Writing Excuses

19.11: A Close Reading on Voice- An Overview, and Why Time War

Mar 17, 2024

Discover the power of voice in writing through a close reading of 'This is How You Lose the Time War'. Explore the unique voices of characters, the impact of diverse voices on narrative depth, and crafting character voices in audiobook narration. Get inspired to emulate strong voices in your own writing and join the Patreon community for ad-free content.

24:03

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Quick takeaways

'This Is How You Lose The Time War' showcases the power of voice through alternating POVs in a series of letters.

The podcast highlights the importance of defining and utilizing voice effectively in storytelling, focusing on mechanical and aesthetic components.

Deep dives

Exploring Voice Through a Popular Novella

A novella from 2015, 'This is How You Lose the Time War' by Max Gladstone and Amal El-Moktar, delves into the power of voice in fiction. The book showcases two distinct voices through alternating POVs in a series of letters, garnering awards and commendation for its unique and compelling narrative. The poetic denseness of the language adds depth, engaging readers and intertwining voice with plot intricacies.

Introduction

2min

Exploring the Multifaceted 'Voice' in Literature

8min

Exploring Diverse Voices in Multiple POV Books

2min

Exploring 'Scavengers Rain' and Novel Voices

2min

Crafting Character Voices in Audiobook Narration

11min

Exploring Voice in Writing and Supporting Publications

4min

The book that became a New York Times Bestseller because of a tweet. Well, it won LOTS of awards when it came out, but it was rediscovered by a Twitter account with a large following. So-- let's get into it!

On our first episode diving into Voice using the short novel "This Is How You Lose The Time War", we talk about why Voice is essential and some working definitions of how we want to talk about it. We also explain why we chose this book and highlight some of the things it's done well, and what you can learn from it!

Thing of the Week: Scavengers Reign

Homework: Take a sentence from a work you love that has a strong and clear voice. Write a scene based on that as a prompt, in the same tone and voice as the original.

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Credits: Your hosts for this episode were Mary Robinette Kowal, DongWon Song, Erin Roberts, Dan Wells, and Howard Tayler. It was produced by Emma Reynolds, recorded by Marshall Carr, Jr., and mastered by Alex Jackson.

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