creative writing about voice

10 Questions to Find Your Unique Writing Voice

by Joe Bunting | 42 comments

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Why is it that when you love someone's writing, you want to read every book they've ever written? Why is it that some readers will buy all of J.K. Rowling's books, even if she's writing in a completely different genre than the  Harry Potter  series? And for us writers, how can we go from “unknown writer” to “published author”?

It's all about your writing voice.

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Photo by BdwayDiva1 (creative commons). Adapted by The Write Practice.

What Is a Writing Voice?

Whether you write fiction or non-fiction, you must find your writing voice. But what does that mean?

Your writing voice is not your particular writing style, although style is part of voice. It's also not the tone of your writing, although tone is part of voice as well.

Your writing voice is your unique way of looking at the world.

And the unique part is essential.

A writer who sees the world the same as everyone else has either lost their voice or never found it in the first place.

Readers lined up for the next Harry Potter book because J.K. Rowling has a unique way of looking at the world . She revealed a hidden world, filled with extraordinary people, secret wars, and magical creatures.

Readers are so impatient for George R.R. Martin's next book because he has a unique way of looking at the world.  In his world, heroes are killed, the bad guys win (at least for a while), and what's right isn't always what's smart.

J.D. Salinger has a unique way of looking at the world, as does J.R.R. Tolkien, Cormac McCarthy, Anne Rice, Tom Clancy, Ernest Hemingway, and so many other writers people love.

If you want to be a great writer, you need to find a unique voice.

How to Find Your Writing Voice?

It starts by developing your  sight . Here's an exercise to help you see the world in a unique way:

What Do You Value Most?

Morality is essential to every story, regardless of whether you're writing fiction or non-fiction. Even business books have a moral viewpoint (e.g. making money = good, waste = bad).

What is your moral worldview:

• What is most important in life? Family, love, courage, sacrifice?
• Do the good guys always win?  If you only enjoy books where the hero wins at the end, then this is an important part of how you see the world.
• What's  not okay  to you (e.g. poverty, selfishness, rape, orphans, infidelity, loneliness, betrayal)?  Write about  that!

People Watch

Next time you're in a public place, look at the people around you. Really  see them.

• What are they hiding ? What are their secrets ?  Everyone has something that they think if people found out, they would be rejected and excluded.
• Is he a good guy ? Is he a bad guy ?  And remember, even the villains think they're the good guy.
• What does she want ? What's stopping her from getting it?  A good story requires desire and conflict.
• Who does she rely on?  Most protagonists have a sidekick . (Most antagonists have a sidekick too!)
• What is their ideal place? What would be the most terrifying/uncomfortable/lonely/boring place for them?

Observe Your Surroundings

Setting is an important character in every story, whether you're writing fiction or non-fiction. Take a deep breath and look around you:

• What are your eyes drawn to?   If you squint, what do you automatically look at? Describe  that!
• How does what you're seeing make you feel?

The Secret Ingredient to Becoming a Great Writer

What's the secret ingredient to becoming a great writer?

The secret is that there is no secret ingredient. J.K Rowling can't help you. Neither can George R.R. Martin or Ernest Hemingway or any other great writer.

It's just  you .

YOU already have a unique way of looking at the world. YOU already have a unique writing voice.

You're not one in a million. You're one in six billion.

To unearth your writing voice, all you have to do is write word after painful word. Today is a great day to start!

Have you found your unique writing voice?  Share in the comments .

Ask the questions above. Then, after you've spent some time thinking about each one, free write for fifteen minutes . When you're finished, get feedback on what you've written by posting it in the comments section . And if you post, please be sure to give feedback to your fellow writers.

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Joe Bunting

Joe Bunting is an author and the leader of The Write Practice community. He is also the author of the new book Crowdsourcing Paris , a real life adventure story set in France. It was a #1 New Release on Amazon. Follow him on Instagram (@jhbunting).

Want best-seller coaching? Book Joe here.

42 Comments

You’re so right, Joe. It’s writing day after day, for YEARS, when you really feel comfortable in your skin to BE who you really are. That’s true for both fiction and nonfiction. Wonderful insights, thanks.

Exactly. Thanks Marcy!

thanks marcy

That list of questions is incredibly helpful, Joe. Thank you for this post!

Awesome. I’m so glad it helped, Joy! Thanks!

Time is coming about like seashells running through space, and regardless of tabletops and napkin holders there’s very little in this world that’s going to stop it. Hell, there’s not much that can stop anything, let alone you. You are a monster truck, but that’s besides the point. Today’s story is brought to you by the letter J.

Once upon a time, and it was not that long ago otherwise this story would be stale and unneeded, there was a man, the God heroine prays to. He had a needle stabbed into his arm, flopping around almost like an accessory, with small lines of blood slowly running into the bandage he’d placed just below it. He was wearing a three piece suit, the sleeves rolled up past his elbows, with a black watch on each of his hairy arms. He was almost bear like really; thick eyebrows that almost met but never quite had the chance to become lovers, scraggly beard that coated every inch of his face like frosting on a cake, and wild hair that, though an attempt had been made to contain it, was haphazardly strewn about the top of his head. He held a leather briefcase in his hand, and was walking just before the boundary necessary to call it a sprint. He kept glancing up and down at his watch, very much in a hurry. The countryside he walked in was idyllic; the sunset colors bounced gently off the slopes of the hills nearby, the sky seemingly ablaze with flamingo colors. A small town in the distance was steadily growing, revitalized by the puberty of the man’s perspective, and the crunch under his feet was growing steadily softer. He licked his lips; he was ready to make his move. He burst into a sprint, dropping the briefcase, and ripped off his outer jacket, spreading his arms out wide as he howled at the top of his lungs. He spun around in place, screaming and wooping, wiggling his fingers as if possessed and then he took to kissing the grown, feeling the gravel against his now moistened lips and loving it. He rolled around on the ground, arms and legs tucked in slightly, and he felt as if he was a husky, suddenly freeing itself to the morning snow. He took out his phone and immediately went on Twitter, going on and on about the sudden joy he felt, how every problem in his life seemed to melt away, dripping off the tabletop that was previously mentioned into a jar to immediately be used to pollute the ocean. But that didn’t matter; all was okay. He crawled towards the briefcase, panting rapidly, and flung it open, looking at the various folded up pairs of boxers inside of it. He dug through them like a spoiled child on Christmas, looking for the prize, the golden ticket to his escapade. At last, he found it, tucked under porno magazines and a suspiciously sticky tie; a gallon Ziploc bag, filled to the very top with cocaine. He screamed and wooped, grabbing it out of the bag and running even faster to the town, holding it in one hand tightly against his chest. When he finally got into town, he made a bolt for the fountain at the center of it, an imitation Michelangelo statue spitting half clean water into a basin where people tossed their hard earned pocket change in, hoping to exchange it for dreams, as if such things can be that easily bought. The man grabbed the bag with both hands, stopping short of falling in, then turned around and back flopped into the fountain. His back hit the outer rim, shattering his spine, and he collapsed into the shallow water, now partially paralyzed. This didn’t dissuade his joy; he just kept laughing and laughing, the bag’s contents slowly seeping into the water and slowly converting it into a pinkish sludge and producing a foul smell of vinegar. The townspeople say that, to this very day, the man still rolls over to the fountain and lays in it, breathing in the heavy fumes of nostalgia and begging God to let him relive something that perfect one more time.

Moral of the story: Heroin + LSD=fucking amazing stuff

Wow. This is so fun, Audrey! It’s so vivid, and I liked the way you played with all of these crazy images.

Thank you, Joe! Someone in my writing group that I respect a lot has been telling me he hears my voice in my nonfiction but not in the novel I am getting ready to publish. But my novel absolutely addresses what I value most! I think he’s is confusing my characters’ voices with my voice and is unable to find ME in them, but I am there which I think is the beauty of great fiction. You are there but readers don’t recognize you! Thanks for affirming what I already believed to be the truth.

I have a question for you Joe, aroused by this topic. You have all i’m sure read several of my practices where I go into dept on how i feel about a certain thing. with those practices i can hear my voice in it, and my words flow. when I write fantasy or work on my WIP that same feeling goes away. I’m not sure if i’m doing something wrong or if my writing voice simply comes in different ways when i write fiction. I’ve been thinking about whether or not fiction is my genre. I write a whole lot better when describing previous experiences of real life stories. How can I tell what genre i’m the best at writing?

John, a poor guy is in love with a girl named Shea. Shea, is very rich, and her father is in real estate business; she also love to travel around different places. Whenever, Shea leaves her home for a big tour then John never miss to follow her till her return. John, says that he can do everything for her, even if needed he can be slave for her. John is such a great lover that he has already did a lot of things for Shea, and not let her know about them. Shea loves to spend sometime with orphans, and she also donate them cash from her pocket, which is just amazing to see. Shea believes that no-one is poor or rich, but everyone are humans and they are alike. Her, heart is really too kind that she behave so good and friendly with her poor servants. Shea’s mother is no-more with her, but Shea always misses her mother. Mr.Justin the father of Shea also know that her daughter still feels so sad when she remember her mother. Mr.Justin is also a nice person, he gives charity to poor, and still feel very good about spending more on poor people. John, always thinks that how can he love such a rich girl like Shea, and sometimes when he compare himself to her, he feels that he is nothing near her, even he know that her servants are more rich than him. However, it is said that love is blind and it has no limits John still loves Shea even knowing all those problems. One day John is following Shea and suddenly she saw him following her; she stopped and called John “I saw you, now don’t hide yourself from me.” John was shocked and he stopped.

Thanks, for such a great article I’ve tried to write something from my side using 15 minute timer, it wil be nice if you give me some advice about what I’ve written. Thanks!

I have a question that kind of goes along with this: Do writers go through phases like painters?

