You Don’t Need to Invent a Writing Voice—You Need to Uncover It
Listening is key
I started writing before I knew what a voice was.
I didn’t write to be read, I wrote to say what I couldn’t say out loud.
It was a survival strategy that became integrated into who I am; the process was pure and organic.
I remember a lunch meeting with a prospective publisher who told me he heard my voice on the first page of my manuscript that really brought home to me the significance of a writer’s voice.
You can think of it as a combination of word choice, tone, and rhythm, shaped by personality, experience and emotions that distinguishes your writing.
As that publisher illustrated, readers connect with a voice, and in memoir, it’s what makes your story resonate.
But voice is not something we put on, it’s something we uncover. It may be an unconscious process honed over years of practice, but there are ways you can be intentional about developing your voice:
Write consistently and freely
Just get what you want to say on the page without worrying about prose, grammar, syntax, or spelling. Save all that for rewrites. Trusting the momentum of how your words flow naturally rather than trying to force a particular style or tone is how you discover your voice.
You may want to try free writing for 10 minutes about a strong memory without editing or censoring yourself. Start with “I remember…” and notice the feelings and emotions that arise and the sensory details you’re drawn to.
Then read your work aloud to see how it flows. Reading your work aloud reveals the rhythm, cadence, and music of your voice.
Pay attention to the way you naturally describe things in conversation
How you talk in real life can give you clues about your natural voice. Your word choices, sentence structure, and everyday idioms can be fundamental to discovering your writing style.
Journaling about small moments using your natural way of speaking can be a worthwhile exercise. Tell a story or recount a memory as if you were telling a friend.
The way you recall a childhood memory, the way you retell a moment of joy or loss—this is where your voice already lives. Your task isn’t to create it from scratch but to uncover it through practice.
Read a lot, and find out why you like what you love
Think about the last thing you read that fired you up. Then ask yourself, why did it inspire or move you? What did it evoke? What was your first feeling or emotion?
Read widely to get a sense of different writing voices and understand what resonates with you. If you’re drawn to a particular writer’s style, deconstruct their passages to find out why their voice works and how you can hone your own. You could even rewrite those passages in your own voice to develop confidence in your natural way of expressing things.
Repeat the process
Your voice evolves over time through practice and self-awareness. By writing freely, reading aloud, listening to how you naturally describe the world, reading widely, and making it a practice, you’ll refine a voice that is unmistakably yours.
Ready To Write With Authenticity?
Your voice is already inside you. It just takes practice to bring it fully to the page.
If you’re ready to develop your voice and craft your memoir with intention, I can help. Book a free Clarity Call with me to start your journey.