Saturday, April 11, 2015

The Whispers in Our Writing

by Beth Vogt @BethVogt

What I like in a good author is not what he says, but what he whispers. - Logan Pearsall Smith
Writers try to get so many things right.

We try to figure out when to follow the rules — and when to ignore ‘em.

We try to make our fictional characters true to life so that readers talk out loud to them as they turn the pages of our novels. (Come on, admit it! You’ve done it too!)

We try to write stories that keep people up at night. After all, we’ve lost a few nights sleep over these same stories in the hopes that our readers can’t put our books down.

So much effort goes into the writing of a book … and yet, sometimes the most powerful moments are those unexpected moments of truth. The phrases almost left out. The sentences that slip into the story because they are the can’t-be-hidden beat of an author’s heart.

In Your Words: Writers — What are you trying to say when you write — and what have you whispered to your readers? Readers — What was the last whisper that escaped from the pages of a book, causing you to stop and think more deeply about life?

TWEETABLES
Have you considered the power behind the whispers in your #writing - via @BethVogt on @EdieMelson (Click to Tweet)

The whispers in our #writing - a powerful way to connect with others. Via @BethVogt on @EdieMelson (Click to Tweet)

Beth K. Vogt believes God’s best often waits behind the doors marked “Never.” A nonfiction writer and editor who said she’d never write fiction, Beth is now a novelist with Howard Books. She enjoys writing inspirational contemporary romance because she believes there’s more to happily-ever-after than the fairy tales tell us. Connect with Beth on her website, Twitter, Facebook, or check out her blog on quotes, In Others’Words.

11 comments:

  1. I love that, too. I was so blessed to have a couple of critique partners who drilled into me these two things: Goes without saying, and Resist the urge to explain. That allows whispers. :)

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    1. Ane: The insights of others can help those whispers be hears -- yes, indeed.

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  2. Love this. Beth, I thought that I would never write fiction either. I am actively involved in a Weekly Flash Fiction Group. I love it. It keeps my imagination going. Whispering is a great way to capture the readers attention. I love leaving readers with something to ponder. Especially spiritual truths. With whispers one must lean in and pay close attention.

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    1. Love the visual of readers leaning in and paying close attention, Cherrilyn!

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  3. Great post! I like to think of those whispers in writing as "The Art of Inference."

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  4. Those whispers are usually the most spiritually insightful statements. They definitely are inspired! Thanks for sharing!

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    1. Yes, Norma ... sometimes the "whispers" God-guided -- absolutely.

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