X-ray Vision
Superman had it. It made him unique. Wait, let’s
look at that statement again. Superman was not the only hero with that ability.
Olga Mesmer had x-ray vision. Who’s that you ask? Olga Mesmer was a
superpowered, fictional character in Spicy
Mysteries—a 1937’s pulp magazine’s comic book, while Superman premiered in Action Comics #1, published in April
1938. So, yes, Olga predated Superman.
As they say, there’s nothing new under the sun. If
you’ve read a fair amount of mysteries, you probably realize that every
concept, every plot, every setting has most likely been used before. If you’re
a writer, you realize how hard it is to create something new and unique.
Probably not gonna happen.
So what’s a writer to do? First off—start with a
good plot. Next, create a strong protagonist. Now add an interesting setting. Don’t
forget to throw in a sidekick or two. And of course, you need a bad guy. So far,
so good. But how do I make my story different?
The uniqueness factor comes from the voice of the
story. Nobody can write like you do. Voice is the author’s style; the quality
that makes your writing unique. It needs to convey your attitude…your personality…your
character. The voice is the format through which the narrator tells their
story; it’s an author’s individual writing style or point of view. Nobody can
truly duplicate it. Voice will make the characters, setting, and plot come
alive for your reader.
Don’t confuse the narrator’s voice with the
character’s voice. The character’s voice is how the novel’s character tells
their view of the story. The author’s voice is the writing style as a whole.
So writers—have fun with your books and create a distinctive
style for your story that readers will recognize and covet. Your voice is your superpower!
No comments:
Post a Comment