When I think of beaches, I usually think of white sand and neon blue water caressing a shoreline strewn with seashells. However, the beach I came to love had none of these things. Its shores were dotted with clam shells and pebbles, the sand brown and sticky under bare skin. The water was a deep blue gray, the color of storm clouds before the first roar of thunder breaks. This beach was my escape, my paradise away from the harsh realities of life. It was on this beach that I was born, and it was on this beach that I would die. His name was William. His jaw was shrouded in stubble, his eyes sharp and cold. One could see more ink on his arms than skin. He didn’t intimidate me like he did others. I found him mysterious, a puzzle to pull apart and put together again. “Ruby, you can’t fawn over a man like him. Most sea faring men like him are criminals.”

This is wonderful. Pulls me in and makes me want to go along with her. 🙂

This is incredible! I want to read the rest of it.

Joe- your piece really helped me get a stronger grasp on my world view. Also, your remarks at Jeff Goins’ recent workshop were quite helpful. Thank you!

Thanks for sharing; appreciate it.

I love this article! It’s really true and very encouraging. I’ll have to keep all this in mind when I write. Thank you for sharing! 🙂

Thanks for the reminder, Joe. Sometimes it gets discouraging when editors aren’t open to the same kind of material they’ve always accepted. I’ve learned from the responses I’ve received from those who took the time, that it often wasn’t the story, it was the voice. An example is having an ending where the protagonist doesn’t win. It’s a hard sell.

As time goes on, and I “mature” along with it, my voice and viewpoint on life has changed. As a result, the markets available to me are different. The important thing, as you have alluded to, is to remain true to one’s own voice. Enjoy the worlds you create and fall in love with the characters that inhabit them.

I agree. “Today is a great day to start!”

These are really good questions, not just for us writers to ask, but also for our characters to ask themselves as well about the world around them, and the people that inhabit it. Thank you Joe!

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thanks take it

I haven’t observed my writing voice before coming to your site, but this is a good information with us and next time I observe myself when I write try to listen so that I enjoy and tell another one. See this buy online assignment

She looked around her at the people in the orphanage. They all seemed like helpful people, and cheery, and happy, but but she is only new here, and once people know about her, she will never feel the same. She will never ever. The nice lady with spectacles led her to her room and told her that she will be sharing with some othrr girls, but all of them were laughing and playing downstairs. Then she asked her if she knew any other girls from the old orphanage. Lea shook her head, which made the nice lady with spectacles confused. After inspecting Lea’s face for a while, she realized the girl was sniffing and seem to hopd back tears. “You miss mama and papa?” the lady asked her. “I never met them,” Lea answered. “May I ask what’s wrong?” “She’s too sweet, ” Lea thought, but she didn’t reply and shook her head. What the lady with spectacles did then was pat Lea in the head and say, “You’ll have wonderful friends here, and of you don’t, I can always be your friend, and if you don’t want to see me, remember that being sad won’t make you happy.” The lady then excused herself and left Lea in the room. Lea then broke down and cried so much. She needed time in her old place to get used to how the children treated her, now she had to start doing it again, which was a very painful process. She wasn’t like any of the others and she knew it well. Once the other girls know about her past, they will surely treat her differently. She remembered the things all the other girls kept saying at the old orphanage. “Her parents must be very bad people. Why else would the police take a child once born?” “She’ll never understand a lot of the others here. She never had a family, whilst a lot of us saw them slaughtered in front of our own eyes.” “Do you think her parents were legal? Why else would they seperate the family? ” There was much more and more she hated. Lea then tried drying her tears. What will happen if someone opened the door and saw her lying there? But ot was too late, because she heard the door squeak. Written quickly on a small mobile screen so typos might be found.

Not enough description. Inaccurate child p.o.v If she’s a nice lady in our pov characters perspective, then we can assume Lea is naive, but then she says the woman is ‘too nice’. This starts the reader off with a dissonant view of your character. The flashback is a nice idea, however you could add grounding detail to enhance it and bring the reader to the memory itself.

I wrote this a couple of month’s ago, and reading it again gave me an objective view. I do agree with your opinion, you know. I actually feel kind of disgusted at it XD. Guess I’ll just need t work harder, right mate?

Thanks for contributing your important time to post such an interesting & useful collection of knowledgeable resources, that are always of great need to everyone. Please keep continue sharing.

Writer @ college essay writing service

Voice: Erma Bombeck certainly had it in spades. She could write about putting a roll of toilet paper on the spindle and make it sparkle with humor and wit. Her shopping list was probably entertaining.

What I got from this is… a witty smart-aleck. I read this three times and each time was the same. I felt like the individual was smirking as she remembered a past event.

I have been following this site for a while and this was the first article post that I have read here. I have created an interactive guide to find writing voice based on this. I hope it helps other aspiring writers. http://copyeffect.com/interactive-guide-find-your-writing-voice/

I don’t expect you to follow me or my paradigm, winnow, but I do expect you to honor your commitment. May your word be weighed against your actions in this bargain.

You know as well as I do that if the council becomes aware of our doings that my entire empire will be ruined.

The greyfolds would be on my doorstep and all that I have strived and sacrificed to build would be slowly dismantled piece by piece.

Don’t be concerned about my commitment to ensuring the success of our plan.

Winnow glared at Gizmon from behind her bangs as if to weigh his words.

With all facets considered, Gizmon had in fact put himself at considerable disadvantage and risk by pursuing this endeavor.

Winnow, however stubborn and defensive, had little choice in the matter and Gizmon knew this no doubt.

Perhaps it was his knowledge of Winnow’s vulnerability and desperation that aided in his trusting her.

Winnow turned her head towards the skylight above the courtyard in which they stood then slowly returned her gaze to Gizmon sitting on his mount.

This time her gaze was softer.

“ I will provide the vials” she softly admitted. “ but do not be mistaken Gizmon, if you try to turn on me, I will ensure you fall with me”.

Whoa! I like this a lot! I hope you continued with it!

John was an ordinary person in an ordinary town. Everyday he went to work, his ordinary work, and, after he finished his day, he returned home, his ordinary home with his sweet ordinary family. He was happy, maybe and one day he ended up asking himself “am I happy?”. It’s true: John was an ordinary person, but in his heart he was brave, he had dreams big dreams, but he had never tell anyone. He thought those were only repressed desires and he was scared of telling someone what he wanted “maybe they will judge me, maybe… maybe… maybe” and all continued to go and go until one day something happened. It was a normal day like the other ones, he was crossing the road in front of his house when he saw a little child who didn’t notice a car was going to kill him. he took a breathe and started to run, as fust as he could! He managed to push the child off the street but the car cut off his leg. An ambulance rushed and took him to the hospital. He was alive but he lost a part of his body. This made him think “I need to change my life” and after few minutes he decided to leave everything behind him. He left even his family. But what did he leave everything for? His big dream was to have the change of helping people, so he decided to go to Africa. It was difficult though. He was kind of bullied from the others but he took a decision. After few days he definitively left his home and everything else, he started a new life. Africa was beautiful: the landscape, the people and the work too! Everything seemed to be perfect. It was one year he was there, he missed his family and he sent them some postcard from his new city. After few months him wife understood his decision and accepted it. years and years went by and at the end he decided to come home, but just after the last mission: make the city free. In fact his African city wasn’t that free: he was controlled by an american multinational who slaved people and made them work for at least 18 hours per day. He and his best friend Abasi organised everything for months and citizens took part of the plan because they were sick of everything. The day came and when the sun arose they attached the factory and the guard. It took few minutes to make the city free again. He cried, everybody cried. He returned to his ordinary city with the heart full of joy: his ordinary city wasn’t the ordinary city of the past, everything changed and his dream came true. He was happy now!

I love the story! However, I think it could use more details. Maybe talk more about why he decided to leave his family, and what he was feeling as he did? Great story, and keep up the good work~

Wow I didn’t expect an answer after 5 months ahaha. Well thank you really much! I wrote that story in just 30 minutes so I didn’t think a lot about the details but it’s true that I could have written something else! Thank you really much! You have just made my day 🙂 I’ll keep writing (as I’m doing at the moment) and then maybe I can post my story here 🙂

This white room is the only I have left. Everything else I held close is gone. The people controlling this room have no hearts, no souls. Minds with wicked, twisted intents, and a wild evil grin plastered across their faces is how I imagined them for a while, like the evil scientist from a kids’ cartoon. But worse, keeping me captive and crazy, struggling under their thumbs, helpless. I bet every evil scientist in those cartoons would cringe at the nicest things that the people controlling me do.       I’ve always been that person that can get into the deepest recesses of people and manipulate them, but I didn’t do it for that kind of stuff. I did it to help people, to make them realize what needed to be done for their depression, for their anger, for their guilt. But I have also been easy to get to. I have been manipulated many times before, by the very people that I help. But never to this degree.      The people controlling this room are forcing me to complete challenges. Every day- or so it seems- they put new things into the white room, and I have to figure out what to do with them.         Sounds fun, huh?      In the beginning, it was just the white love seat, the white coffee table, the lightbulb hanging on a wire from the ceiling, and the ceiling, walls, and floor around me. All completely white. The ceiling is only about a foot or two above me, and it’s a popcorn ceiling. I have tried before to stand on the coffee table and peel through it, but behind the popcorn there’s pure steel. So no escape.      The lightbulb, which provides the only light source to the entire space, has never flickered once. It is constant with light, but it shines too bright. So I can’t stand too long staring up at it or my eyes will get spotty and weird. So I get really bored just standing in this too bright room, alone.       After a while, I start to get panicky. I assumed at the start of my time here that I would be let out soon. But many people, in fact,  just about all humans, are too quick to assume. We all assume we are going to be okay and everything will go back to normal, but once things change, we have to get used to them. Then they become the new normal. Humans are great adapters, sometimes.       Probably took me more than 15 minutes, but whatever.

