How to know your own voice

by | Mar 19, 2013 | creativity, writing

A lot of space is given to discussions of voice whenever writers gather.

We talk about how to find our authentic voice, how each of us has a unique voice, and how our voice is important – a reflection of our gift to our readers. Our voice as our expression in the world.

This is great!

Voice is what will turn your people on, or turn them away. Our interest hinges on how your voice sits with us. We stay and read if we identify with you, and if your voice doesn’t intrude on our connection with your ideas.

But.

One thing I totally disagree with the status quo on is this: most advice on voice runs along the lines of, ‘listen to yourself, your heart, your inner YOU, and write from there.’

Do I believe this is IT when it comes to voice?

Nup.

No way.

I believe several things when it comes to voice, and these things need doing either before you listen deep inside yourself for your own unique expression, or need doing simultaneously with the intuitive side of things:

Voice comes from a wide knowledge, wide reading. You need to know what you like and what you don’t like when it comes to words on the page. You need to have read a lot, to back up your intuitive voice direction. One way to become a good writer is to become a good reader. Actively pay attention when you read an author whose style you like. What do they do? How do they do it? How does it make you feel?

Try copying your favourite writers to ‘get’ their voice and how it works in order to fully find your own. (Have you ever read great scads of a particular author and then been unable to help writing like them? That’s what I mean.) This isn’t ‘copying’ or somehow cheating. Humans learn by imitation, and this applies to writing too.   Practice can take two forms.  Either literally copying out paragraphs or sections of your favourite author’s writings, which will give you direct sensory information on their rhythm and flow, or writing your own ideas as much like your chosen author as possible.

And you need to play. Write the same thing several different ways. Write like your favourite childhood author. Write like your least favourite author. Write the way your mother speaks. Basically, play around with how you express yourself and the way you put words on the page. See how many different ways you can say the one thing. (finding your voice takes time) Notice which feels most authentic to you.

In the reading and the writing and the playing, you’ll find a way to express yourself that feels natural and that sounds like your best self. That’s your voice. Once you’ve practiced enough, you’ll know when you’re ‘off,’ and when you’ve nailed it, and you will also be able to access your voice by listening closely to yourself, inside.

Just to recap, the 3 steps to knowing your voice:

  1. Read. Lots and widely. Take note of what/who you like and don’t like.
  2. Copy out sections of your favourite writers. Get the feel of their rhythm and flow, and
  3. Play and practice. Try out different voices intentionally. See what feels good.

I’ve written this post as part of a group writing project over on Problogger.net. Head on over if you’d like to check out the eclectic bunch of How-to posts…

And I’d like to know: Have you found your voice? Was it easy, difficult, totally ordinary? Join in in the comments!

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