There’s that old adage, everyone can sing. Some people can sing so well that they make a career out of it. I believe that since everyone can sing, everyone can write. What does your “writing” voice sound like? Margaret Atwood? Maybe it’s a mixture between Doyali Islam and Mordecai Richler. Maybe you haven’t found your “voice” yet.
Different Style
Your memoir isn’t going to sound the same as another memoir. We all have different styles. Music runs the gamut from traditional opera, to country, to pop and this is the same with books. Like singers, writers all have different voices.
How to Find Your Voice
The first step (and biggest) in finding your writing voice is to write. Sounds simple doesn’t it yet many people avoid putting in the work. Singers don’t step on stage without practicing a single note. Writers should also be working on writing.
Another way to find your voice is through other writers. Read your favourite authors and see how they structure their sentences, express tone and use words to take you on journeys.
Experiment with Your Voice
Get out of your comfort zone and write in the third person or the first. Write a song. Write a poem. Write a screenplay. Write something funny. Write something sad. Write something scary. Write something that takes you in another direction.
Hire a Professional
It sounds like a contradiction – have someone find my voice for me? But it’s not like that. A voice coach brings out the best in a singer. A writing coach does the same thing for a writer.
If you’re looking to strengthen your “voice,” I offer personalized instruction and coaching in craft and practice. Talk to me! By the way, I’ve always thought my voice was a sprinkle of Lucy Maud Montgomery with a pinch of Ernest Hemingway.