Great Job! I would say the verb tense was a little confusing for me. Writing in the present tense can be difficult if the sentences are too complex. But awesome descriptions! I could see it all clearly.

There once was a girl, who felt the

deep desire to connect to the people of the world.

She wanted to feel the world’s

desires, fears, and injustices. But, she

questioned her abilities, constantly. Was she smart

enough? Was she brave enough? What did she really want?

Ironically, in a 15 minute free writing session to attempt

to define her voice, she wrote about how confused

she was. Was her voice feeling “lost and confused?”

As a journalist, this surely made no sense. How

could she tell factual, relevant, important stories

with a voice that was fragmented? To whom

did she owe her allegiance? What were her

passions? She always wanted to be

a reporter, so she studied the framework

to get there. But, where is the substance? This constant

desperation defined this person and consumed

her feelings towards the world and her

views. At 28, she could not define her

voice. She had no idea what she stood

for. Stupid millenials. Stupid society,

valuing individualism over family. 
Valuing careers over grandparents.

To be free is to be useful to the

world, to provide a service that makes

one feel relevant and needed. Perhaps

that never existed in the media-beast.

Perhaps it doesn’t exist in our

I wrote this while I imaging myself as a famous author in the future. Is this my writing voice? Journalist: Congrats, on your books! But may I ask you a question? Kevin: Go ahead! Journalist: What make you want be an author? Kevin: I got inspired to be an author while watching the Goosebumps the movie. I always like to imagine myself as a minor character or R.L Stine in the movie. Journalist: (Laughing) No wonder you like to write horror stories for childrens. What is your next idea for your upcoming book? Kevin: I do not have any ideas now but the ideas will eventually comes to me if I don’t overthink about it. Journalist: I do hope that your next books will be as good like that the previous book you wrote. Oh yeah! Goosebumps 2 is coming out at 21 September, 2018! Are you going to watch it? Kevin: I hope so too! What really? Never hear the news about it as I’m always spending my times writing stories in my room. But yes, I’m looking foward to watch it. The first movie is the one that inspired me to be an author so I will definely going to watch it the second movie and maybe it also will give me some more good ideas for my upcoming booka. (Smilling) Journalist: (Laughing) I know you will! Because all your fans are waiting impatiently to know what is your next upcoming book all about. Kevin: Of course! That’s why many people like my books very much. It simillar to the Goosebumps books. Every book contain twists, turns and frights. Journalist: (Laughing) You got a point! So I will be waiting for your next book. Kevin: Alright then. I also hope that my books can make into a movie. Journalist: I totally agreed with you! It will also attract many people’s attention to notice my books and read them. Kevin: That the whole reason behind it! Journalist: That is all the questions that I wanted to ask you. I have to go now and it so happy and excited to meet you in person. (Waiting to shake hands with Kevin) Kevin: I’m glad to meet to you as well! (Shaking hands with the journalist) After, the journalist left. Kevin got an idea for his upcoming book. He decided to write a story about a werewolf and the title will be “The Howl Of The Werewolf”.

Great Job! I would say the verb tense was a little confusing for me. But awesome descriptions iike! I could see it all clearly. Writing in the present tense can be difficult if the sentences are too complex.

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What is Writer’s Voice? The Key to Writing a Good Story

• by Laurie Pawlik
• February 16, 2016
• 28 Comments

Ask five writers what voice is in writing, you’ll get 15 different answers. Ultimately, a writer’s voice is the key to writing a good story.

These tips will help free your writer’s voice – they apply to fiction and nonfiction, poetry and blogging. Lately I’ve been obsessed with voice because I think that’s why my agent hasn’t landed me a book contract yet. My ideas are great, but my voice needs work ( ouch ). Here’s what I’ve learned about writing style and voice…

Don’t write to impress, fellow scribes. Write to connect with your readers. Your writer’s voice builds a better bridge to your readers. It’s your fingerprint, it’s your individual writing style, and it gives your writing soul. To learn more about freeing your voice, read  Finding Your Voice: How to Put Personality in Your Writing .

And, use these creative writing tips to become a stronger, more courageous, more successful writer….

5 Tips on Finding Your Writer’s Voice

“Style is an expression of self, and [writers] should turn resolutely away from all devices that are popularly believed to indicate style – all mannerisms, tricks, and adornments,” write Strunk and White in The Elements of Style .

The only “trick” to developing your writ’ers voice and style is to relax and let it flow…

Follow your literary hunches

In an article about menopause for alive magazine, I used the phrases “the crimson tide” and “Aunt Flo” instead of “your period.” I hesitated at first (would readers get it? is it too casual for a health magazine?), but decided to let it rip – and the editor emailed to say she loved those specific phrases! Taking risks when you write will help you find your writer’s voice and trust your hunches.

Learn the difference between good writing and voice

Developing your writer’s voice doesn’t mean you can wax eloquent for hours, ignore punctuation, or forget about editing. Learn and practice the rules of good writing, and you’ll  free your voice. “As you become proficient in the use of language, your style will emerge,” write Strunk and White in The Elements of Style , “because you yourself will emerge…” The more comfortable you are with the rules for good writing, the more your writer’s voice will shine.

Stop comparing yourself to other writers and their voices

You have natural strengths and weaknesses — and so do other writers. Comparing how you write or your writer’s voice to other writers – whether Anne Lamott or the blogger next door – is destructive and suffocating. So, admire other writers’ styles. Nurture your own. Focus on ways to improve your confidence as a writer.

Make envy work for you

If you wrestle with the green-eyed monster from time to time, learn how to harness that energy. Jealousy can work in your favor by showing you what you really want and where you really want your writing career to go. For instance, if you envy a bestselling novelist, then maybe fiction writing is your thing. If you read literary essays in the New Yorker and wish you’d written them, then take a creative writing class and polish up your literary techniques. If you envy freelance writers who make money writing, then maybe it’s time to invest in the latest copy of Writer’s Market !

Speaking of envy, read  The #1 Reason You Haven’t Written the Book You Want to Write .

Picture one specific reader and write to him or her

When a publisher asked me to rewrite a few sample chapters of See Jane Soar, she specifically asked me to make my writing more edgy and quirky. I tried, but it didn’t fly. I was too focused on trying to impress the publisher and get my book published! I hadn’t learned the creative writing tip of picturing one specific reader — one that I’m not trying to impress — and just communicating with her. That publisher rejected my manuscript, and I learned the importance of finding my writer’s voice.

Your writer’s voice can’t be learned. It has to be freed.

For more insight, read Expressive Writing – 5 Ways to Write With Emotion and Hook Readers .

What say you, fellow scribes, about your writer’s voice? I welcome your thoughts below!

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28 thoughts on “What is Writer’s Voice? The Key to Writing a Good Story”

What a great question, Lesley, thank you!

I answered you here:

https://www.theadventurouswriter.com/blogwriting/how-has-your-writing-changed-over-the-years-writing-assessment/

Hi Laurie! You have a great blog. Congratulations on becoming a social worker. I’m curious…has your writing changed much over the years?

Cheers, Lesley

I say get on with the writing and let Voice take care of itself. Anything written will have a Voice. Good writing probably means good Voice too. One could also insert Style in place of Voice and it amounts to the same thing.

Dear Vanessa,

Thank you so much for your kind comments! Another thing about writer’s voice: it can be endearing and charming, and make your readers feel like they know you. If they feel connected to you, they’ll keep reading you…and they’ll tell other people about you.

I think that’s why writers like Anne Lamott are so successful and popular. They’re fantastic writers, but they also have a compelling voice that makes you feel like you’re reading their innermost thoughts.

Dear Laurie,

Great tips – thank you so much! I’ve also just read your brief bio and I’m inspired by your positive approach to life (and all its challenges) and you seem to really have a heart to help others…which is truly beautiful. As a (wo)man thinketh, so is (s)he. (Proverbs 23:7)

Blessings, Vanessa

As I was putting some references on my website, as well as links on the subject of Writer’s Voice, I came across this site and so I took the freedom to add it on the reference section. I’ve also been working on the subject of Voice (as one of the core elements of writing) and thought that perhaps you might be interested in checking out what I wrote, and letting me know if you don’t mind me having put a link to this blog for those wishing to explore the matter further.

Thanks, Laurie! This post was so helpful all around – the quips, the tips, the book referrals and your warm encouragement. 🙂 Will practice immediately!

All the best and tashi delay (“I recognize the greatness in you” in Tibetan),

Pauline Freelance writer

I know this may sound crazy, but I think some writers are afraid to find or even use their voice for fear of backlash from family and friends. On the other hand, some get burned out from writing in one particular voice. For example, I’m the type of writer who doesn’t want to be ‘boxed in’ to one type of voice. Where’s the fun in that? It’s one of the reasons I stopped guest blogging. I got tired of my ‘voice’ and am looking for new opportunities where I can be witty, humorous, snarky, and satirical. Change is good.

Tips for Developing Your Voice in Writing

by Melissa Donovan | May 6, 2021 | Creative Writing | 12 comments

Develop your voice in writing.

Each and every writer has a distinct way of writing. We repeat certain words, phrases, and expressions; there are patterns in how we arrange words in sentences and paragraphs, and our writing often carries a recognizable tone and rhythm.

The term for this is voice .

Wikipedia defines one’s voice in writing as “ a combination of common usage of syntax, diction, punctuation, character development, dialogue, etc., within a given body of text (or across several works). ”

In several of my college literature courses, we were given long lists of quotes from literary works, and we had to identify the author of each one. The professors didn’t expect us to memorize the entire literary canon; we were to have learned how to identify each author’s voice.

How to Develop Your Voice in Writing

It can take years for a writer to develop a distinct voice. Some writers have a natural voice. Others work at crafting a unique voice with a particular tone or attitude. And plenty of writers don’t think about voice at all. But voice is a key element of writing, because it represents you as a writer and can help readers connect with your work. For example, some readers will be turned off by a sarcastic tone whereas others may be drawn to it. By cultivating your voice, you can exert more creative control over your work and its performance in the marketplace.

