Finding Your Writer's Voice
You’ve got one, even if you don’t know it yet
Hello, fellow writers! I’m going to tell you a story (shocker, I know). It’s from a few years ago, when I went to a marketing conference for work. I saw Ann Handley, author of Everybody Writes, speak about finding your brand voice.
Now, before you click away because you think this is just some marketing article (to be fair, it kind of is), allow me to explain.
In her talk, Ann said that brand voice is what happens when you cover up someone’s logo or name, and people can still identify whose work it is. If you’re doing it right, someone can pick out your work without seeing your name.
Absolutely mind-blowing!
That really stuck with me, not only as a professional in marketing, but as a writer and an aspiring author. Could I do that with my stories and poems? Could anyone? Yes, I believe so, but it takes time, dedication, and more than a few mistakes.
So, if you’re still here, let’s discuss what I’ve done (and what I still do) to develop my writer’s voice.
5 Steps to Finding Your Writer Voice (Step 2 Will SHOCK You)
Sorry for the clickbait headline, but my writer’s voice (especially in articles) is based around conversational sarcasm and more than a dash of wit. Will people hate it? Sure, but I hate some people, so it all balances out.
Now, here’s the thing: you can do these steps in any order. In fact, you can skip steps you don’t think work for you. Ultimately, your writer’s voice will come through as long as you do one. Simple. Thing:
Write. A lot.
The more you write, the more comfortable you’ll get. It will soon become second nature, and before you know it, you too will be writing corny jokes in the middle of an article on Substack that results in your readers rolling their eyes (I see you!).
Now, let’s get into my five steps, and I promise, this isn’t going to sound like the kind of advice you get from a guy with a $200 haircut and a wearable microphone. I won’t be selling you a course halfway through, I promise (that’s at the end)!
1) Try Different Genres and Perspectives
If you’re coming into this like, “Bradley, I’m really more of a three-step kind of person, or ideally, zero steps,” listen, I hear you. I get it. If you’re going to just do one, though, make it this one.
I know it sounds weird to jump around genres, because many people will tell you to pick one and stick to it.
There’s a problem with that, and it’s very similar to the issue with entry-level jobs that require five years of experience. You can’t get a job without experience, and you can’t get experience without a job. Oh boy, I love paradoxes!
How do you know what genre is your specialty if you’ve never tried more than one?
A flash fiction, a short story, or even a poem is a great way to experiment with different styles and types of voices.
I myself like horror the most, but I really enjoy fantasy and sci-fi, so I just jump around. The more of each genre I do, the more I develop a voice unique to that genre. My horror stories don’t sound like my fantasy stories, for example.
Beyond genres, you need to also experiment with perspectives. I’m talking first, I’m talking third, I’m talking second person choose your own adventures! Wait, no, that last one is optional, but I did it recently and I had a ton of fun.
First person lets you get into the character's head, while third person gives you freedom based on whether you want it to be limited or omniscient.
And here’s the thing: you don’t need to stress about what’s “right” or “wrong” when it comes to POVs. Just write consistently in the same style and tense. The rest is up to you!
When you’re trying to develop your writer’s voice, think of this step like a buffet. Grab a plate, sample a little of everything, and you’ll quickly find out what you like the most.
2) Write Like You Talk (And read it out loud)
This is a trick I use for dialogue, but it helps with finding your voice as well. Next time you write something, go back and read it out loud. You can read it to yourself, your dogs, your cat, or an unwilling listener at the grocery store (don’t do that last one).
When you read your work out loud, your brain will subconsciously flag anything that sounds “off.” As people, we are programmed to recognize when something doesn’t look or sound quite right. Especially if it’s close to human in nature.
This is called the Uncanny Valley, and it’s a wild concept that has inspired more than a few stories (especially given the theory that we evolved with this instinct as a response to human-looking predators).
Now, while the Uncanny Valley is largely used to describe robots and other things that don’t “look” right, I think the concept applies to things that don’t sound right as well. Go ahead and give it a try next time you write something.
If you’re reading a line out loud, and you pause instinctively, then you know that it needs a second look.
