Finding Your Authentic Voice by Pat Rullo
As a writer, finding your authentic voice is one of the most important things you can do. Your voice sets you apart from others and makes you unique. Your voice is your style, personality, and way of expressing yourself. Finding your authentic voice as a writer can take time, but is the effort worth it?
What is an authentic voice?
Your authentic voice as a writer is the natural and unique way you express your thoughts, feelings, and experiences. It involves your tone, style, word choice, and sentence structure, creating a distinct voice. Many believe they must adopt a specific writing style or tone to succeed. But, in reality, readers are attracted to writing that sounds genuine. They want to hear your personality and unique experiences shine through in your writing.
Another factor that can contribute to a writer’s distinctive voice is their life experiences. These experiences influence a writer’s perspective and worldview, leading to a personalized writing voice. This means that authors who have distinctive voices are often those who have lived extraordinary lives or have unique perspectives.
Why is it important to find your authentic voice?
There are several reasons why finding your authentic voice as a writer is essential:
- Builds your brand as a writer – Your brand is built on your unique voice. Your voice sets you apart from the rest of the crowd and makes you recognizable. When readers come across your writing, they should be able to identify that it’s written by you after reading the first couple of paragraphs.
- Engages your readers – People are attracted to writing that speaks to them, connects with them, and engages them. Your authentic voice will help you achieve that connection with your readers that makes them want to keep reading.
- Boosts your confidence – Finding your authentic writing voice can help boost your confidence. You’ll feel more comfortable with your writing style when you discover how you want to write. Putting your authentic self out there can be scary sometimes, but finding your voice can help you believe in yourself and your writing.
- Makes writing fun – Writing can be tedious if it feels like a job rather than a passion. But, when you find your authentic voice, it becomes a more enjoyable experience. You can write naturally and effortlessly, which helps keep your creativity flowing and your mind engaged.
When it comes to writers with the most distinctive writing voices, many people might refer to authors such as Ernest Hemingway, Virginia Woolf, J.R.R. Tolkien, or Gabriel Garcia Marquez. These writers created masterpieces by honing in on their unique styles of writing.
Ernest Hemingway’s distinct writing style relies on plain-spoken language and getting straight to the point. His famous iceberg theory of writing focuses on omitting unnecessary details, resulting in a sparse and minimalist writing style. His short sentences and uncomplicated word choice create a unique voice that is immediately recognizable.
Virginia Woolf utilized stream of consciousness, a literary technique that involves writing a character’s thoughts and feelings as they occur. Her writing style is introspective, descriptive, and highly emotional, capturing her characters’ innermost feelings and thoughts.
J.R.R. Tolkien created a highly detailed and vivid world in his writing. His unique use of language and deeply rooted love for mythology and world-building make his voice memorable. He used intricate descriptions, layered metaphors, and a very imaginative style to create stories that transported readers to completely different worlds.
Gabriel Garcia Marquez was known for the magic realism technique. He merged reality with magical elements, creating a vivid and fantastical writing style. His sentences were long, winding, and seemingly never-ending, making his voice unique and captivating.
How to find your authentic voice?
- Write regularly – The more you write, the more you can discover your writing strengths, weaknesses, and style. Writing regularly will help you identify your unique style and how it differs from others.
- Read – Reading other people’s writing can help you identify different writing techniques, styles, and approaches. Reading different genres can also expose you to additional vocabulary and writing styles. The more you read, the more you can filter out what resonates with you and identify what you don’t like.
- Explore different forms of writing – Try writing in different genres and formats to discover what you like and are passionate about. For example, you may prefer writing poetry, creative non-fiction, or screenplays, so experimenting with different kinds of writing could be worthwhile.
- Embrace your uniqueness – Refrain from conforming to a particular writing style or tone. Remember, one of the reasons why people want to read your writing is because they’re interested to hear your unique voice.
An authentic writing voice makes your work stand out from the crowd. So embrace your natural writing style and let your personality shine through your writing.
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