Here are some tips for developing your voice in writing:

• Study literature. You can do this in a formal setting, but you can also study on your own. Read several works by the same author. Take notes about the identifying features of the writer’s voice. Compare the voices of two or more authors.
• Describe authors’ voices, including your own. After reading a piece, make a list of five words that describe the author’s voice. Was it serious? Funny? Witty? Review your own work and do the same.
• Talk to someone. Not literally. Your tone and manner changes, depending on whom you’re speaking with. You probably don’t talk to your grandmother the same way you talk to your best friend. Now apply that to your writing. Who are your readers? How do you talk to them?
• Get an outside opinion. Show your work to some friends and ask them to describe your voice in three words or fewer. Do their descriptions of your voice in writing match the voice you want to project?
• Be your best self. Try writing as naturally as you can. Don’t think too much as you put the words down. Focus more on the thoughts, ideas, and images that you’re expressing. Review the piece to examine your voice. Is that the real you? Are there parts of your voice that you want to work on, like phrases you repeat too often or words that are unnecessary? Fine-tune your voice in writing.
• Personality: If you’re writing a history text, the style should be without any discernible personality. But in creative writing, readers connect with prose that shows style and personality. Does your writing match your personality? Does it take on a new persona, depending on what you’re writing? Ask some friends if they detect your personality in your prose.
• Emotion: Many creative works are emotional. Horror stories often have a scary or brooding tone. Romance can range from passionate to humorous. Does the emotional tone of your voice match the emotional tone of your work?

The best way to develop your voice in writing is to simply pay attention. Examine other writers’ voices as well as your own. Ask challenging questions about how your voice comes across, put some effort into crafting a voice that is identifiable and uniquely yours, and keep writing!

12 Comments

I have often noticed that writers tend to have a favourite way of putting things, and that they often have ‘pet incidents’ that seem to find their way into more than one novel, even if the characters are not continuations of those in earlier books. Linton Barclay is a fine example of this is his excellent crime novels, and even Stephen King has recurring and ‘ouchy’ references to poison ivy!

I don’t know if you are aware of the website ‘I write like’? You probably wouldn’t approve of it, but it can be quite interesting; I have got the same author each time I have submitted my stuff to it, so at least it is consistent!

Have a good day, Melissam

Best wishes,

I haven’t heard of the website I Write Like , but it looks interesting. I’m not sure about the technology behind it, but if it really compares our prose to that of established authors, then it would be interesting to see who we write like. Right now I cannot get the site to load, so I’ll have to check it out later.

I know I have a writing style, and I believe I am consistent -but I haven’t the foggiest idea what that would be.

Words flow through me, with little forethought. The stories come alive as I type them on my screen. I hope that others will enjoy my words, but I am as untrained as a new born babe. Scary, uh?

I liked this article. Thanks for giving all of us these wonderful tips.

People find their style in different ways. Some of us write a lot and may even change according to people’s reactions. Although I have learned to be more careful when commenting to posts and others’ comments, I chose the way I wrote in my novel and I wasn’t about to change it for anyone but myself. Though I did discover from my editor certain pesky words or phrases that I tended to repeat. I may have used the word “just” about 50 times! Sherrie

Me too — the best thing about working with an editor was discovering my own writing quirks!

I don’t think it’s scary. I think it’s pretty cool! You’re welcome.

Great post, Melissa. I like the advice to compare several works by the same author to get a handle on what makes their voice distinct. Will share this on Twitter.

Kind regards, Bridget

Thanks, Bridget!

An interesting post. I’m unsure what my voice is. It’s not humerous, that I do know. You Talk about favourite words and phrases, or particular incidents as part of ‘voice’. But we are often told to check for these writing ‘tics’ and eliminate them. Wouldn’t this alter the writer’s voice?

I’m not sure what is meant by writing “tics.” Yes, any writer can have favorite words, phrases, or habits that are either good or bad (or neutral). Of course, if it weakens the writing, we should try to eliminate a habit. As an example of what I was describing, one person might always say, “Terrific!” upon receiving good news while another person might always say, “That’s awesome!” It’s just a preferred word or phrase that is one part of someone’s voice (in writing).

You have covered a really interesting topic here. And from what I have experienced, the voice keeps evolving through time, experiences, and emotions. And I think that is the reason that when I look back at my own work, that once I loved, now seems a little less appealing. It is truly intriguing to be able to notice changes in your own voice because of how much your personality is different yet similar to the person you were before.

Thanks for sharing such a thought-provoking article, I admire your voice 🙂

I agree that many writers’ voices change over time. Interesting, isn’t it?

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Creative Writing: Finding Your Voice is designed to help you write clearly and strongly in your own unique voice, bringing your full self to your writing process every time you write. This course will guide you through the first and most essential part of finding your writing voice: how to bring your senses and sense memories to the forefront and channel them into your writing. No one has ever seen the world from your perspective before, in the order, time, and context you’'ve experienced it. Your sense memories stimulate your readers’ imagination, forcing them to respond with their own sense memories, filling your words with their stuff.

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Lesson 1: Sense-Bound Writing—What Writing

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Lesson 2: Writing from Person—Who Writing

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• Working with Nouns and Verbs
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• Noun/Noun Collisions
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• Finding Metaphors in Deeper Detail
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• Determining Essential Qualities
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• Reversing Metaphor Direction
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• Working Both Directions

Lesson 11: Reversing Direction through Linking Qualities

• Reversing Direction through Linking Qualities
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Lesson 12: The Grand Finale

• Final Project: Sharing Your Voice

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Pat Pattison is a professor at Berklee College of Music, where he teaches lyric writing and poetry. In addition to his four books, Songwriting Without Boundaries  (Penguin/Random House), Writing Better Lyrics, 2nd Edition (Penguin/Random House), The Essential Guide to Lyric Form and Structure (Hal Leonard), and The Essential Guide to Rhyming (Hal Leonard), Pat has developed several online courses for Berklee Online. He has written more than 50 articles for various blogs and magazines, including American Songwriter , and has chapters in both The Poetics of American Song Lyrics (University Press of Mississippi) and The Handbook on Creative Writing (Edinburgh University Press).

Mark Sholtez is an ARIA nominate and APRA award winning songwriter and recordings artist. He was the first Australian artist to record for the legendary Verve record label , and his career to date has included collaborations with multiple Grammy winning producer Tommy LiPuma (Barbra Streisand, George Benson, Miles Davis), Grammy Life Time Achievement recipient and noted veteran engineer Al Schmitt (Frank Sinatra, Elvis Presley, Michael Jackson), and multiple Grammy winning producer Larry Klein (Joni Mitchel, Herbie Hancock, Tracy Chapman).

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Carlow Today & Tomorrow | Blog

Creating a more just and merciful world, how to find and develop your writing voice.

Whether it is through a news article, company blog post or creative storytelling, writing expresses a voice.

A writer’s voice refers to the stylistic mix of vocabulary, tone, point of view and syntax that makes words flow in a particular way. Written works can also represent multiple voices, including that of a narrator and individual characters or personas. The voice in a piece of writing is a defining characteristic that touches the reader instinctively.

Elements of Voice in Writing

Voice is one of the most important features of literature and non-fiction writing and affects how the material is read and received—completely setting the mood. Multiple authors could address the same subject differently. Furthermore, a story could be told in many ways and the results would be very different.

Voice is set by word selection, writing structure and pace. It can express the author’s emotions, feelings, attitudes and point of view, which can be conveyed by philosophical and psychological indicators.

Consider the elements that make up voice in writing:

• Diction, or the author’s choice of words, chosen to communicate a particular effect
• Detail includes facts, observations, reasons, examples and events used to develop the story
• Syntax, the way words are arranged, encompasses word order, sentence length, sentence focus and punctuation
• Imagery, or the visual representation of sensory experience, evokes a vivid experience, conveys specific emotions and suggests particular ideas

The aforementioned elements of voice create tone, including word selection (diction), arrangement (syntax) and the use of details and images. Tone is the writer’s, or narrator’s, attitude toward the subject and audience.

By working on these elements, writers develop their unique voices. Their work will be understood for what it is intended to be. That can be witty, straightforward, lighthearted, argumentative, persuasive or any other feeling.

Business Writing and Content Personality

Establishing a voice in writing is beneficial for all types of writers, including those who write for businesses and brands. It is important to develop a distinct voice that builds rapport and offers value to readers. Connecting with the audience establishes trust.

Copywriters, public relations specialists and technical writers are professionals commonly associated with a variety of business writing. Their voices must reveal professional acumen to executives, coworkers, clients and industry-wide audiences. Writers who work on customer-facing materials must also combine brand personality with grammar and customer value with rhetorical devices. A goal is for the business or brand to be associated with a certain quality and unique perspective. Voice, therefore, must reflect the manner of speaking the audience is most familiar with and be meaningful and helpful to them.

For all forms of writing, a strong voice makes every word count and establishes a relationship with readers. This is why developing a voice is important for writers.

Express Yourself As a writer, you have to set yourself apart. Find your unique voice and unlock your creative potential at Carlow University. Carlow offers Bachelors in Communications and Creative Writing degree programs where you will learn to find and develop your writing voice with clarity, verve and imagination.

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• Ethical Standards for Creative Writing
• Essential Practices For Anyone Who Wants To Use Podcasting As A Communication Medium

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What is a Writer’s Voice & How to Find and Develop Your Writing Voice

by Fija Callaghan

Think about who your favorite authors are. Now, ask yourself why they’re your favorites. Is it because of the clever plot twists and turns of phrase ? Is it because of the way they craft compelling, believable characters ? All of these things are part of making a great story, but if you love returning to the same author again and again it’s probably due to something much simpler—their voice . The way they tell the story.

