Uncover your writing voice.

Last week I had the pleasure of presenting at the Sovereign Noir Virtual Writing Conference.

I hope you had a chance to attend the conference as there were so many amazing women creatives presenting. Not only did I present, but I learned so much from other women in the industry.

I presented how to write with a full-time life. I also discussed the writing process, including how to find your writing voice—which proved to be of interest to several participants who later reached out to me. So, let’s talk about it again.

What is your writing voice?

Ironically, this isn’t easy to define in writing terms, but I’ll give it a try. Your writing voice is how you show up on the page and how your reader can discern your writing from everybody else. Your writing voice isn’t the words you write but how you write them.

Make sense?

Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.

A word after a word after a word is power.

~ Margaret Atwood

How do I find my writing voice?

I’ve heard writers say, keep writing, and you’ll find it. But then the question becomes, if I don’t know what I’m looking for, how will I know if I find it? This is one of the many questions I had as a new writer and one I discovered independently. Below are a few ways that helped me (and hopefully will help you) find your writing voice.

Write

This is a simple enough tip. Put pen to paper, finger to keyboard—whatever your method for sharing your story, do it. Routine writing is like working out—it takes time to see results, but you will get to where you want to be if you are consistent.

The key is to writing regularly about things you know. And once you’ve written about those things, write them again. Practice makes perfect, my friends.

Read

Reading helps improve writing in different ways. Reading will help you discover what stories you like and don’t like. You will start to pick up on writing styles that you admire and find yourself reading authors with similar styles/voices. Ultimately this will shape your writing voice as well. You shouldn’t copy other writers, but let their style and voice influence yours.

Share your work.

I got a lot of stares when I shared this tip at the conference. Sharing your work is hard. It makes you vulnerable, and that’s hard to do. BUT, it also helps you determine a reader’s response to your work. It doesn’t have to be a large group. Maybe a beta reader or small reading group. You decide, but getting feedback on your writing early, will help you avoid writing pitfalls later.

It’s okay to experiment.

I wrote my first novel in the first person. I was an “accidental author” and penned my first novel while I was in law school. I had always journaled, and my first book was like reading a journal.

With my second book, I played around with tense and discovered I didn’t like the first person as much.

My point? Don’t wed yourself to one writing style. Write in a way that works for you and feels most natural. This means re-writing and editing. Yes, re-writing and editing.

Be yourself.

Above all, your readers want to hear your voice and your perspective. Be your authentic self and let your passions, knowledge, and even your insecurities flow through your writing. Your readers will love you for it and will keep coming back for more.

If you are still struggling to find your voice, click here to access my free writing resources.

In the meantime, write on!