Into the Fire



When I was young, I loved Neil Young’s and Bob Dylan’s music. If we’re honest, neither one of them has a particularly great voice. Of all their extensive musical talent, their unusual voices aren’t at the top of the list. But somehow they worked for the music they played. Mixed with their imaginative, often poetic and haunting songwriting, and their abilities as musicians, their voices became a unique complement to their overall work.

As with music, so it is with writing in a kind of opposite way. The voices of writers aren’t often unusual, but sometimes their stories overcome that lack of uniqueness. Their strengths are in their storytelling rather than how they present the stories. It could also be said that sometimes the outrageously unusual voices clang out a story that lacks a certain vitality and substance no matter how imaginative or poetic the language. When we as readers find an author with both the ability to tell a great story added to his/her sterling voice, we tend to gravitate to everything they produce. 

Needless to say, the appeal is subjective. A literary expert (whatever that is) could critique both story and voice according to whatever set or era of rules they choose. Whether or not anyone agrees or disagrees with their measures or their decisions ends up rather irrelevant if the buying public decides the novel is the best thing since white bread—or perhaps nowadays it’s whole wheat bread. Trends and fashionable authors emerge out of every generation. So far, the well known classics are as diverse as the opinions of those who’ve determined the novels to be categorized as such. Let it also be said that oftentimes the judges are as fickle, persnickety, and hypocritical as they accuse the reading public of being.

Vince Flynn created his CIA/Political thrillers and gave them an incredible hero in Mitch Rapp. What Vince might lack in pure literary skills he more than makes up for in poignant storytelling skills. I don’t read a Vince Flynn novel to worship the prose, I read it because I’m going to get a dynamite, realistic, and highly researched story that’s unafraid of political incorrectness.

“Voice” is often explained—or attempted to be explained—by numerous professionals. Those uninitiated writers who need a black and white or cut and dried formula for voice miss the whole point of identifying it. When it’s not unusual, it doesn’t stand out and must be reinforced by a scintillating story. When it’s somewhat unique and recognizable, a good story should always accompany it. When it’s highly unique, once again an excellent story must complement it. Both as readers and writers we appreciate certain styles, particular voices, types of stories. What’s unusual and appealing to some of us might make others tsk, carp, and utter disapproval, but who cares? Truly there’s something to love and appreciate at every level of the writing and reading game. Or rather there’s something somewhere in the publishing industry for people to read and enjoy. It might be hard to find, but it’s probably there. And since we are the ones writing what we want to read or shelling out our dollars to read what we want, ultimately it’s our opinion that counts. Unusual or not.

Father, you are unusual. You are love. I can’t fathom you, Lord. Too big, too magnificent, too . . . beyond the usual. I love you, Lord. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.