What is voice in writing?

A writer’s voice, also called a literary voice, is a blend of the writer’s personal style, tone, personality, vocabulary, syntax, and unique experiences. In simpler terms, it’s the personal expression of that writer and no one else. Many writers can be identified by the unique way their voices sound on the page, even when the narrators and genres change.

Regardless of the story’s genre or time period, certain stylistic trademarks will consistently make their way into any given writer’s work. These can include the way sentences are structured: some writers might favor short, snappy sentences while others like indulgent sentences held aloft by a small army of commas that go on for a third of the page. The energy to those sentences might be intimate, lighthearted, and approachable, or they might be more objective and distant. This all becomes part of a writer’s signature style.

You’ll also see the same thematic elements in a writer’s work, even when the plots and characters change. This is because deep down, writers are often trying to communicate the same central ideas to their audiences over and over, since they’re things the authors care about deeply. This passion will naturally become a part of the stories that they tell.

A writer’s voice can also be a reflection of the relationship they have with the reader and with the world around them.

Some writers might find ironic humor in every moment of their story. Some might converse with the reader with a comfortable intimacy, like a sibling or friend. Others might be drawn to the beauty all around them, exploring it with rich, sensual imagery in any genre of work.

You’ll be instinctively drawn to these energies in the work of the writers you love. When you begin writing your own stories and developing your own unique voice, you’ll find that your own energy and tone begins to shine through more and more.

The writer’s voice vs. character’s voice

It’s important to note that the writer’s voice isn’t the same thing as their characters’ voices. A writer’s voice is the expression of the author; a character’s voice is the unique way in which their fictional characters express themselves.

In a well-written story, two characters might speak in very different ways depending on their social class, location, and upbringing. Giving your characters different voices is a wonderful exercise in characterization.

For example, if you write a story about a troubled city-bred teenager going to visit his ailing grandmother in the countryside, it’s unlikely that the teenager and the grandmother would speak in the same style. They’d probably have different vocabularies, different ways of putting their sentences together, and they’d speak at different paces.

Showing these two character voices realistically is not an easy thing to do, but a wonderful way to grow as a writer.

The writer’s voice vs. point of view

In creative writing, authors also need to choose a point of view from which to express the story.

The most common point of view styles are first person (told from the character’s perspective, using the pronoun “I”), third person limited, and third person omniscient (both told through the narrator’s voice, using the pronouns “He,” “She,” and “They”). However, there are other point of view styles you can use like second person and fourth person.

Some of these perspectives will be closer to the characters, and others will be more distant. In a closer, more intimate perspective, you may find that the author’s voice and the character’s voice overlap. In a more removed point of view, you may find that the story being told begins to sound less like your individual characters and more like you.

5 distinctive writer’s voices

Some writers in literature have such instantly recognizable voices that you would never mistake them for anyone else; they’ve inspired generations of imitators, as well as new authors who have learned from them before going on to develop unique voices of their own.

Let’s look at some of the most iconic writer’s voices in literature.

1. Mark Twain

Now the way that the book winds up is this: Tom and me found the money that the robbers hid in the cave, and it made us rich. We got six thousand dollars apiece—all gold. It was an awful sight of money when it was piled up. Well, Judge Thatcher he took it and put it out at interest, and it fetched us a dollar a day apiece all the year round—more than a body could tell what to do with.

Mark Twain was the original American everyman. Unlike many of his contemporaries who were writing in high literary voices, he wrote stories using a first-person narrator drenched in the slang and colloquialisms of the time. This made it feel like you were hearing an account from a close friend instead of reading a highbrow literary work.

The quote above is from his magnum opus, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn , a book that was incredibly ahead of its time and is still being debated today. His casual intimacy made his stories feel marvelously present and immersive for readers.

2. Raymond Chandler

It was about eleven o’clock in the morning, mid October, with the sun not shining and a look of hard wet rain in the clearness of the foothills. I was wearing my powder-blue suit, with dark blue shirt, tie and display handkerchief, black brogues, black wool socks with dark blue clocks on them. I was neat, clean, shaved and sober, and I didn’t care who knew it. I was everything the well-dressed private detective ought to be. I was calling on four million dollars.

Raymond Chandler has been called “the father of the noir genre,” and is famous for his gritty, lightly sardonic detective novels of the 1930s and 1940s. His narration is made up of short, snappy clauses, one- and two-syllable word choice, and lines of dialogue that keep the pace swift. His writing voice has a marvelous gift for conveying time and place.

The quote shown here is the opening to his first major novel, The Big Sleep , which later became a cult favorite film starring Humphrey Bogart. Right away he shows us a self-aware depreciation that endears us to the central character and lands us squarely in the sharp, well-developed lines of the setting.

3. Jane Austen

It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife. However little known the feelings or views of such a man may be on his first entering a neighborhood, this truth is so well fixed in the minds of the surrounding families, that he is considered as the rightful property of some one or other of their daughters.

So begins one of the most iconic romantic comedies of all time. Jane Austen wrote with a soft, romantic neoclassicism, hiding a sarcastic and rich perception of the human condition behind the socially acceptable formality of the time.

Her author’s voice contains sentences are often long and languid and sepia-toned. If you read her work and pay attention, however, you’ll notice a cutting wit weaving in and out of the rose-scented decorum.

4. Ernest Hemingway

All of the sadness of the city came suddenly with the first cold rains of winter, and there were no more tops to the high white houses as you walked but only the wet blackness of the street and the closed doors of the small shops, the herb sellers, the stationery and the newspaper shops, the midwife—second class—and the hotel where Verlaine had died where I had a room on the top floor where I worked.

Ernest Hemingway is famous for prose that is clean and uncluttered to the point of sparsity; luxuries like adjectives, adverbs, and semicolons are used sparingly or tossed away in favour of stark minimalism.

The above excerpt is from his Parisian memoir, A Moveable Feast . In his work, Hemingway stripped away everything that was unnecessary to reveal the carefully curated bones of the story underneath. In character-driven works, the dialogue is largely objective; he does not romanticize his narrative, but simply shows the world the way it is. Nothing more and nothing less.

5. Agatha Christie

“Supposing,” murmured Poirot, “that four people sit down to play bridge and one, the odd man out, sits in a chair by the fire. At the end of the evening the man by the fire is found dead. One of the four, while he is dummy, has gone over and killed him, and intent on the play of the hand, the other three have not noticed. Ah, there would be a crime for you! Which of the four was it?” “Well,” I said. “I can’t see any excitement in that!” Poirot threw me a glance of reproof. “No, because there are no curiously twisted daggers, no blackmail, no emerald that is the stolen eye of a god, no untraceable Eastern poisons. You have the melodramatic soul, Hastings.”

Agatha Christie’s writing has a simplistic poetry to it that is anything but simple. The long reigning queen of crime fiction, her work is heavy with expository dialogue and is rich in characterization. Though her work deals with unnerving and often bloody subject matter, the way she strings her words together has a soft and quintessentially feminine energy.

This quote from her famous ABC Murders shows the way she plays with character psychology through dialogue. She is very efficient at conveying layers of subtext through careful word selection and simple dialogue.

3 ways to develop your own writing voice

Now that you’ve developed an understanding of what voice in writing means, let’s explore three things you can do to begin developing your author’s voice (and one thing not to do!).

1. Read everything

This is true of all aspects of the writing craft, but especially for developing your literary voice.

Try reading the five authors we talked about here, and go back and read your personal favorites. Read new authors just launching their debut novels, and seasoned authors whose books have been inspiring writers for generations. Read books in the genre you hope to write in, and books it would have never occurred to you to read before. Every single one has something to teach you.

Try to develop an inner ear for the way each writer assembles a single sentence. Look at which details they take time to explore and which details they leave to the imagination of the reader. By getting to know the rhythms of a range of different writers, you’ll begin to get a sense of which ones feel like they could be a part of you.

2. Try on other writers

Once you’ve absorbed the voices of other writers through reading, try giving yourself a challenge: write something in the voice of one or more of those writers.

For instance, you might write a piece of flash fiction and imagine how it would sound if Ernest Hemingway had written it, and then describe the same story again in the voice of Jane Austen. You’ll be amazed at how different they’ll be.

This is not plagiarism, because you’re being inspired by these author’s voices—you’re not copying their writing word for word. If it makes you more comfortable, you can subtitle your story, “inspired by the literary voice of ______.” However, the most important thing is that you begin with your own unique ideas and challenge yourself to fit those ideas into voices that have inspired you.

Here’s the thing: your subconscious is pretty smart. Without you even noticing, your mind will be cataloguing all of these details and deciding which ones feel like a good fit for your unique voice, and discarding the rest. Doing these exercises won’t leave you sounding like a watered down version of Jane Austen or Ernest Hemingway; they’ll help you find which tones, styles, and rhythms feel like “home” to you and which are only places to visit. The voice you emerge with will be all your own.

3. Experiment with structure

It’s been said that formal, structured poetry reveals a lot more about a writer than modern free verse poetry. The reason for this is that when faced with more rigid boundaries, writers will naturally look for ways to stretch their personal creativity and express their own voice.

For example, if two poets are told to write a fourteen-line sonnet in iambic pentameter about the rain on a winter’s day, those two writers will produce two very, very different poems. Each one will reveal something about the way that writer sees the world and their relationship with it.

The same is true of fiction. Say two writers are asked to write a short story about two people who meet at a busy café in a train station, each of whom is keeping a secret from the other. Sounds pretty specific, doesn’t it? And yet, this simple story seed holds worlds of possibility.

The way each writer brings their own unique perspectives, tone, approach to sentence structure, and perception of the human condition will dictate the direction that this little story will take.

To develop your own writer’s voice, try using writing prompts and story archetypes to exercise your writing muscles. The more specific the exercises, the more you’ll be able to see how much of what comes out is completely, unapologetically you .

