Writing, Self-Publishing, Book Marketing

Write Your Book: Crafting a Voice

January 15, 2010 at 3:03 pm mbutler22 Leave a comment

A Voice. It is what every writer wants to have and every reader longs to read. A written identity, yours and mine, unique to each of us. We know it’s there, in the mix of all our thoughts, ideas, and hopes for our version visible on paper. But, how do we uncover our personal writing voice and craft a personality recognizable by readers?

Written words say something about who you are, whether it is your interests, an angle you prefer to take, or something a little more personal. Your voice is your writing style. It is your story, the way you tell it.

It’s easy to get caught up in the appreciation of our favorite authors, recognizing what it is that gives them their voices. And it is also okay to practice with techniques learned from the authors you read. But don’t restrain your abilities and your voice by only mimicking what has already been done.

Here are a few ways to help keep you on the path of sharing your voice:

Let passion be your guide. Follow your urge to write. Follow your ideas and inspirations.

Find the Feeling. Each piece of writing has an underlying feeling. Find the feeling that belongs to what you are writing and let yourself go. The piece may then write itself.

Write like you talk. It may really be that simple. Try speaking aloud or recording your thoughts before you begin to write.

Keep it personal. Let who you are shine in your writing. Your specialties and interests will color your words.

Edit later. Leave the focus on mechanics to the editing stage. Just write. Let yourself make mistakes and you can fix them later. There are no bad first drafts.

The easiest free flowing form of writing is your voice; it’s the one that comes naturally and from your core. It is the internal voice that made you fall in love with writing, the voice that wants to be heard. Be yourself in your writing. Announce that this is you and this is what the readers can expect when reading your work.

–Melissa                                                                                

Next Week: Let’s dig into story development. See you then…

Entry filed under: Writing. Tags: Author Voice, Craft Your Writing Voice, Self-Publishing, Voice, Writer's Voice, Writing Voice.