Katy Lee’s at EPICon 2013 finding Her Voice

Hello all, I am writing this from my hotel desk in Washington State where I am trailblazing the wild world of e-publishing with professionals from all facets of the electronic publishing industry. I’m also up for an award for my first novel, Real Virtue, so that doesn’t hurt! We’ll find out the winners tonight at the awards ceremony, but of course, I’m just tickled to be nominated.

 
There have been hoards of info thrown at me in the workshops this week, from marketing specialist, Jennifer Fusco of Market or Die Author Services to doing a writer’s taxes…UGH! I could try to throw it all on you, but I won’t do that. Instead, I want to share one thing that really gave me a little peace in my heart about my writing.

 
I’m sure I’m not the only writer out there who looks at their favorite authors and wonders why I can’t write like them … right? I’m not, right? Please tell me I’m not.

 
Either way, I heard Editor Debra Dixon of Belle Bridge Books speak at the luncheon yesterday about understanding your voice, and I know I will never do her speech justice, but her words finally helped me understand why I will never write like my favorite authors.

 
Now I know it’s not anything I haven’t told myself, but the fact is I can’t write like them because I write like Katy Lee. She said our best writing comes from writing what we know, but not knowledge like many people think. She said the things we know are the experiences we have lived through and come out of. Each writer will be very different from another.

 
Now if we don’t know what those things are, just look at all your writing. What is the recurring theme or conflict that comes up in your writing? Do your stories always have some type of redemption premise in them? Or a character finding their place in the world? Or someone out to prove something about themselves?

 
That may very well be your voice. That thing that readers come to know you by.

 
Now I shouldn’t be so surprised. I recently spoke at a church where I shared how writing for me used to be more than escape. It was a way for me to be in control. I could create a character, give her the same conflicts I struggled with, and try to make her victorious. I say try because most times I couldn’t finish the work.

 
And why couldn’t I finish? Because as Debra Dixon pointed out, I didn’t have the experience to write what I know.

 
The Unlocked Secret: After today’s luncheon, I think I have found my writer’s voice. My inspirational stories follow the same patterns of victory. No matter how drastically different the story lines are, I can see the theme flowing through the work. But what gave me the peace in my heart had nothing to do with finding my writer’s voice, but everything to do with knowing if I could write about victory, then I must finally “know” victory. I can finally write what I know.

And even if I don’t win the EPIC award tonight, I did win the tiara at the luncheon yesterday! Yay! I’m all set to reign in victory!

 
Question: What do you “know” about in your writing? Compile all your work and start digging. You just might find your voice, too. And wouldn’t that be a huge victory!

And as always, Thank you for your Tweets and Shares!

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