Bonus: the 1 thing not to do to develop your writer’s voice

In some lessons on developing your writer’s voice, you might come across this singularly important “rule” (like all “rules” of writing, be wary of following it if you don’t quite understand why you’re following it in the first place): whatever you do, keep it consistent .

The reasons for this are twofold: Firstly, if you need to force yourself to keep your writer’s voice consistent, it’s not your writer’s voice. Your voice is what naturally comes from you; it is your essence given from in words. If you ever feel like your writer’s voice is getting off track and you need to corral it back into shape, what you have is not a voice—it’s a style.

The second reason is that your writer’s voice is constantly evolving. Growth is never a bad thing in any aspect of our lives, and certainly not in our literary voices. The more we read, write, and learn about the world, the more our writing will evolve and refine. Trying to keep it “consistent” is to limit all the possibilities of what it can become.

The bottom line? Finding your writer’s voice is not an act of creating something from nothing; it is an act of sloughing away everything your voice is not to reveal the voice that has been there all along, and then giving it room to grow.

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10 Actionable Steps to Create Your Unique Writing Voice

1. understanding the concept of writing voice, why your unique voice matters, characteristics of a distinct writing voice, examples of unique writing voices, 2. analyzing your current writing voice, evaluating your strengths and weaknesses, gathering feedback from others, identifying patterns in your writing, 3. how to develop a unique writing voice: techniques and exercises, imitation exercise: learning from the best, free writing: unleashing your creative potential, using writing prompts to explore different voices, 4. refining your unique voice, maintaining a consistent tone, expanding your vocabulary, the editing process: sharpening your voice, 5. embracing the evolution of your writing voice, continuous improvement: learning and growing, experimentation: trying new styles and techniques, staying authentic: keeping your voice true to you.

Every writer strives to stand out from the crowd, and developing a unique writing voice is a key factor in achieving that goal. In this blog, we'll explore the concept of writing voice, analyze your current writing style, and provide actionable steps to help you create a voice that's distinctively your own. Let's dive into the world of writing voices and discover how to develop a unique writing voice that truly represents you as a writer.

Before we begin our journey to create a unique writing voice, it's important to grasp what exactly a writing voice is and why it's essential for writers to develop their own.

Having a well-defined writing voice sets you apart from other writers, making your work more memorable and engaging. Your unique voice:

• Reflects your personality, beliefs, and values
• Helps readers identify your work, even without seeing your name
• Builds trust and credibility with your audience
• Can make your writing more enjoyable, relatable, and persuasive

By developing your unique voice, you'll be able to create a strong connection with your readers and make a lasting impression on them.

A well-developed writing voice is more than just the words you choose or the way you structure your sentences. It's a combination of various elements that, when combined, create a style that's unmistakably yours. Some characteristics of a strong writing voice include:

• Consistency : A unified tone and style throughout your work
• Authenticity : A genuine reflection of your thoughts and emotions
• Clarity : Clear and concise communication that's easy to understand
• Personality : A unique blend of your voice and the topic you're discussing
• Engaging : A captivating and compelling style that keeps readers interested

Keep these characteristics in mind as you work on developing your unique writing voice.

Throughout literary history, many writers have distinguished themselves with their unique writing voices. For instance, Ernest Hemingway was known for his concise, direct style, while Jane Austen's witty, satirical voice shone through in her novels. Similarly, contemporary authors like J.K. Rowling and Neil Gaiman have made their mark with their distinctive voices.

By examining the works of these successful writers, you can gain insights into how they crafted their unique voices and apply those lessons to your own writing journey. Remember, your goal isn't to mimic their voices, but to find inspiration in their techniques and create a voice that's uniquely your own.

Now that we've explored the concept of a writing voice and its importance, it's time to take a closer look at your own writing style. By analyzing your current writing voice, you can identify areas for improvement and start developing your unique voice. Let's dive into some practical steps to help you analyze your writing voice effectively.

To develop a unique writing voice, you must first understand your current writing strengths and weaknesses. Start by reviewing some of your recent writing pieces, paying special attention to the following aspects:

• Consistency : Is your tone and style consistent throughout your work?
• Authenticity : Does your writing genuinely reflect your thoughts and emotions?
• Clarity : Is your writing easy to understand and free from jargon or ambiguity?
• Personality : Can readers get a sense of your personality through your writing?
• Engagement : Does your writing keep readers interested and motivated to read further?

By honestly assessing your strengths and weaknesses, you'll have a solid foundation for growth and improvement as you learn how to develop a unique writing voice.

While self-assessment is valuable, external feedback can provide fresh insights and perspectives on your writing. Share your work with friends, family, or colleagues, and ask for their honest opinions on your writing voice. Specifically, request feedback on:

• Your writing style and tone
• How well your writing reflects your personality
• The clarity and ease of understanding of your writing
• How engaging and interesting your writing is

Remember to be open to constructive criticism and consider the suggestions you receive as opportunities for growth. This feedback can help you refine your writing voice and guide you on your journey to developing a unique writing voice.

As you analyze your writing and gather feedback, you may start to notice recurring patterns or habits in your work. These patterns might include:

• Overusing certain words or phrases
• Defaulting to a particular sentence structure
• Consistently adopting a specific tone (e.g., formal, casual, or conversational)

Identifying these patterns is an important step in developing a unique writing voice, as it allows you to recognize areas where you can introduce variety and creativity. By consciously breaking away from these habits, you'll be on your way to crafting a writing voice that truly represents who you are as a writer.

In the next section, we'll explore some hands-on techniques and exercises to help you further develop and refine your unique writing voice. Stay tuned for practical tips on how to develop a unique writing voice that sets you apart from the crowd!

With a better understanding of your current writing voice and patterns, it's time to work on developing your unique writing voice. In this section, we'll explore various techniques and exercises that can help you tap into your creative potential and shape your writing voice to be truly your own. Let's dive in!

One proven strategy to develop a unique writing voice is learning from the best—your favorite writers, that is. While it may sound counterintuitive, imitating the writing styles of authors you admire can be a valuable exercise in discovering your own voice. Here's how:

• Pick a passage or article from a writer you enjoy and study their writing voice carefully. Pay attention to their tone, sentence structure, and word choice.
• Now, write a short piece of your own, trying to mimic the author's voice as closely as possible.
• Finally, reflect on the process and identify aspects of the author's voice that resonated with you. Incorporate these elements into your writing while staying true to your own personality and style.

Remember, the goal is not to copy someone else's voice but to learn from their techniques and discover which aspects align with your own writing preferences.

Another powerful exercise to help you develop a unique writing voice is free writing. This technique involves writing continuously for a set period, without worrying about grammar, punctuation, or even making sense. The purpose of free writing is to let your thoughts flow freely and encourage creative expression. Here's how to get started:

• Choose a topic or theme to write about, or simply start with a blank page.
• Set a timer for 10-20 minutes and start writing, without stopping or editing your work.
• After the time is up, review your writing and highlight any phrases, sentences, or ideas that stand out. These may be indicators of your natural writing voice.

Regularly practicing free writing can help you become more comfortable with your unique voice and encourage you to take risks in your writing.

Writing prompts are another excellent tool for developing your unique writing voice. They can push you to explore new ideas, perspectives, and writing styles that you might not have considered otherwise. Here's how to make the most of writing prompts:

• Choose a writing prompt that sparks your interest or challenges you in some way.
• As you write, experiment with different voices, tones, and styles. Don't be afraid to step outside your comfort zone!
• Reflect on your writing and identify which approaches felt most natural and enjoyable to you. These could be clues to your unique writing voice.

By regularly experimenting with writing prompts, you'll gain a better understanding of your writing preferences and learn how to develop a unique writing voice that feels authentic to you.

Now that you have some hands-on techniques and exercises to work with, it's time to refine and polish your writing voice. In the next section, we'll discuss how to maintain consistency, expand your vocabulary, and use the editing process to sharpen your unique voice. Stay tuned for more insights and tips on how to develop a unique writing voice that truly sets you apart!

Now that you have some valuable techniques and exercises under your belt, it's time to focus on refining your unique writing voice. In this section, we'll discuss ways to maintain consistency, expand your vocabulary, and sharpen your voice through the editing process. Ready to take your writing to the next level? Let's dive in!

A consistent tone is a key component of a unique writing voice. Consistency helps your readers easily recognize your work and creates a sense of familiarity, making your content more engaging and memorable. Here are some tips to help you maintain a consistent tone in your writing:

• Be mindful of your target audience: Adjust your tone to suit the preferences of your readers, while still staying true to your unique voice.
• Set guidelines for yourself: Establish a set of rules for your writing voice, such as preferred sentence structure, use of humor, or word choice. This will make it easier to maintain consistency across different pieces.
• Revisit your work: Regularly review your past writing to remind yourself of your unique voice and its key characteristics. This can help you stay on track as you continue to develop and refine your voice.

By maintaining a consistent tone, you'll create a stronger connection with your audience, making your writing more impactful and memorable.

Having a diverse vocabulary is essential when it comes to refining your unique writing voice. The words you choose can make a significant difference in how your content is perceived. Here's how to develop a richer vocabulary:

• Read widely: Expose yourself to a variety of writing styles, genres, and authors to discover new words and phrases that resonate with you.
• Keep a word journal: Jot down new words and their definitions as you encounter them. Regularly review your word journal to incorporate these terms into your writing.
• Practice using new words: Challenge yourself to use new vocabulary in your writing. This not only expands your word bank but also helps you find the perfect word to convey your thoughts.

As your vocabulary grows, so will your ability to express yourself in a unique and engaging way.

