Writers Don’t Find Their Voice, They Build It Over Time
Writing is a skill, and like all skills, you have to build it, and dedicate time to it and the more you do it the easier it gets.
Think of writing like running a marathon.
You don’t just wake up one day and run a marathon in under 4 hours. It takes training, discipline, endurance, and doing it repeatedly.
The same things apply to writing. If you want to be a writer… WRITE.
Write short stories, and write more short stories in new genres you haven’t tried, and then double the length of your next story, and your next, and so on.
Writer’s Block:
Writer’s Block. Also known as procrastination.
It happens. It’s real.
This to me, is simple.
Procrastination comes down to either I have found the character’s voices or I haven’t.
Writing for me, works in one of two ways:
1) where there are no breaks and I’m frantically trying to keep up with the scenes and voices in my head, as they’re coming to life.
Or,
2) I’m sitting outside the character’s door, like Anna asking if Elsa wants to build a snowman. Because, they aren’t ready to expose their voices to me yet, or I haven’t found out who they are yet.
So how do I get out of this funk? I stand up and fill my water bottle, go to the bathroom, stretch my legs, or go pet the cats, or if I’m working in the office I walk by the artist’s row and see the amazing colorful work they are designing.
What I don’t do is look at my phone, read a book, turn on the TV, or get distracted by something other than my writing. I have ADD so this is very important for me not to do.
Personal Example 1:
Here’s my first comic story (Images 2–4) it is a Western short story about revenge, with art by my friend the amazing Crisu Adi.
The story has:
- Pacing✔️
- Tone✔️
- Cinematography✔️
- Story✔️
- Flow✔️
- Tension✔️
- Beginning-Middle-Ending✔️
- Sound Effect ✔️
- Character/Writer Voice ❌
Personal Example 2:
Here is my second comic book story set in feudal Japan about two Samurai facing off in a duel.
Once again the story has:
- Pacing✔️
- Tone✔️
- Cinematography✔️
- Story✔️
- Flow✔️
- Tension✔️
- Beginning-Middle-Ending✔️
- Character/Writer Voice ❌
- Sound Effects ❌
Personal Experience 3:
By the time I wrote my third comic book story; RULE NUMBER 001. with artist Aga Marlon, I not only found the character’s voice, I couldn’t get them to shut up!
The story has:
- Pacing✔️
- Tone✔️
- Cinematography✔️
- Story✔️
- Flow✔️
- Tension✔️
- Beginning-Middle-Ending✔️
- Character/Writer Voice ✔️
- Sound Effects ✔️
After this third comic book story, I wrote over 40 comic book stories in 7 years, and I had nearly fifty other stories and concepts for stories that never made it off the ground.
This is because I trained my writing skills over time, found my writing voice and now the character’s voices won’t shut up.
Summary:
The more you write the easier it becomes and the more original ideas, unique storylines, and interesting characters you will create.
So keep writing and building your voice, your experiences, and your portfolio.
More Comic Book Writing Learning:
How To Format A Comic Book Script:
https://medium.com/@KellyBender17/how-to-format-a-comic-book-script-09dd8c019e7a
Comic Book Page Process:
The Various Parts of a Comic Book:
Comic Book Story Writing Prompt:
Details Matter in Your Story:
Comic Book Pacing and Flow:
https://medium.com/@KellyBender17/comic-book-pacing-and-flow-c98f70e6007d
