Ever feel like everyone else has a “writing voice” but you? Like theirs showed up center stage fully formed, dripping with metaphors and sparkling turns of phrase, while yours is still hiding in the wings? (No? Maybe it’s just me.) Voice is one of the most powerful tools a writer can develop. And learning to find your writing voice will help you connect with readers (and editors) and tell stories in a way that is distinctly your own.
How do I know? I found out the hard way.
Once, at a high school talent show, I chose to sing “Danny’s Song,” which I delivered in as close an approximation of Kenny Loggins’s style as I could manage. Afterwards, a friend congratulated me, then remarked, “I didn’t know you were from Georgia.”
“I’m not,” I said. “Could’ve fooled me,” said my friend.
See, I had imitated Kenny’s folksy drawl so well that I didn’t end up sounding like myself. I was just imitating a voice I liked. True confessions? I made the same mistake for the first eight years I was writing stories and trying to get published. I imitated Dr. Seuss, Judy Blume, and many others.
That’s fine when you’re a beginning writer. We learn by imitating, after all. But to really get to the “good stuff,” we need to dig deeper and uncover our own individual voice. That’s what editors want. That’s what readers want. And ultimately, that’s what we writers want.
But how do you find your writing voice? Here are five writing voice tips to put you on the path:
1. Write regularly
Voice develops through repetition and refinement. The more you write, the more you discover patterns in your rhythm, word choice, tone, and all the other elements that make your writing distinctive. It’s just like mastering any sport. You’ve got to put in the practice time to get the result.
2. Read widely (but selectively)
In other words, read a broad variety of genres and writers, but stick to the good stuff that really resonates with you. Forcing yourself to read Ethan Frome because it’s considered “high literature” won’t earn you anything but a headache. Trust me. Allow the influence of all these great writers to seep into your style naturally. But a word to the wise, don’t try imitating Dr. Seuss.
3. Embrace your quirks
What really makes your voice stand out are your unique observations, attitudes, and let’s face it, quirks. Don’t try to iron these out of your writing. Instead, lean into them. When I was first writing stories for young readers, I tried to write what “sounded like” a children’s book. Nothing got published. It was only when I embraced my quirks (love of bad jokes and film noir) with Chet Gecko that I landed a three-book contract.
4. Experiment with tone and perspective
Is your story not working in third-person point-of-view? Try first-person. Are your scary stories making beta readers giggle? Explore writing humor instead. It’s only by trying on all these different “hats” that you find the one that really fits. Experiment with levels of formality, POV, and genre, until you find the style that feels most like you. I thought picture books were my ticket into publishing, but I didn’t get published until I explored middle-grade fiction.
5. Trust the process
Your voice isn’t a one-time discovery—it evolves. The key is to write bravely and honestly, without trying to sound like anyone else. Hoping to get published right away? Take the long view instead. Embrace the process. Finding your voice takes time, but if you follow these tips, your writing voice will emerge like a lighthouse through the fog. And it will guide you to write with your unique personality all the stories from your heart.
Great to see you in the inbox today. Interestingly, my first professional publication was a poem the editor likened to the work of Dr. Seuss. The theme was more subversive than Seussian, and the audience was YA or adult. But it all flowed and then was refined. I’ve learned I have different voices. My picture book voice is not my YA voice. Audience matters as they say. Welcome back to the inbox.