Editing is a crucial step in refining your unique writing voice. A well-edited piece not only improves readability but also strengthens your voice and ensures that your message is clear. Here's how to make the most of the editing process:

• Take a break: After completing a draft, step away from your work for a while. This allows you to return with a fresh perspective, making it easier to spot areas that need improvement.
• Read aloud: Reading your work out loud can help you identify awkward phrasing, inconsistencies in tone, or repetitive words that may detract from your unique voice.
• Revise and refine: Make revisions to your work, focusing on strengthening your voice, improving clarity, and cutting unnecessary words or phrases. This will help your unique writing voice shine through.

By embracing the editing process, you'll be well on your way to developing a unique writing voice that truly stands out.

With a solid foundation in place, it's essential to remember that your writing voice will continue to evolve over time. In the next and final section, we'll explore how to embrace this evolution and stay authentic in your writing. Keep reading for more insights on how to develop a unique writing voice that truly sets you apart!

Developing a unique writing voice is a journey, not a destination. As you grow and learn, your voice will naturally evolve. In this final section, we'll discuss how to embrace this evolution while staying true to your authentic self. Let's explore the ways you can continue refining your voice, experiment with new styles, and maintain authenticity in your writing.

Just like any skill, your writing can always improve. One of the keys to developing a unique writing voice is to never stop learning. Here are some ways to continuously grow as a writer:

• Stay curious: Embrace a growth mindset, always seeking out new knowledge, ideas, and perspectives.
• Learn from others: Read work by other writers and take note of techniques or styles that resonate with you.
• Seek feedback: Regularly ask for feedback from trusted peers, mentors, or writing groups to identify areas for improvement and gain valuable insights.

By committing to continuous improvement, you'll ensure that your unique writing voice remains fresh and engaging, helping you stand out from the crowd.

Flexibility is crucial for growth, and experimenting with different styles and techniques can help you discover new aspects of your writing voice. Here's how you can start experimenting:

• Step out of your comfort zone: Try writing in different genres, formats, or points of view to challenge yourself and uncover new facets of your voice.
• Play with tone and style: Experiment with varying levels of formality, humor, or emotion to see how they impact your writing voice.
• Set creative challenges: Give yourself specific constraints or goals, such as writing a piece using only short sentences, to push your boundaries and discover new techniques.

Remember, experimenting doesn't mean abandoning your unique writing voice. Instead, it's about expanding your horizons and discovering new ways to express yourself.

As you work on developing a unique writing voice, it's essential to stay authentic and true to yourself. Here's how to maintain that authenticity while embracing the evolution of your voice:

• Reflect on your values: Consider your core beliefs, values, and experiences—these are the foundation of your authentic voice. Make sure your writing reflects these aspects of yourself.
• Be vulnerable: Share your thoughts, emotions, and experiences with your readers. This vulnerability helps build a genuine connection and makes your writing more relatable.
• Listen to your instincts: Trust your intuition when it comes to your writing voice. If something doesn't feel right or genuine, don't be afraid to revise and refine until it aligns with your authentic self.

By staying authentic, your writing will resonate with readers and help you develop a unique writing voice that truly sets you apart.

In conclusion, developing a unique writing voice is an ongoing process of learning, growing, and experimenting. By understanding the concept of writing voice, analyzing your current voice, refining your skills, and embracing the evolution of your voice, you'll be well on your way to discovering how to develop a unique writing voice that captivates your audience and leaves a lasting impression. So, keep writing, exploring, and staying true to yourself—the journey is just as important as the destination!

If you're eager to dive deeper into developing your unique writing voice, don't miss the workshop ' Everything You Need To Be A Skilled Writer ' by Christina Wolfgram. This comprehensive workshop will equip you with the knowledge and techniques to further hone your writing skills and create a distinct voice that sets you apart from the rest.

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Table of Contents

What Is Voice in Writing?

• How Do I Find My Writer's Voice?
• How to Develop Your Writer's Voice

Writing Voice: What it Means & How to Find Yours

When you talk to someone, do you have to “find your voice?”

Of course not. You just talk.

Your voice isn’t something you “find.” It’s not hiding between the couch cushions or under the bed. It’s already there, inside of you and a part of you.

So why do so many writers talk about “finding” their voice like it’s a complicated thing?

Because they’re trying to look fancy and sophisticated. The fact is, it isn’t complicated. Elitist writers just want you to think it is.

Every Author has a unique voice, and you don’t have to do anything special to find it.

In this post, I’ll provide a definition of voice and debunk the myth that “finding your voice” is hard. Most importantly, I’ll show you exactly how to do it.

In writing, “voice” is how you speak and think. It’s all about the words you use and the patterns in your writing.

Do you use a lot of rhetorical questions? Long or short sentences? Slang?

Those are all ways your voice might come through in your writing.

Let’s look at a few examples of voice.

Tiffany Haddish is a comedian who grew up in one of the poorest neighborhoods of South Central Los Angeles. She’s made a living off making people laugh, without pulling any punches.

Here’s the opening of her book, The Last Black Unicorn :

When you read this, you can practically hear Tiffany talking. It’s like having a conversation with her. Her voice comes through loud and clear.

She uses humor. She’s candid, and she doesn’t always stick to formal, proper grammar.

Here’s another, very different example.

This is the opening to Can’t Hurt Me by David Goggins, a U.S. Armed Forces icon:

David’s voice is totally different from Tiffany’s. But it still feels like you’re having a conversation with him. It feels authentic.

His tone is more serious, but it’s still friendly. His sentences are short and direct (except for that last sentence, where he uses repetition to make a point). David’s writing is emphatic, and it makes you want to keep reading.

That’s the power of an Author’s voice.

It’s completely and totally theirs.

It’s real.

It’s powerful.

To be clear, your “voice” is different from your writing style .

Your voice is about how you communicate. In any conversation, on any given day, you’re using your natural voice.

Style is about how you approach the reader. It’s either geared toward persuading the reader, explaining something to the reader, telling the reader a story, or describing something to the reader.

No matter what your style is, you’ll have a consistent voice that shines through.

How Do I Find My Writer’s Voice?

You don’t.

People with literature degrees want you to believe that your writer’s voice is something you have to work really hard on. They’ll tell you it’s something you have to develop over time as part of your craft.

That’s not true. Your voice is already part of who you are.

So, if it’s already part of you, why is it hard to find?

It’s not.

Believe it or not, you don’t have to find your Author’s voice. It’s your own voice.

You already have a unique way of speaking/thinking/talking. That’s your writer’s voice. It’s the same thing.

You’re probably just getting in your own way because you’re not used to writing—and because you’ve bought into the belief that writing is “high art.”

It isn’t. Or at least it shouldn’t be.

Writing is about communicating ideas, not showing off.

You communicate every day. Trust yourself, and get out of your own way.

How to Develop Your Writer’s Voice

Your voice is already part of you, but if you’re like most people, you’re probably more comfortable speaking in your voice than writing in it.

If you find yourself in this camp, there are 6 things you can do to get yourself back on track.

To be clear, these aren’t tips for “finding your voice.” They’re tips for remembering you already have one.

1. Stop Trying to Sound Like Someone Else

One of the biggest writing mistakes is when people try to emulate someone else’s writing.

Don’t do this.

I don’t care how great a writer they are or how much you like their book. You’re not them. You’re you.

You have to be yourself because that’s who readers want to engage with. They picked up your book because they thought you could help them solve their problems . If they thought someone else could do it better, they would have bought their book instead.

Give readers what they want: your knowledge, in your words. If you speak to them clearly, honestly, and authentically, you’ll have a strong voice.

Chances are, you like the Authors you like because they stayed true to themselves. They stand out because they’ve let their authentic voice come through in their writing.

There’s nothing authentic about a copycat. And it only takes readers a minute to catch on when someone isn’t being real with them.

If you want to publish a good book , stop trying to live up to other good books. Instead, live up to yourself.

Let your unique point of view come through.

2. Stop Trying to Sound Smart

This is a subset of the first problem, but I’m highlighting it here because it’s something I see all the time .

Authors often try to use fancy words or complicated sentence structure because they think that’s how writing is “supposed” to sound.

Or, they think they have to “sound smart” for readers to perceive them as smart.

I don’t care how smart you are. No one wants to read complicated, dense writing. It doesn’t make you sound smart. It makes you sound unrelatable.

I blame English professors—and textbooks, most of which are horrible.​They make people think they have to have some fancy literary voice if they want to be taken seriously.

But be honest. When’s the last time you’ve picked up a book in your spare time and said, “I really want something I have to slog through?”

So don’t make readers slog through your book. They won’t do it.

Complicated words won’t make you sound more authoritative.

Know what will? Good information, delivered clearly and plainly.

Keep your word choice simple and skip the “authorial voice” you think you “should” have.

People appreciate straight shooters more than they appreciate faux-intellectualism or headaches.

3. Stop Worrying About Grammar

The best way to write is the way you talk. And the way you talk won’t always be grammatically correct.

That’s fine.

Stop worrying about grammar, especially when you’re writing your first draft. In reality, grammar rules aren’t rules. They’re suggestions.

Grammar rules are arbitrary conventions that people agree on. Except there is no set of people who are in charge and no formal agreements. That’s why there are so many different grammar books out there.

There are only 2 reasons that grammar even matters in writing:

• It makes communication easier
• People expect good grammar (which is why it makes communication easier)

You want your book to look professional, but more importantly, you want your book to connect with readers.

People respond to people—not rules, and not grammar.

When you write the way you speak, people will connect with it.

Maybe that means using sentence fragments. Like this. Or maybe it means starting a sentence with a conjunction.

Maybe it means being colloquial. Did you notice that Tiffany Haddish said, “I look back over my life and I’m like, ‘For real, that happened?'”

Most grammar books would never encourage you to use “I’m like” as a stand-in for “I said.” But it sounds like Tiffany, and it makes her far more relatable.

Everyone has their own unique way of speaking. You should also embrace your own unique way of writing. It’s okay to break the rules.

Of course, you want your book to look professional, but you can always fix spelling and punctuation mistakes down the line.

