How to Find and Develop your Writing Voice

In this post, you’ll learn how to find and develop your writing voice

Writers struggle with many things, but nothing is more difficult than finding their voice.

Your writing voice makes you unique and sets you apart from other writers.

It’s how you use words to express yourself and your perspective on the world.

Finding your writing voice is, without a doubt, a painstaking process, but it’s the first time in a long journey.

But before you delve into the process, you must first understand what a writing voice is and why you need to find yours.

A writing voice is a style in which you write.

It’s the combination of your personality, experiences, and views that make up your unique perspective.

And it’s this perspective that distinguishes your work from others.

Your writing voice allows you to connect with your audience on a deeper level – it’s what makes your work relatable to a reader.

Distinctive Elements of a Writing Voice

Picture this: if two writers were tasked to write about a certain subject, would their articles be the same?

Most likely not.

And that’s because each writer has their voice – their way of writing.

It’s all about how one writer expresses himself.

Even if the topic is the same, the way each writer discusses it will be different.

One may take a more personal approach, while the other might be more objective.

That said, here are some elements that make up a writing voice:

Tone – The tone of your writing ranges from serious to funny, passionate to detached, and everything in between.

Detail – The level of detail you provide in your writing differs from writer to writer.

Some people are more inclined to share intimate details, while others prefer to keep things surface-level.

This element includes facts, figures, events, examples, and anecdotes.

Syntax – This is the way you put your words and sentences together.

It includes sentence length, word choice, and grammatical structures.

Diction – Diction is closely related to syntax.

It’s the way you use words to express yourself.

A writer’s choice of words is the medium from which to create the desired effect.

Flow– This refers to the rhythm of your writing and is determined by your sentence length and syntax.

This element is what makes your writing easy or difficult to read.

Editor’s note: If you have trouble with writer’s block please check out this post HERE

How to Find Your Writing Voice

Now that you know what a writing voice is, it’s time to start finding yours.

And while there’s no sure-fire way to do so, here are some tips to get you started:

1 – Read as much as you can.

The best way to find your voice is to read as much as possible.

By reading, you expose yourself to different writing styles and voices, which will help you develop your own.

So, make it a habit to read articles, books, magazines, and anything else you can get your hands on.

2 – Write regularly.

Writing regularly is essential to finding your voice.

The more you write, the more you experiment with prospective voices, and the closer you get to find the one that suits you best.

Don’t be afraid to write as much as possible. Write articles, blog posts, short stories – anything and everything.

3 – Picture your intended reader.

When you’re writing, you must keep your intended reader in mind.

Picture the type of person you want to read your work to and write based on that. It’ll help you write in a style that’s relatable and engaging.

You must come up with a specific individual in mind – their personalities, preferences, and anything else that sets them apart.

Are your readers the serious type?

Maybe they’re more interested in humour instead of technical details?

Keep these things in mind when writing, and you’ll be able to better connect with your readers.

4 – Explore different writing styles.

One way to find your writing voice is by exploring different styles.

Experiment with different tones, sentence structures, and diction.

See how it feels.

The point is to try new things by getting out of your comfort zone. For example, use a different medium or target a new audience.

If you haven’t ventured into a particular genre, now’s the time to do so.

You may never know that you’re way better than you think you are.

You’ve solely focused on one type of writing, and that’s perfectly fine.

But by exploring other styles, you open yourself up to new possibilities and perspectives – all of which can help you develop your voice.

4 – Consider your purpose.

Your purpose for writing will also affect your voice.

Are you writing to inform, educate, or entertain? Knowing this will help you better understand how to approach your work and what type of voice to use.

For example, if you’re writing a blog post on a serious topic, using a light-hearted voice probably won’t be the best idea.

The same goes for writing a research paper or an email to your boss. In those cases, it’s best to use a more formal and professional tone.

Developing Your Writing Voice

At this point, you now have a clear understanding of your writing voice – your distinctive self-expression. But one might say that it’s still a diamond in the rough. It’s not as polished or refined as you want it to be.

You’re still on the journey of developing your writing voice, and that’s fine since all writers go through this process. When developing your writing voice, you should:

• Pay Attention to What Matters – Your writing voice should reflect your personality, but that doesn’t mean you have to share everything about yourself. You must pay attention to things that will make you sound more credible, professional, and likeable to your readers. Be strategic about what you reveal and what you keep to yourself.
• Be Consistent – Once you’ve found your writing voice, be consistent with it. Your readers should be able to identify your voice within the first few sentences of reading your work. If they can’t, then that’s a sign that you’re not being consistent enough.
• Let Your Guard Down – The more you write, the more comfortable you’ll become with sharing your thoughts and feelings. The more honest you are, the more your readers will be able to connect with you. So don’t be afraid to let your guard down and be vulnerable in your writing.
• Hear Your Writing Voice – Take the time to read your work aloud. Doing so will help you hear your writing voice and make necessary adjustments. You’ll never know how your writing works for other people until you hear it.

Parting Thoughts On A Writing Voice

Your writing voice is an indispensable part of your identity as a writer.

It’s what makes you unique and sets you apart from everyone else.

While finding and developing the right voice seems daunting, you’ll never move forward as a writer until you do.

If you still have trouble with your writing voice, you can always consider hiring a ghostwriter.