Your Writer's Voice

The other day I was working in the kitchen with the tv on. I heard different voices on the program, and no two were alike. Without turning and looking at the tv, I could determine who was speaking.

I noted the same thing the next day as I read a book while my husband was watching tv. My eyes and mind were on the book, but my ears still heard the people speaking on the tv, and without looking up, I knew who they were from hearing their voice.

Each of us was given a distinctive voice just like other physical traits. Writers also have a writing voice. You've heard reviewers mention the voice in a particular story or essay or book. What exactly is meant by that?

Your writer's voice is the way you write, the style you use that is unique to you. If a reader likes an author and reads numerous books by that writer, they instantly recognize the voice the novelist uses. You may have heard a reader say something like I like the way he writes. They mean they like his voice.

What things make up our voice? Our writing voice is filled with sensory details and emotions. When we speak face to face with a person, we use hand gestures, intonation, and body language. You can't make eye contact or use your hands when you write as you can when you speak. All you have is words to get the message across.

Some writers use certain words or phrases many times. That's part of their unique voice. It's what pleases us as we read. If the writer comes across as a speaker who speaks in a monotone, he has not found his voice yet. If he has no appeal to emotion, the same thing. If he uses generic words that have little meaning, same deal.

There are many books and articles on finding your writing voice. It would be beneficial for you to use a search engine to find them, then read a few and ask yourself if you have found your writer's voice? It doesn't always happen as soon as you start writing.

Long ago, when I was a newbie writer, an experienced writer agreed to read a few of my children's stories. As we were discussing them, she said, "You have already found your voice, and that's not always the case with new writer." To be honest, I had no idea what she was talking about and was too embarrassed to ask for an explanation. Later, on my own, I looked it up and was pleased with what I realized had been a compliment.