Finding Your Voice as a Writer

posted by Sophie @ 4:23 PM

Duncan Thornton, presenter.

Summary: Of course, young (beginning) writers want to develop their skills, get published, become rich and famous, etc. But their most fundamental need is really to discover, in Susan Cooper's words, "the limited range of ideas their imagination will offer unbidden." For me, along with most other writers, the development of the craft has largely been the story of that discovery - including false starts, wrong turns, locked cabinets, and unsuspected keys. Obviously, libraries can be a good place to start...Join Duncan Thornton, author of Kalifax , Captain Jenny and the Sea of Wonders , and Star-Glass , for a discussion about the craft of writing.

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In the room, about half the those congregated would admit to being, or wanting to be, writers.

Duncan Thornton, now a published author, has wanted to be a writer since he was about three or four. Of course he couldn't write yet, but it's the thought that counts.

Or is it? Anyone can want to be a writer, or think they can be one, but getting there is a whole different story.

Thornton recalls the visits to his class made by W.O. Mitchell, who albeit badly dressed and probably drunk, showed him that writers could be human, could be real and approachable.

Kids say they want to be writers to make money, and to have people enjoy their writing. Yeah, right. It's about the money, and what they think they can make quickly by cheap imitation of that which is out there--Harlequin romances, the next Tom Clancy, etc. But writing for the money never works. Most attempts never make it past the first few pages. Why?


Duncan Thornton discusses finding a writing voice

Thornton knew he wanted to be a writer, but didn't know what he wanted to write, or how. He thought at various times that he should write what he knows--young, bookish men in college, or cheap sword and sorcery tales, etc.
Working on his masters, he studied Canadian Narnia-style children's literature, which at the time was all terrible. Again, why?

Thornton described the problem with fantasy writing in Canada, as he sees it: involving white protagonists of european descent in the mythology and landscape Canada is always problematic, as the stories tend to co-opt the myths and legends of the native people, to the detriment of the native peoples. The classic fantasies--Narnia, Tolkien, and the newer generation, Cooper and Garner--made excellent use of their landscape and legends in the telling of the tales, but those places were always european places. It seemed to Thornton that the only way North American fantasies worked was to send the characters to Europe, magically or otherwise. He describes the Wizard of Oz as one of the only true North American fantasies, because it is of its own place.

Writing Kalifax, Thornton wrote something that solved the problem (at least for himself) of how to bring fantasy to Canada. He used a Canadian story--the search for the Northwest passage--and made it a fantasy. He thought it was going to be a 32 page picture book at first, but soon found out differently (nine years later!).

His message: you can only write and find your voice if you truly love and are invested in the thing you are writing about. Anyone can imagine themselves as a writer, but actually writing full time takes serious investment (time, financial sacrifice). And don't forget to carry a notebook!

A great end to a busy day.