"What's my voice?"

I recently heard great words of wisdom from literary agent Jill Corcoron about voice. When an author discovers where they belong, what their voice IS, it's a dreamy moment. The pieces fit. The sky opens and you're a voice fit for...YA, middle-grade, fantasy, or whatever. Now, she referred to an agent or editor point an author in a particular direction, a la Sorting Hat style as a fellow attendee said. And without a distinct, clear voice in our writing, we're all doomed.

Yeah, doomed never to be read or published. True story.

I'm not talking self-published. That's not my ultimate goal. Now, now, let's not get started on a debate about traditonal vs. self-publishing.

I'm currently writing a middle-grade fantasy novel. But it's not pulling me anymore. I don't devour middle-grade books. So I asked myself a hard question:

Why am I writing this?

Uh, well, I don't know. It might sell? I like the plot and characters?
Not good enough for me. So then I asked myself another hard questions:

What is my voice?

Oh, uh, sure...it's...I don't know. Great. I'm a voiceless writer. Que tears and immediate depression.
But no! This fight to write is not over.

I asked myself more questions, that I am now going to ask you to ask yourself. Give HONEST answers.

What books do you enjoy reading? They're your favorites. You read them over and over. They've stuck with you. List 5-10.

Why do you love them?
    Characters: elaborate. WHY?
    Plot: same
    Tone: romance, action, thrill, the world etc.
Nail it down to one or two sentences.

Which movies do you love? Why?

If you could write any book, what elements would it have?

My answer: Love, romance, fantasy, fairy tale elements, suspense, blow-your-mind twists,
         kick-ass female, unique world with great fashion and atmosphere, drama

Which writers are your inspiration? Why?

My answer: J.K Rowling, plot master!
Philip K. Dick, totally twisted sci-fi fun.
Neil Gaiman, a bit of fantasy fun with some gothic horror.
Jane Austen, oh gosh, Mr. Darcy. * swoon and sigh*

Now, I'm setting out to build a plot, characters, and a world I enjoy. I'm going for a voice that is my own feel and fits my whims. Of course, I'm going to aim for it to be publishable, meaning I'll stay away from a few of those trends or cliche no one wants these days.

What are some of your answers?
Do you know what your voice is?

Writing a book...Having a baby

Book and A Baby is my journey into motherhood and hopefully publication.
Writing a book is often compared to having a baby. I'm doing both, so let's see how it goes.
Right now, my child is growing and kicking. Strange and exciting at once.
Right now, my book is growing and kicking me in the brain.
Things you should know:

• I'm pregnant with my first child (23 weeks to be exact). Yeah, uh, a little scared.
• I'm a registered ultrasonographer in ob/gyn. So I actually did ONLY wish for a healthy baby, because I've seen the worst of the worst.
• It's a girl!
• I'm due in June
• I considered myself a writer, but only to people who won't think I'm a total weirdo who wear a beret,sips coffee, and secretly wishes I lived in New York. 'Cause berets are freakin' hideous. And New York is crowded.
• I've written five books, completed and revised, since 2009.
• These books are not good. They are pages of total crapola that should never be read.
• I've learned a lot about writing and publishing from previous blog experiences and research. I plan to share, duh.
• I love shoes.

I've blogged before, several times, but this is unique and personal. And that's why I'm sort of going to stay anonymous. I want to be honest about the process of growing a person and writing a novel.Both are often full of poop, need food, will keep me up at night, and offer the greatest reward. I'm not 100% sure what a baby is like, but this what I hear will be future.

Please join and follow! How many of you call are Writer and Mom?