How To Find Your Voice as a Writer

Have you ever heard someone speaking from across a crowded room and immediately known who it was before you saw the person’s face? Or seen someone walking from a distance and though they were too far away to see their face, you knew who it was by their walk and the way they carried themselves? 

Each of us has mannerisms, characteristics and quirks that make us uniquely us. We’re able to recognize each other not only by our faces but by those differences — some designed by God and some formed by the environment. 

In writing, our voice is the unique way we communicate. Written communication without a voice is bland and stiff. It’s ho-hum, run-of-the-mill, and these days, it might sound AI generated. Finding our voice as writers stamps our work as ours and sets it apart from other writers. Let’s look at three ways to find your voice as a writer. 

1. Get your author crush out of your head.

We all have favorite authors with strong voices. Often, their writing has so impacted us that their writing voices live in our heads. When we’re new to writing, we can consciously or unconsciously mimic their style. 

But like a toddler trying to walk in her mom’s high heels, trying to write in someone else’s voice will end up clunky and ill-fitting. Shush that author’s voice, and trust your own. The more you write in your voice, the more it will become the soundtrack in your head. 

2. Stop trying for A-plus in freshman English. 

Listen. I was a journalism major and then went on to write reams of briefs as an attorney. When I started my blog, I thought I knew how to write. And I did — if I was turning in an essay for freshman English. 

But I was writing for the woman on the other side of the screen. I had to remind myself I wasn’t drafting an essay. I backspaced a lot. (See? That would never fly in English 101.) I had to ditch the formal writing that had worked before and find my voice in this new space. Two things helped. First, I imagined my reader — who she was and what kept her up at night. Second, I imagined her sitting across from me over coffee as we talked. This intentional imagery helped me unlock my authentic voice. 

3. Read it aloud.

After you’ve written a blog post or piece for submission, read it aloud. Do the words sound like something you’d say? This is a great way to catch phrases or whole paragraphs that don’t sound like us. 

I heard a well-known author say she prints and reads her work aloud to see if it sounds authentically her. One time, she realized she’d started using the word “perhaps” so she didn’t overuse the word “maybe.” When she read it aloud, it sounded off because she’d never use “perhaps” in conversation. She struck every “perhaps” from the piece and stuck with “maybe.”

This is a small detail, but writing voices are shaped in the nuances. Like this author, we’ll continue to hone our writing as we find the familiar lane of our distinctive voice. Your writing voice may include humor. It may include short, pithy statements or flowy, poetic sentences. You are fearfully and wonderfully made, sister (Psalm 139:13-14). And your writing voice reflects God’s unique design of you. 

Cheering you on,

Lisa 

What part of finding your unique writing voice is toughest for you? Which one of these would help? Share in the comments!