When you’re a writer, it’s natural – vital even – to draw inspiration from the authors you love. However, working to develop and embrace your own unique voice is one of the things that allows your novel to stand on its own two feet. In this blog post, I’m going to explore some ideas that helped me stop sounding too much like an AI version of my favourite authors and instead find my own authentic writing voice.
Get Self-Reflective
Think about your experiences, values, and perspectives that shape your unique identity, and who you are at your core. Think about what makes you passionate about writing and what you want to convey through your work. Think about your individuality and the stories that only you can tell. What can you do that no one else can?
I remember attempting to write in styles (and genres) in my early twenties that I was never going to be capable of keeping up for an entire novel. If your writing style is so unnatural to you that it demands constant effort to be able to get it down on the page, the likelihood is that the speed, volume and quality of your output with be impacted.
Read Widely and Diversely
We are all drawn to certain authors, but make a conscious effort to read beyond the lane of your natural genres, styles, and voices. Opening your mind to a greater range of authors will help you develop storytelling tools.
And instead of – deliberately or otherwise – mimicking an author’s writing style, study what they do, how they structure, how they use language. You will naturally feel the aspects of their writing that resonate with you, but understanding why will help you to construct sentences and passages that take readers to similar places with your own voice.
Also remember to look beyond authors for inspiration. Explore other art forms, such as music, podcasts, and film, even people you hear in day-to-day life, to stimulate your creativity and shape your own distinct voice.
Write Freely
As with any first draft, give yourself permission to write freely. Focus on getting the thoughts, emotions and ideas down on the page, and embrace the messiness of the creative process. It’s a crucial part of finding your voice.
Alongside writing fiction in this way, I’ve found it useful to get into the routine of writing a daily diary entry. Last thing every night, I open up my ‘Diary’ Google Sheet, and enter a brief summary of stuff that happened, anecdotes and thoughts. I’ve found this useful for me because I won’t endlessly edit or tinker with diary entries. I get it down and move on. That 10-minute sprint before bed also has me spending a little more time each day writing, and working that muscle. The more time I spend writing on instinct, the better my natural writing voice has become.
Embrace the Journey
Remember that finding your voice is a journey, and it won’t happen overnight. Be patient. Embrace the highs and lows as you hone your writing style. Allow yourself to evolve alongside your voice as you explore new creative territories.
By exploring what is unique to you, being open to new inspiration, and writing freely and with patience, you can develop a writing style that is truly and distinctly your own. Embrace the power of your voice and let authenticity live in every word you write in every story you tell.