Write Like You: A Journey Towards Finding Your Authentic Writing Voice

One of the most intimate yet elusive aspects of writing is finding your own unique "voice". This is the distinctive rhythm, tone, and style that makes your work recognizably yours. For some, it emerges organically over time, while others must dig deep and consciously cultivate it. The process is deeply personal and requires exploration, practice, and introspection.

How can you find your voice as an aspiring author?

We've identified 12 key areas to focus on when developing your writing voice.

• Understanding Your Voice
• The Power of Reading Widely
• Experimenting with Styles and Genres
• The Role of Authenticity and Honesty
• The Importance of Writing Practice
  
• Embracing Constructive Feedback
  
• Harnessing Your Influences and Inspirations
  
• Patience and Self-Acceptance
  
• Learning to Break Rules
  
• Cultural and Linguistic Background
  
• Adapting Your Voice for Different Audiences
  
• Balancing Consistency and Growth
  

Let's delve into the key areas to help guide your journey.

Understanding Your "Voice"

First, it's crucial to understand what we mean by "voice". In writing, your voice encompasses elements such as tone, style, word choice, rhythm, and perspective. It's your signature in the writing world – the unique trait that makes your writing identifiable. It's an embodiment of your personality, experiences, and worldview translated into words.

The Power of Reading Widely

Reading widely is akin to immersing yourself in a global conversation. The more you expose yourself to different authors and styles, the more you absorb. You'll likely find certain voices that resonate with you. Borrow, blend, and bounce off these influences to shape your unique voice. Always remember, the aim isn’t to copy but to understand what you like and why you like it.

Experimenting with Styles and Genres

Part of discovering your writing voice involves exploration and experimentation. Try out different styles, genres, and forms of writing. You might find that your voice varies across different types of writing – and that's okay. The important thing is to identify what feels most natural and enjoyable for you.

The Role of Authenticity and Honesty

Your writing voice should be an authentic reflection of who you are. Don't shy away from your quirks, your idiosyncrasies, or your unique perspectives. The more honest and open you are in your writing, the more your true voice will shine through. It's through revealing your truths that you connect with your readers.

The Importance of Writing Practice

Like any craft, your writing voice evolves with practice. This evolution might involve several drafts, countless edits, and frequent rewrites – and that's perfectly fine. Having a writing practice ensures the habits, rituals and overall discipline required developing your craft.

If you are still in the process of defining what your writing practice looks like, consider the following questions: 

• When do you write? 
• How often do you write?
• Where do you write?

Answering these questions can guide you to developing a practical approach to your writing. 

The quality of your output is dependent on the level of commitment you establish; day in, day out. This is the source of your craft.

Through consistent writing, you'll not only refine your skills but also deepen your understanding of your voice.

Embracing Constructive Feedback

Feedback plays a crucial role in shaping your voice. Don’t be afraid to seek out constructive criticism. This might come from writing groups, mentors, or editors. Listen, learn, and leverage this feedback to refine your voice.

Harnessing Your Influences and Inspirations

Take the time to journal and reflect on what or who inspires you and why. Your favorite authors, your life experiences, your personal values – all these are likely to shape your writing voice.

If it is an author, what is it about their work that resonates with you? What book has been most impactful to you and why? Perhaps it is music, what messages and themes in your favorite songs do you want to convey in your writing?

Study who you feel are masters of their craft, and see what you can draw or embody from their work in a way that is still you. For many writers, evoking the same feelings in their readership as their role models once made them feel is an ideal aspiration.

Don't resist these influences. Instead, harness them to create a voice that is not just unique but also true to who you are.

Patience and Self-Acceptance

Finding your voice isn't a destination; it's a journey – and often a long one. Be patient with yourself. Accept that your voice might take time to emerge and evolve. And when it does, accept it in all its uniqueness.

Learning to Break Rules

Knowing the rules of grammar and storytelling is crucial, but part of finding your voice may involve bending or even breaking these rules.

Many writers of today have challenged traditional formats of writing to express themselves. For example, Nayyirah Waheed and Rupi Kaur have popularized a minimalist style of poetry using short sentences and very few line breaks in their writing.

Be fearless in your experimentation. Your voice may lie in the unconventional, the disruptive, and the avant-garde.

The Impact of Cultural and Linguistic Background

Your cultural and linguistic background can lend a unique flavor to your writing voice.

Reflect on food and recipes you grew up eating, or stories of family or extended family. 

Think of the childhood memories and stories you remember to this day. How do you feel when you recall them in mind? Why do you remember them in the first place?

Whether it's incorporating phrases from your mother tongue or weaving in cultural narratives, embracing your background can add depth and uniqueness to your voice.

Adapting Your Voice for Different Audiences

Different platforms attract different readers, and different readers gravitate to different platforms. While it's important to maintain a consistent voice, remember that different audiences might resonate with various aspects of it.

The media you choose to write on can impact the accessibility of your current audience and the potential growth of your readership. You might write more concise and humourous on social media, whereas you might find it more appropriate to write in a serious tone for a blog post or in your book. 

Learn to adapt your voice according to your audience while still retaining its core characteristics.

Balancing Consistency and Growth

A consistent voice gives your readers a sense of familiarity and continuity, enhancing their engagement and connection to your work. However, you want to allow room for your voice to grow and evolve.  

Your voice, like you, should not be static – it should reflect your evolution as a person. It should mirror your personal growth and the transformations you undergo as a writer.

As you gather more experiences, knowledge, and insights, these will seep into your writing and subtly shape your voice.

This evolution might be slow and subtle, but over time, it will contribute to a richer, deeper voice that reflects your journey in its entirety. 

Conclusion

Finding your voice as a writer is a journey of self-discovery and growth. It might require time, experimentation, and introspection, but the process can be as rewarding as the outcome. Remember that your voice is not just about how you write, but also why you write and what you have to say. So embrace your unique voice, because the literary world needs to hear it.