when Eve has a prophecy of her and Adam saving the world together, she quickly realizes she needs to work with him not against him.

But can Eve get through to Adam before it’s too late? Or will Adam’s evil heart result in the destruction of all?

Praise for The Sentinel (Book 1 in The Sentinel Series)

It’s a book you HAVE to read, because it’s incredible. An outstanding book that has left me bereft its finished. I wished I’d savoured it for longer. This book was one of those that once you started it was impossible to come away from. It was fast paced, exciting, full of suspense and action that had me gasping in shock at twists I never imagined could happen. It’s a story of courage and adventure. And no matter how dark it gets, there’s always love and hope. – Victoria Loves Books Blog

It’s really hard to find the words to describe how amazing this book is.
This is definitely the best debut I’ve read this year! I just love this book, I want you all to read this book, in fact you all need to read this book! – Love of a Good Book Blog

If you want to pre-order this book so it pops straight onto your kindle on December 1^st then pop over here. Its only 99p/99c

UK http://amzn.to/1GQcNOt

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And if you haven’t read the first two books in the series yet, then pop over here and get your copy, all three books are 99p/99c at the moment

The Sentinel

UK http://amzn.to/1giKNVp

US http://amzn.to/IKSOUk

The Prophecies

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US http://amzn.to/1khpDuY