Donald Maass wrote, "By voice, I think they mean not only a unique way of putting words together, but a unique sensibility, a distinctive way of looking at the world, an outlook that enriches an author's oeuvre" (WRITING THE BREAKOUT NOVEL, p.193).
An author's WHAT?
Oeuvre: "a substantial body of work constituting the lifework of a writer, an artist, or a composer" (from merriam-webster.com)
For example:
Calvin & Hobbes
Hobbes says "I notice your oeuvre is monochromatic," in comment to Calvin's snowman.
Click here to see some awesome Calvin & Hobbes cartoons.
Again, Maass wrote, "Voice is a natural attribute. You no more control it than you can control the color of your eyes--nor would you want to. ... To set your voice free, set your words free. Set your characters free. Most important, set your heart free. It is from the unknowable shadows of your subconscious that your stories will find their drive and from which they will draw their meaning. No one can loan you that or teach you that. Your voice is your self in the story" (WRITING THE BREAKOUT NOVEL, p.195).
So ... what do you think?
Is your oeuvre monochromatic? Is your voice distinctive?
