Different Types Of Voices In Writing

Writer's Voice: What Is It and How to Find Yours.

Writers wish their writing to be captivating and inspiring. No matter if it's prose or poetry; novels, blog articles or personal essays — those who write strive to have a distinctive writing style. A unique voice.

Texts without a voice are sterile, empty of meaning. So, how can we ask the reader to read our voiceless text? They have no way of identifying themselves with the characters or the plot; there's no life in the words!

What is the writer's voice?

First, I'll tell you what it isn't:

. It's not the writer's writing style;

. It's not their technique;

. It' s not their brand.

The writer's voice isn't something you can measure; it's subjective. But possible to be defined and identified.

The writer's voice doesn't include only wording, grammar or structure: it's much more than that. It's the personal way the writer sees the world, how s/he translates it.

We all see a pineapple the same way, however, when describing it, each one of us will use our own approach and perspective. I can describe its colour, you, its texture, others its taste,…

The writer's voice carries their experiences and personality.

The literary agent, Rachel Gardner, defines the writer's voice like this:

Your writer's voice is the expression of YOU on the page.

It's you, as a person, that gives life to the writing: you offer emotions and feelings to the characters.

The readers want that connection: they want to feel the same as the characters, to see through their eyes. Only your voice will give them that.

Writing faithfully to your voice it's writing with emotion, with your feelings, passions and dislikes, believes, dreams, wishes, fears and attitudes.

Which elements are part of your writer's voice?

Personality

As I said, your voice should reflect you: your emotions and beliefs; what moves you.

Through your voice, your readers should feel you. But don't be an intruder in your writing; you're not your characters!

However, in fiction (opposite to scientific or technical texts that must be impersonal), your writing should be humanised.

Your personality — as a whole and its specific traits — influences your writing voice.

Your personality should breathe out your feelings about the topic you're writing. It's you who must trigger in your reader the sensations you wish them to feel. And it's through your voice that you're going to achieve it.

Tone

The tone you use in your writing is the most important element of your voice.

When you talk you reveal a lot about yourself, and how're feeling . this happens because of your tone. On writing is the same but, instead of voice changes (supported by nonverbal language), you use punctuation, wording; you polish your syntax…

When you communicate through writing, you create "special effects". The way each element of your writing connects is what gives you a unique voice.

How you say things is as much important as what you say.

There are several voice tones you can adopt in your writing: humour, drama, dark, intimate, jovial, sophisticated, ironic,…

The tone you'll use will have a big impact on your branding, it's an important part of it.

You don't have to use always the same tone — you can adjust it to what you're writing. For instance, I write my short stories in an intimate, slow-paced tone; but my blogging is informal and straightforward.

There are several factors that influence your writing voice (the type of narrator, time, content,…). The important is to be consistent: through the text and within the style you're writing.

Rhythm

This is another important element of your writing voice. It's the rhythm that marks the pace of the text.

You deliver rhythm to your writing through phrase structure, the length of the paragraphs, alliterations, rhymes or punctuation.

Contrary to the tone (a subjective element), rhythm is technical.

Your writing voice is mutable

Writers are by nature, versatile.

We can write in different styles, deeper in one matter, or scratch the surface in another. We can write novels or short stories; how-to articles or poems.

But whatever you write, your voice is always a key element.

Unlike many writers, that consider the writer's voice is built up from scratch; I believe it's innate.

For me, our writing voice is personal and intransmissible. And although we improve it in time (with practice and inspirations), we always carried our writer's voice.

But being personal and unique doesn't mean our voice is an immutable organism. No! The writer's voice can change. Depending on what we write, we adjust our voice (just like when we talk).

If I write a story that happened in the XVII century, I won't use the same voice as if it happened last week. I have to transport myself to that time and "live" in their frozen stone houses and bear those powerful smells.

Singly, these elements don't make my voice but, as a whole, they do. Each one of them will affect me and, because of it, my voice will show it.

How to find your writer's voice

You must be honest and loyal to yourself.

Your writer's voice will not be copied or acquired. Instead, it's inspired and improved. It sprouts and grows inside you.

Finding your voice is a process — you have to write and test it, over and over.

To perfect your voice, you must write. A lot, there's no other way. You must train and vary your writing; to cut elements and try new ones; to test different techniques.

The more you write, the more you develop and improve your voice — to a point that it will be spontaneous; you won't have to think if a certain element belongs in the sentence; if you should choose a different one. You will know.

Also, read as much as you can. Read authors with a strong voice, authors you admire: drink from their fountains, test their techniques, try to write the way they do.

Then, take a deep breath and let it flow, with all your senses.

And enjoy the writing!

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