Beth Anderson, Children's Writer

Voice—mysterious, essential, unique—that quality that every editor wants, the “flavor” bestowed by the author that makes a story come alive. Here Caitlin DeLems shares her struggle to find voice in her nonfiction book PITCH PERFECT AND PERSISTENT! THE MUSICAL DEBUT OF AMY CHENEY BEACH. And you’ll see that even Caitlin’s blog article has voice!

GIVEAWAY! Just leave a comment below to get in the drawing to win a copy of PITCH PERFECT AND PERSISTENT!

Discover the Victorious “V” in Voice! by Caitlin DeLems

Allegro! Vivace! Presto! Words lit across my computer screen effortlessly. Getting thoughts out of my head and onto paper seemed natural. Voice for my fiction always showed up with ease, silky smooth.

But what about nonfiction?

After many years of creating fiction, I began to explore nonfiction for children. How thrilling to write about REAL subjects in a slice-of-life telling. But nonfiction for me was as arduous as learning a musical instrument.

Alongside crafting fiction stories, I wrote articles for children’s magazines before I ventured to take the plunge and attempt a biography.

As a fiction writer at heart, this new challenge seemed foreign. For years I had participated in SCBWI workshops, annual conferences, and other writers retreats to hone my skills. Filled page after page on the “How To” of crafting story. But how quickly I ascertained composing meaningful succinct articles for children’s magazines was far different from producing a biography.

The problem was not getting words onto my screen, but how to remove myself as a fiction writer. Every time I started a sentence, I fretted. Was it absolutely true? Did I state it with clarity, heart? Is it interesting enough?

Although self-doubt visited often, the more I wrote, the more I did not want to give up. However, one obstacle stopped me cold—VOICE—or I should say, absence of voice. It’s true voice never failed me in fiction. For the first time, voice vanished in my attempts at a biography.

I continually overthought every word, every sentence that emerged on my screen. Fretted over my research. And when I did manage to succeed (I thought!), my now editor, Carolyn Yoder of Calkins Creek/Astra Books for Young Readers, would say, “This is wonderful!” Followed by, “Did this actually happen?” Alas, I had taken the liberty to embellish a sentence—or two.

I went back to the drawing board to find my voice. I had to turn the regurgitation of facts into story. To seek out the emotional connection. To dive deeper. Five hundred pages later, and grossly overwritten, I declared my manuscript finished—I thought. It wasn’t long before I cut it to three hundred fifty pages. Put it on the shelf to breathe—for a short period—only to reduce the word count again. End result, a picture book draft!

But what about voice? Although my painstakingly l-o-n-g biography never went to print, I succeeded in a breakthrough—the emergence of voice.

A few years later, I dove into a new project—a picture book biography. My editor’s wise words had never left me—thorough research is crucial. Pearls are hidden in the research.

And then she provided another gem, “Write it like you write fiction.”

“But how,” I asked.

 “You’ll figure it out,” she said.

I thoroughly researched my next subject. The further I dug, the closer the bond. Still, it was not enough. Refusing to give up, I persevered to get my hands on even more primary documents. I kept peeling back the layers until I reached the core.

Like the crashing of cymbals, voice showed up! Words flew across my screen.

No embellishments. I framed words carefully. Directed them away from hard, dry facts. Turned them into narrative with essence and emotion, and wove them into story.

Voice gained momentum. Electrifying!

After three months, I completed my research and first draft and titled my project, Pitch Perfect and Persistence! The Musical Debut of Amy Cheney Beach (later vibrantly illustrated by Alison Jay).

What shifted?

I managed to capture the “V” for victory in the voice of young Amy. In hindsight, I realize a story rich in research is rich in content—flows as smoothly as notes in a sonata.  

Amy Cheney Beach’s personal letters and interviews, in addition to her mother’s diaries, provided a wealth of primary documentation. She lived in me.

The young musical prodigy’s every emotion awakened my connection to character . . .

Her delight in music from early on.

Her passion to gain access to the piano, thwarted. Tears of frustration. Inability to convince her mother she HAD to play the piano.

And Amy’s tenacity to do it her way!

Amy Beach was steadfast in her determination to compose and perform. And later, like many nineteenth-century stalwart women, she struggled to seek a career in a male-dominated society.

I consider myself an author across genres, for as I compose nonfiction, a fiction story or two will always remain in progress. Fiction allows me to write with my eyes closed, move freely from page to page, while nonfiction now opens its door to the far less inhibited and fervid voice.

My editor’s right! Gems are in the research. Dig deep enough and you, too, will discover the voice of your character in your research. A pearl—the “Aha!” moment.

Don’t forget to leave a comment for a chance to win a copy of PITCH PERFECT AND PERSISTENT! (US addresses only, please. Winner announced 3/31/23)

You can connect with Caitlin here:

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