Writing Epiphany #2,987: Finding My Story's Voice

[S.D. Skye]

I'm stepping away from my FBI related blogs just to chat for a moment about craft. I had a major epiphany this week that not only will help me in turning a so-so book to a must read story. But it will also ease the process of writing the future books in the series. I can almost feel the stories coming now.

I've been going through quite a bit of turmoil over this story--this J.J. McCall story. And I couldn't put my finger on the cause, but something just wasn't clicking with me. I LOVE the character. I LOVE the plot. The writing was...well...decent. I mean, it wasn't bad. But if I'm honest with myself, it wasn't clicking. 

All my life people have been telling me I have great a writing "voice." I don't take any credit for it. It's truly God-given talent. And I've really relied on my instincts or this so-called natural ability to guide me through my stories. I'm a Pantser--through and through. I've always relied on my humor and sympathetic characters to pull the readers through and it's worked for me so far.

But this is a very different kind of story from my usual romantic fare. This is romantic suspense. And while I was entertained, I was not suspended. When I hit on all cylinders, sometimes it's hard for me to put my own book down. And I wrote it, so I know how it's gonna end. And my publisher snapped those books up pretty quickly.

I wasn't getting that same feeling about this story. And I think I've figured out the MAJOR problem.

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