New from Sibyl Writing Craft!

The Sound of Story: Developing Voice and Tone in Writing by Jordan Rosenfeld 408 pages Publishing: January 27, 2026 Paper ISBN: 9798897400041 |$22 Ebook ISBN: 9798897400058 | $9.99 Read an excerpt

Voice in writing can seem elusive and hard to define. It’s more than just style—it’s rhythm, energy, attitude, and the unique fingerprint of a narrator or character. Voice is shaped by culture and history as much as the mechanics of language.

In The Sound of Story, author and writing teacher Jordan Rosenfeld demystifies voice and its close companion, tone, offering writers the tools to develop and refine their own. Through contemporary examples, this book explores how syntax, point of view, emotion and more shape voice on the page.

Whether you’re crafting fiction or nonfiction, this book will help you shape and refine voice to create compelling, authentic narratives. The Sound of Story empowers writers to wield voice and tone with purpose, increasing their chances of publication, and delivering a compelling story that leaps off every page.

“Warning: The Sound of Story by Jordan Rosenfeld is the only book on writing an authentic story you will ever need.”

—Linda Joy Myers founder National Association of Memoir Writers,
author of Don’t Call Me Mother


Available in bookstores, online retailers, and at shop.sibyllinepress.com​

About the author

Jordan Rosenfeld is author of seven books on the craft of writing including How to Write a Page-Turner, the bestselling Make a Scene, Writing the Intimate Character, A Writer’s Guide to Persistence, Writing Deep Scenes and Write Free. She is also the author of three novels. Jordan’s articles and essays have been widely published. She teaches online writing classes and at numerous writing conferences, including at Sibyl Writing Craft. Jordan is also the author of the popular Substack, Writing in the Pause.

“Rosenfeld offers a fresh and accessible look at voice in the writing of fiction, clarifying key terms and most importantly providing writers with examples, prompts, and practical suggestions for deepening characterization in the service of complex and multi-layered storytelling."

—Sonya Huber, Voice First: A Writer's Manifesto

Want to work with Jordan?

You can at Sibyl Writing Craft. She is teaching both webinars and workshops this spring on the various aspects of voice and tone. Learn about her next workshop below!

WEBINAR • Saturday, February 21, 2026 11am-12:15pm PST 'Tude and Tone: How Attitude and Opinion Shape Page Turning Characters with Jordan Rosenfeld Join this revered teacher of writing and change how you create your characters through voice and tone. This webinar helps writers plumb the depths of their characters' experiences, from childhood challenges to personal values to shape unique and page turning characters who resonate off every page, and will focus on key elements of language, from imagery to syntax. Learn more