6 Techniques To Help You Find Your Writer’s Voice

To find your writer’s voice, it is important to understand what it is. Voice is an author’s style of writing, which includes choice of words, sentence structure, and tone. Voice is what makes an author’s work distinctive, and every writer has a different one, which is why it is important to find yours.

There are lots of different ways to find your writer’s voice, but here are six techniques that may help you:

Read a lot

The more you read, the more you will be exposed to different styles of writing, which will help you develop your own.

Try to read outside your genre too. Read widely and read diversely. The more you read, the more you’ll discover which styles speak to you and which don’t. Variety is the key.

As you read, take note of the different ways that authors use language, sentence structure, and tone. What do you like and dislike? What sounds natural to you, and what sounds forced?

By understanding the various ways that other authors use language, you can start to develop your own style.

Write a lot

The more you write, the more your own style will begin to emerge.

As you write, you’ll find that certain words, phrases, and sentence structures come more easily to you than others. These are the elements that make up your writer’s voice. When you read back over your work, pay attention to your word choice. Look at it critically and ask yourself if it feels like you.

Don’t force yourself to use language that doesn’t come naturally to you. You can try out different styles and emulate authors you admire, but ultimately it has to feel natural. Like any skill, the more you write, the more comfortable you’ll become with your own style, and the easier it will be to find your voice.

Pay attention to the things that make you unique

What are the writing quirks that set you apart from other writers?

I’ve discovered that my natural style is quite old-fashioned. As a consequence, a lot of my work ends up quite dark and gothic. The key is to find that style that is uniquely yours and lean into it.

Participating in writing challenges is a great way to find out what makes your writing unique. Get together with other writers, and write a set number of words based on a single prompt. Seeing the different ways each writer interprets prompts can be a great way to find your unique style and voice.

Don’t be afraid to experiment

Trying different things is the best way to find out what works for you. Through experimentation, you’ll be able to pinpoint what feels natural and what doesn’t.

It’s also important to remember that your voice can change over time. As you grow as a writer, your style will evolve, and it’s okay to experiment and change things up. Try out different tones and genre styles to see what fits. Keep what works for you, and discard what doesn’t.

Get feedback from others

While finding your writer’s voice can feel deeply personal, there is some benefit to getting feedback from others.

Get feedback from trusted sources, such as friends, family, or beta readers. Ask them what they think of your work, specifically your use of language, sentence structure, and tone. You want your voice to reach readers, so taking constructive feedback on board can be helpful.

But at the end of the day, you must write in a way that feels true to you. So, if you get feedback that doesn’t feel right, don’t be afraid to ignore it or adapt it in a way that works better for you.

Keep a journal

One final technique that can help you find your voice is to keep a journal. By writing down your thoughts over the course of the day with no other motivation than to document, you’ll start to notice certain unique quirks in how you formulate your ideas.

Don’t want to keep a journal? No worries! You can try something a little more fun and creative, like a journaling RPG. A journaling RPG is a great way to play with creative writing without the pressure of plotting or world-building. You get to play in the sandbox of someone else’s creation, focusing on nothing but the words on the page. Don’t focus on style at the beginning; just write. When you read back over your words, you’ll often find stylistic quirks you use naturally that are the beginnings of developing your writer’s voice.

Finding your unique writer’s voice can take time, so don’t get discouraged if it doesn’t happen overnight. There are many different ways to find your writer’s voice; the key is to keep writing and be open to experimenting. Try out different styles and tones, and see what feels natural to you. And don’t forget to have fun!