Finding your voice as a writer

Discovering your distinctive voice and writing style takes time, practice, experimentation and feedback. But why is it important to have a distinctive voice and style? And how can you develop yours?

Your voice and style make you stand out from the crowd of other writers. They are what give your writing personality, flavour, and appeal. They are what make your readers connect with you, trust you and want to read more from you. Your voice and style are your signature as a writer.

But how do you find them? Here are some tips to help you discover and refine your unique voice and style as a writer.

Read a lot.

In 2023 I attended Genrecon in Brisbane and one speaker, whose name I unfortunately cannot recall with the precision required for a direct quote, emphasised the idea that reading is writing. I have fallen back on this many times when I’ve immersed myself in a book to assuage the ‘guilty’ feeling that I should be writing.

Reading is one of the best ways to expose yourself to different voices and styles of writing. Read widely and diversely, across genres, topics, formats and authors. It’s important to read within your own genre, but the risk there is that you potentially write ‘more of the same’, which might get you published, but eventually the market will get saturated. So pay attention to how different writers express themselves, how they use language, tone, structure, rhythm, imagery and other elements of writing.

Notice what you like and dislike, what resonates with you and what doesn't. Reading will help you develop your taste, your vocabulary and your sense of what works and what doesn't in writing. It will also help you write stories that apply the accepted conventions of the genre you choose, while pushing the boundaries just enough to make you stand out.

Write a lot.

Reading is not enough. You also need to write a lot to find your voice and style. Writing is a skill that improves with practice, so the more you write, the better you will get at it. Me personally, I struggle to write every day, even if it's just for 15 minutes.

Juggling a full-time career, which I love, being a parent, although now the kids are adults that’s a little easier, and spending time with my husband means that some days I really don’t have the motivation. So I think it’s important not to beat yourself up if you can’t write everyday, but it is important to try and set yourself some kind of goal whether it be daily, or weekly. Then, when you do write, write about anything that interests you, that inspires you, that challenges you. Write for yourself, for fun, for expression, for learning. Write without worrying about perfection, criticism or judgment. Just write.

Experiment a lot.

Finding your voice and style is also about finding what works for you as a writer. There is no one right way to write, so don't be afraid to try different things and see what feels natural, comfortable and authentic to you.

Experiment with different genres, topics, formats, tones, perspectives, structures, lengths and so on. Try writing in different moods, settings, times of day and states of mind. Try writing with different tools, methods, prompts and exercises. Experimenting will help you discover your strengths, weaknesses, preferences and tendencies as a writer.

Get feedback.

Feedback is essential for finding your voice and style as a writer. Feedback will help you identify what works and what doesn't in your writing, what makes you stand out and what makes you blend in, what makes you sound like yourself and what makes you sound like someone else.

Feedback will also help you improve your writing skills, fix your mistakes, polish your craft and grow as a writer. Get feedback from different sources: from yourself (by revising and editing your own work), from other writers (by joining a writing group or taking a writing course), from readers (by sharing your work online or offline) and from professionals (by hiring an editor or a coach).

Just as it’s essential to get feedback, I personally find it valuable to give feedback. I believe you can learn just as much from this process, as from the process of receiving feedback. I’ve often found that when I’m reading someone else’s work and I’ve identified something that perhaps could be approached differently, I find myself thinking, ‘I make that mistake too’.

Be yourself.

Ultimately, finding your voice and style as a writer is about being yourself. Your voice and style are expressions of who you are as a person: your thoughts, feelings, opinions, values, experiences, personality and so on. Don't try to copy or imitate other writers; instead, try to be original and authentic. Don't try to please or impress anyone; instead, try to be honest and sincere. Don't try to fit in or conform; instead, try to be unique and distinctive. Be yourself as a writer.

Start discovering your unique voice today: read widely, write regularly, and experiment with styles. Join writing communities or take an online course to get feedback and grow your craft. Subscribe for more tips and resources to help you develop an authentic, memorable writing voice.

Here's a list of some resources that might help you.

• Writing tools: Scrivener, Microsoft Word, Grammarly

• Online writing courses: MasterClass, Coursera, Australian Writers’ Centre, Queensland Writers Centre

• Writing communities and critique groups: Scribophile, Critique Circle, Meetup writing groups

• Books on writing craft: On Writing by Stephen King, Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott, The Emotion Thesaurus by Angela Ackerman & Becca Puglisi

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