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Writing voice is often a concept that I’ve heard writers express a struggle to find. The biggest misconception, in my humble opinion, is that it’s something that can be found.
Developed? Yes. Honed? Absolutely. I hate to break it to you, but your voice is already there. It comes from within. It encompasses all of who you are and extends itself onto the page. Just as much as meeting you should show me certain things about your personality, you’re writing can do the same. It’s distinguishable, it’s recognizable. The way that J. California Cooper’s writing feels like storytime around a warm fire. Or Tiffany D. Jackson’s stories that you know are going to have a gut-wrenching turn and have a sense of urgency.
Sometimes we confuse writing style for voice. Sure, you may be an essay writer, or have a straightforward tone or be conversational. But that doesn’t necessarily make up your voice. It’s the words you choose. It’s the way that you say things. It’s influenced by who you are, what you’ve done, the things you’ve experienced and they reveal themselves through the way that you put sentences and paragraphs together sometimes regardless of the actual genre of writing you’re doing.
Call off the search for your writing voice and simply begin to listen to yourself. This is where the practice comes in. I think the more you write, the more you understand what you sound like on the page. Writing all the time can mean a lot whether you’re writing for a work project or simply writing in a journal often. I encourage many writers to try journaling if they can mostly because it’s just a consistent practice of writing.
I feel like we grow into our writing voice the same way that we grow into our own personalities. Sure, in the beginning, you just copy everything your parents do and say. But as your frontal lobe continues to develop, not until about 25 or so by the way, a personality all your own starts to solidify as well. In that same way, many of us want to write like our favorite writers. But how can we do that when we have not experienced what they have experienced or seen the things they’ve seen? We may start out imitating other writers, but eventually, our voice should be unique to us.
So, I want to encourage you if you feel like you have yet to discover your voice that it is indeed already there. You may need to tap into it a bit more. Analyze it, figure out ways you want to spruce it up a bit, but it’s there waiting to be cultivated.
Developing your voice begins with knowing a little about who you are. I wrote about this some years ago in regard to confidence. That if you haven’t built confidence as a person, how can you be confident in your writing? Well, same thing here for voice. If you haven’t spent time thinking about who you are as a person, how can you be sure that is being reflected in your work?
Let’s take me for an example. I am silly. I love to laugh. I’m super ambitious. Driven. Sometimes a bit no-nonsense when it comes to responsibilities. I am motivated, a lover of Christ, a romantic at heart. I’m married, I am passionate about writing. I LOVE to read. I can be sarcastic. I love pop culture.
If you’ve ever read anything I’ve written, do these things come across? I believe so. All these things influence my voice. The fact that I’m from Philadelphia even introduces specific vernacular to my writing like the word jawn. You may see me throw that around here and there. It’s important to think of all these things when we think about our writing and how who we are shapes our writing voice. So, here are a few things to consider in regard to voice.
Who are you? What are you like? What are some adjectives you would use to describe yourself?
What are some of your cultural influences? Where did you grow up? What traditions did your family have?
What do you love to read? What are you drawn to? What is it about that work that makes it resonate so deeply with you?
Journaling. Start listening to yourself through your journaling. It’s about more than expressing your frustration with the day’s events. There are themes there. Your voice is there. Pay attention to it.
Get a second opinion. Ask someone, what is my writing like? When you read it, what do you hear in my voice?
Writing/Job Opportunities
The Muse is looking for an Email Marketing Coordinator.
Penguin Random House is looking for an Assistant Editor, Brands & Licenses.
Long Beach Post is looking for a Food and Culture Journalist.
Grist Fellowship Program is accepting applications. News & Politics Fellow and Environmental Justice Fellow.
Sierra Magazine is looking for an Editorial Fellow.
Erika Ramirez is looking for pitches around news or timely conversations around dating & love. Guides, interviews, roundtables, and more. Pay from $50-200. edit@ilymag.com
Applications for the Adina Talve-Goodman Fellowship are open. Deadline: Oct. 30th. For early-career writers of fiction.
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