It’s a really great way to test dialogue as well like I mentioned earlier. You’ll be able to tell when a line doesn’t sound like something a character would say.
3) Bust Out the Thesaurus
One of the most important things in any good writer’s voice is your vocabulary. Of course, no one wants to sit there and learn random words, so instead, just keep a tab open with an online thesaurus. Or, if you’re old school, have a paper one nearby.
Have it handy when you’re writing, and when you hit one of those moments where you think to yourself this needs a fancy word, you can look up synonyms for what you had planned to say.
The more you do this, the more you’ll build out your toolbox of words for every occasion.
Again, it’s one of those things that starts intentionally, and maybe a little slow, but as you build up your repertoire, you’ll find yourself grabbing those words out of your brain like a magician plucking a rabbit from a hat.
And yes, when it happens, it will also be magical.
4) Focus on Pacing
This one is tough, but it’s an important part of your voice (and a part of good writing in general). You know how they say “show, don’t tell” when it comes to exposition and world building? Well, that’s true, but every writer has a much different way of interpreting that.
Ever read the Hobbit or Lord of the Rings? Classics, to be sure, but Tolkien loves to describe absolutely everything. I always joke that you’ll hear about every blade of grass. Now, for me, that kills the pacing.
On the other side of it, if you just describe only the bare minimum, the story won’t have any good imagery or atmosphere. So, what’s the balance? Well, think of it like this:
Imagine that you’re either looking through the character’s eyes (first person), or you’re an invisible observer in the room (third person). Now, say you wanted to tell a friend or family member about something that happened, almost like you’re recalling a memory.
When you tell a story like that out loud, what details are the most important? Well, that changes depending on what kind of story you’re telling, but there’s always those details that you mention first, and the ones that you gloss over to keep the story moving.
Writing, and your writer’s voice is very similar. Just imagine your reader is someone you’re telling the story to, and you wanna really embellish it they’re captivated. What details would you use to make that happen?
Imagine your reader is a friend you’re telling the story to in person. What details make the cut?
Those are the details to include. It’s as simple as that, and when you focus on the right details, you keep the story moving. It doesn’t get bogged down in stuff that doesn’t matter (or things the characters don’t even see).
Your readers have imaginations. Good ones. Don’t feel like you need to hold their hand. They can fill in the gaps, and as long as you give them the right details, they’ll take care of the rest.
And that part about your writer’s voice? Well, just think about how everyone tells stories differently when they’re recalling a memory. Those differences are what makes their storytelling voice unique!
5) Practice With Prompts
This one works particularly well for me. I can come up with random ideas (and I do), but if you hand me a prompt, something about that just gets the writer's brain going.
Even if it’s just a single word. For example, the story I published recently, “A Soul, Bound to Steel,” was based on the prompt “Weapon.”
That’s it! I saw the word weapon, and suddenly, I had a whole idea for a story about a sentient weapon that had been locked deep underground for eons.
Some prompts give you the opening line of a story to run with. Others give you a scenario to work with. There’s a lot of different options.
What does this have to do with your writer’s voice? Well, prompts can give you a chance to do step one as well! After all, if you’re doing a prompt that’s clearly horror, you’ll write a horror story. The same goes with other genres.
Writer’s voice is all about creativity, but more than that, it’s about how you choose to show that creativity. Anyone can write a story, but the intricacies of that story will be different based on who’s writing it. That’s your voice.
Show Me What You Got!
That’s all for now, fellow writer friends. Now, let’s talk about that course.
I’m kidding! There’s no course.
I love the writing community, and I just want to be a positive part of it. I want to help other writers find their voice and tell their stories. Because, at the end of the day, no one can tell you stories quite like you.
So, if something’s holding you back, and this literally perfect article didn’t help, then let me know what you're struggling with in the comments, and I’ll offer my advice.
Your art deserves to exist! So, let’s get it out there for people to enjoy!
Yessss! Yes to all of it. Write to PLAY. Have fun with words.
„Write like you talk“ YASSS - that’s actually the first thing you learn when working in radio (hi, I’m a rock radio DJ haha) and yup, it definitely helped me so much as a writer, too 🙌