Too. Much. Voice.

I’ve been reading a book that I don’t like. At this point in my life, being very aware that time is limited, I would normally walk away from a book such as this. But, I’m curious about how the author crafted the theme. She’s done a really good job with an unusual topic and I know I can learn something from her work.

But the writing? Is. Driving. Me. Crazy. It’s so overly stylistic and clever that my brain hurts after reading it. Too. Many. Periods. Though the book is quite long, it reminds me of a bunch of Twitter posts. Every character talks like a Gilmore Girl, somewhat sarcastic, and never boring. I’m begging for a plain sentence to give my mind a place to rest.

On one hand, I’m impressed that this author can think of so many clever ways to say something and I wish my writing could be so trendy and cool. On the other hand, I’m drowning in voice and not connecting with the characters.

When I’m reading a book like this, I play the Agent Game. I pretend I’m an agent and I ask myself: “Would I have signed on for this book?” When the answer is “no” I get encouraged. Why? Because books are so subjective. Agents say it all the time: “It’s not for me, but another agent might feel differently.” Yes, these agents are just being polite, but they are also speaking truth and we should believe them.

When you are trying to get published, a lot of the game is trying to find the person who likes your work. So, for me, I’m happy to see books published that I don’t necessarily enjoy. This tells me that my manuscript which may get rejected by Editor A can still be picked up by Editor D and go on to get published. To. Great. Acclaim.