Your author’s voice is your unique tone, word choice, and style. It is the way your personality comes through in your writing.
Voice goes beyond what you say; it’s how you say it.
Do you want your writing to be formal and concise? Friendly and warm? Analytical and inquisitive? Reflective and poetic? Humorous and lighthearted?
As a new writer, finding your author’s voice can be intimidating, but with practice, you’ll gain confidence in it. Here are a few tips to help you get started.
Use Your Natural Voice
The simplest way to find your author’s voice is to use your natural speaking voice. Think about how you talk to your friends—or in some cases, your clients or coworkers—and then aim to write the same way. You can even record yourself in a voice memo, and then afterward, write down what you said, exactly how you said it.
Write More!
As I mentioned in the introduction, finding your voice comes with practice. If you haven’t done much writing before, spend some time journaling or writing short content like blogs. After you’ve created five to ten pieces of writing, read through them and choose your favorite three. What do they have in common? Try to employ these characteristics in your future writing.
If you have already done some writing, use the same method: Read through a few pieces and select your favorites. How would you describe your voice in these?
The more you write, the more you will recognize and lean into your unique voice.
Read More!
Along with writing more, read more, particularly books in the genre you want to write in. As you read, make notes about each author’s voice. Consider which books you enjoy most and what you like about them—aside from just their content.
Do you relate to Simon Sinek’s inspirational, conversational tone? Do you prefer Peter Drucker’s authoritative, instructional writing? Daniel Pink’s conversational, thought-provoking blend of storytelling and research?
Don’t try to copy one author’s voice entirely, but you can certainly pull from your favorites for inspiration. You can also compare their voices to your own writing samples and use that to guide you toward your desired voice.
Explore What Makes You Unique
The most successful writers have distinct, unique voices. If you’re unsure what makes your voice unique, try participating in a writer’s group. You can search for local groups in your area or groups in online communities like Facebook, Reddit, and Writing.com. Writer’s groups allow you to gain valuable feedback on your writing, while also providing insight to other writers.
One exercise that is particularly helpful for finding your author’s voice is for each member of the group to respond to the same writing prompt and then compare differences between responses. Looking at these differences can help you identify what sets your voice apart.
Don’t Quit After Your First Draft
You don’t have to nail your author’s voice in the first draft. The first draft will be—and should be—messy, as the goal is simply to get all of your thoughts onto paper. After your draft is done, then spend some serious time revising your writing and honing in on your voice.
As you do this, aim to ensure your voice is consistent throughout your writing. You don’t want to sound analytical for the first 75% of the book and then surprise your reader with a large dose of sarcasm and humor in the final quarter. It can be difficult to maintain your voice throughout a large manuscript, but a professional book editor can help you with this.
There is no right or wrong author’s voice. The key is to find a voice that feels authentic to you and will resonate with your audience. Writing with a distinct voice draws readers in and helps them absorb your message.
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