Voice
Charlotte Rains Dixon  

Finding Your Natural Writing Voice

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We all want it. We worry about whether we have it or not. We're pretty sure we need it in order to get published, yet we might not even know exactly what it is.  And it's almost for certain that we don't know how to get it.

So what is voice? 

It is your individual style, the unique way you put words together on the page.  My blog reads very differently than yours, or at least it better.  Have you ever read dull, lifeless writing (who hasn't)? It's a safe bet that writer is holding herself back from full expression of her authentic self.

Your voice can be sarcastic, funny, sardonic, sweet, hip, sophisticated….you get the drift.  One of the hallmarks of my novel, Emma Jean's Bad Behavior, is the main character's smart-ass sassy voice.  Open a page of that novel anywhere and you'll know you're reading me.  It simply sounds like my voice.  (And of course, that same voice proved to be too much for most agents, who felt that Emma Jean's voice was a bit too sassy.)

But what if you're struggling with voice?  If, no matter what, your writing comes out lifeless and dull?  Read on, because I've got some tips for what to do.

1.  Experiment with different genres and venues.  Blogging is for me, an incredibly natural medium.  I have no problem letting the words flow and when they flow, they sound like a reflection of me.  But I work with people all the time who freeze up in terror at the thought of putting a blog in the world.  Yet those same people may be perfectly at ease writing copy for their website. So try different arenas.

2.  Free write.  The rules are as follows: set a timer for 20 minutes, choose a prompt, and write.  When I say write, I mean write, without stopping or lifting your pen from the page.  Yeah, you'll get a lot of crap, but you'll also get to the good stuff.  Writing freely is one of the best ways to train yourself to access your natural voice.

3.  Write Morning Pages.  Popularized by Julia Cameron in her book The Artist's Way, Morning Pages are simply pages you write first thing in the morning.  Hence the name.  Morning pages (and other journal writing) help you establish an ease with pen and paper.  They help you establish a flow of words.  And ease and flow are paramount to a natural voice.

4. Emulate Others to Be Yourself.  This sound totally counter-intuitive, but copying a writer you admire can teach you so much about their style that it helps you develop your own.  Type a paragraph or page of your favorite author's work into the computer, which will incorporate that author's style and flow into yourself.  And once you understand it so intimately, you can dissect how that author did it and figure out how to do it your own way.  Note: this is a writing exercise, not an encouragement to plagiarize.

5. Work On Your Project Regularly.  Keeping a schedule and visiting your current Work in Progress (WIP) helps with your voice, too.  Voices get rusty just like muscles do.   Realize that encouraging your natural voice takes consistent time and effort.

Odds are good that you'll know your voice when you hit it.  And that, my dear readers, is cause for rejoicing.

Create a successful, inspired writing life:  Choose one of the recommendations above and commit to it to find your voice.

Have you found your voice?  Do you remember how you went about it?  Please comment. 

And please also sign up for my newsletter in the form to the right and feel free to share this post on social media.  Thank you.

 

Photo by gerbrak.

0 thoughts on “Finding Your Natural Writing Voice

  1. J.D.

    That is all good advise. I like #1 best. That sassy voice of yours would not be suitable for just any genre.

  2. Zan Marie

    Charlotte, you? Sassy? Who knew? :-D
    My voice does come and go based on the fluidity of my writing and the level of fatigue. Thanks for the tips.

  3. Charlotte Dixon

    Thanks, J.D. I do think its important to experiment because sometimes I know I tend to get stuck in my own little rut. Then I try something new and love it. And loving what you’re writing goes a long ways toward natural voice.

  4. Charlotte Dixon

    Zan Marie, I guess I should be glad they didn’t think Emma Jean’s voice was dull, right? I do agree with you that its all about fluidity, and the more ease with have with our writing the more our voice shines.

  5. Patrick Ross

    Ah, a very important topic, Charlotte, and useful info. My main goal in the blogging class I’m teaching is to help students find their blogging voice.

    I saw the other day (but confess did not read it closely) a post somewhere about a distinction between style and voice. That made me think of a post I did from AWP, in which a memoirist talked about having different voices for different books. Do you believe each of us has one core writing voice, and if so can it be consciously altered if, say, someone finds it too sassy? :)

  6. Charlotte Dixon

    I do actually believe that, Patrick, because when I do ghostwriting I do my best to write in the voice of the person who hired me. However, my own natural voice is what comes the easiest to me these days. Emma Jean’s Bad Behavior is funny and I never set out to write a funny book, its just what came out. I think we writers could debate this topic forever and still be entertained by it!

  7. Don

    As usual, great points Charlotte. As for me, the best way to find one’s voice is simply to write as if your not writing, or, in other words: simply write as if you were talking directly to the person, face-to-face! Also, in my own case, I write as if I’m also simply talking to myself, without worrying about how others may or may not react. If it sounds good to you, than probably someone, somewhere will also certainly like your voice as surely as someone else, somewhere else will not like it. Worrying about finding your voice is one way of losing it, at least in my own case. However, of all your great points, I especially find that your Morning Page point is especially helpful in my own particular ‘voice finding process’.

  8. Charlotte Dixon

    “Write as if you’re not writing.” That is great advice, Don! And it is so true that worrying about your voice is a sure way not to find it. Great comment!

  9. Anne Wayman

    Actually, the picture of the cat says it all… they never hesitate to express what they want. I model my cat a lot, even in voice. Love your strikeouts too.

  10. Charlotte Dixon

    Excellent point, Anne. When my cats think its time for dinner, nothing stops them, least of all me trying to explain that its not time for them to eat yet.

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