Once you’re done writing, hand the manuscript over to a good editor , copyeditor , and/or proofreader . But even then, take their suggestions with a grain of salt.

The most important thing is to preserve your narrative voice and make a connection with the reader.

4. Stop Editing Yourself

I’ll take my earlier advice one step further: don’t just stop worrying about grammar. Stop worrying about how you sound at all.

Just get your ideas down on paper. Your first draft doesn’t have to be perfect. In fact, it won’t be.

Give yourself permission to write a mediocre first draft. Hell, give yourself permission to write a terrible first draft.

I always advise Authors to write what we call a “ vomit draft .” Spew your thoughts onto paper and stop worrying about whether they sound good.

Just get it all out. Get every thought that’s in your head onto the paper.

Like vomiting, it’s not going to be pretty. But it will be real. It will encapsulate your writing voice.

The more you agonize over putting your thoughts on paper, the less natural they’re going to sound. You’ll question your natural flow of thoughts, and you’ll probably edit out all the tics that make your voice sound like you.

Plus, it’s a lot easier to fix a second draft than it is to write a “perfect” first one.

Think of your vomit draft as a starting place that helps you drill down to the essence of your voice.

Here are 2 frames that might help you channel your own voice in the vomit draft:

• Imagine that you’re having a conversation with a friend. It takes the pressure off, guarantees that you’ll be more natural, and ensures that you’re thinking about what the other person is learning and taking in.
• Imagine you’re helping a stranger heal the same pain you had. This helps you focus on actionable advice and helps you stay focused on your reader.

Want to really ace this “writing voice” thing?

Envision yourself helping a friend through something difficult you’ve already figured out.

Why does this work? Because your mind won’t be on your voice at all. It will be focused on helping someone you care about.

Your voice will emerge organically.

5. Write Like You’re Not Finished

I just said that your vomit draft will probably be terrible. But in another sense, your vomit draft will be great . ​

That’s because it’s exactly what it needs to be: a draft.

Many successful people are perfectionists . They desperately want things to be “right,” and they have high expectations for themselves. When they write, they want every word to be spot-on.

Now, imagine if you put that much pressure on yourself every time you opened your mouth.

What would happen if every word you spoke had to be perfect ?

You’d never say anything.

You can’t have a natural voice—or a voice at all—if you’re hung up on perfectionism.

Every great book starts out as a bad book, or at least a mediocre book. I promise. That’s because writing a book is a long process. You can’t treat it like a one-and-done thing.

A book starts with a rough draft—emphasis on “rough.” Then, over time, it gets better. And better. And better.

I can’t tell you how many Authors I’ve seen who get discouraged at the beginning of the writing process. They let their fear get in the way, and they get stuck. They worry that their books won’t be “good enough” or that people won’t care.

Many of them give up.

It’s important to keep perspective. This is a process. Your voice will develop over successive drafts. It doesn’t have to be perfect right out of the gate.

Ernest Hemingway had one of the most distinctive voices in literature, and he was an obsessive editor. He was never content with his early drafts.

Stop trying to write like you’re writing a finished book. You’re not. You’re writing a draft. When you embrace that and loosen up, your writing voice will sound much more natural.

6. Talk It Out Instead of Writing It Down

An Author’s voice is called a “voice” for a reason. It’s directly related to how a person speaks and communicates.

One thing that makes tapping into your own voice so hard is that it’s hard to type as fast as you speak.

When you’re sitting at a keyboard, your ideas often outpace your ability to get them down. That interrupts your flow and makes the entire writing process feel stilted and awkward.

If you’re having trouble keeping up, stop trying to write. Talk it out instead.

After all, who said you had to write your book? You can speak it just as easily.

I recommend dictating your book and sending the recording to a transcription service .

With roughly 10 hours of talking and a few minutes of file conversion time, you’ll have a workable vomit draft.

Better yet, you’ll have a workable vomit draft in your own voice . Literally.

If you struggle with the idea of dictating that much content, go back to the 2 frames I suggested above. Instead of imagining talking to a friend, actually do it.

Have a conversation with someone else about your book’s subject, and use that conversation as your guide for your rough draft.

We’ve all heard of writer’s block , but there’s no such thing as speaker’s block. There’s a good reason for that.

It’s easy to talk to a friend. You don’t worry about sounding smart or needing to find your voice. You just speak, and your voice emerges naturally.

Don’t make writing a book more complicated than it has to be. When in doubt, let your actual voice do the “writing” for you.

The Scribe Crew

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What is Voice in Creative Writing?

Voice Lessons

“Voice” is a term that gets bandied about in the writing world a lot, as in “He hasn’t found his voice,” or in reviews, such as: “She has created a unique, lovely and deceptively unsophisticated voice for her narrator.”  Sometimes readers will exclaim to a writer, “I love your voice!” or an editor will reject a piece because “the voice isn’t fresh or original enough.”  Voice seems to be a crucial yet elusive aspect of writing.  Is it simply personality in writing?  Like personality or style, don’t you either have it or not? Can it be developed, or learned?  What is it, really?

For starters, voice is the opposite of silence.  Voice is what allows us to say it, whatever “it” is.  It’s what allows the reader to hear the writing, instead of simply reading black marks on white paper.  Voice is the breath or spirit that animates the writing – the life in the writing, one might say.  It can also coalesce and synthesize all the many complex and mysterious elements that must work together to produce a successful piece of writing.

Just to complicate things, we can use voice to refer to the voice of the narrator in an individual poem, work of fiction or memoir; or we can use the term to describe the recognizable unique “signature” often associated with mature artists and found throughout much of their work.

In a review of Alice Adam’s collected stories, we have a good description of a mature writer’s signature voice: “Reading these stories over again, one is struck by their remarkable consistency of voice, recognizable through a wide spectrum of circumstance and character…It is this voice – direct, clear-sighted, indelibly marked by Freud and the women’s movement – that gives the stories their feeling of authenticity.”  Voice as it is used here is the external manifestation, in language, of the writer’s sensibility: how she sees the world; her values; what she is attracted to in terms of subject matter; her style as expressed through diction, syntax, tone.  Her expression and essence as an artist and person, really.

Then there’s the narrator’s voice in individual pieces.  In fiction, when writers adopt a first person narrator to tell the story, that character’s voice – the manner of speaking, the personality, the intelligence or lack thereof, the values and perspective – is as important to the success of the work as the plot itself.  In fact, it is impossible to separate the narrator from the plot, since character drives action, and action drives character.  Often finding the right narrator – and therefore the right voice – is the key to being able to tell (and therefore write) the story.  Two popular contemporary novels employ narrators whose voices are the perfect vehicles for rendering the authors’ material.  In The Lovely Bones , Alice Siebold uses the voice of a teenage girl who was raped and murdered, and who now narrates from Heaven:  “The odd thing about Earth was what we saw when we looked down.  Besides the initial view that you might suspect, the old ants-from-the-skyscraper phenomenon, there were souls leaving bodies all over the world.”  The use of this young, dead, heaven-inhabiting narrator, unusual to say the least, is arresting both in terms of perspective and poignancy.  Jonathan Safran Foer in Everything is Illuminated creates an irresistible narrator in a Ukranian translator whose command of English is hilariously off base: “My legal name is Alexander Perchov.  But all of my many friends dub me Alex, because that is a more flaccid-to-utter version of my legal name.”  Alex’s voice expresses an exuberant personality and his flubbing of English keeps us entertained and alert.   It’s easy to imagine that finding these distinctive narrative voices is what allowed the writers to actually write their books.

In memoir, certainly the first person voice contains elements of the personality of the writer herself, as if she’s just speaking to us directly.  But in literary memoir, the author is shaping herself as a character, making critical choices regarding the narration of her own story and the presentation of self.  She has to access or develop the best voice that will let her tell the story she really wants to tell, in all its complexity and truth.  I recently heard a wonderful memoir writer, Laura Flynn, author of Swallow the Ocean, say to really write something you have to know the material so deeply and that takes a long time.

In The Situation and The Story : The Art of Personal Narrative , Vivian Gornick describes her own experience of finding a persona that would allow her to write her memoir Fierce Attachments :  “To tell that tale, I soon discovered, I had to find the right tone of voice; the one I habitually lived with wouldn’t do at all: it whined, it grated, it accused; above all, it accused. Then there was the matter of syntax: my own ordinary, everyday sentence—fragmented, interjecting, overriding—also wouldn’t do; it had to be altered, modified, brought under control… What I didn’t see and that for a long while, was that this point of view could only emerge from a narrator who was me and at the same time not me.”  Through a slow, painful process, Gornick “began to correct for myself.”  Eventually, through what I assume were trial and error attempts to get at “the right tone, syntax, and perspective,” she realizes that she has found the right voice.  “I had a narrator on the page strong enough to do battle for me….I saw what I had done: I had created a persona.”  This persona, Gornick explains, was not only a relief from her usual self, but also “the instrument of my illumination.”

In my memoir, Crossing the Moon , I was aware that I couldn’t just “express myself”; I couldn’t just be my usual boring old self!  To me the reader is always saying, But what have you done for me lately ? I don’t take it for granted that anyone will necessarily read what I write.  I have to deliver.  It’s amazing, in a way, how much has to get accomplished in the opening pages of a memoir.  You have to give the reader some idea of who you are, where you are in time and place, and what the story is about ; you also have to seduce, interest, entertain and hold the reader, infusing the writing with personality, style, candor, wit, drama or whatever it takes.  This is where voice comes in.  Only voice can pull it all together.  It’s hard to describe how one arrives at the right voice in memoir.  It is both you and not you .  It’s a kind of stylized or distilled you, a you in service to the story and the reader.

“Find” is the verb most often used in conjunction with “voice,” as in a reviewer describing a recent memoir: “…he has found in his own book a narrative voice that accommodates both parts of his temperament: an irreverent but meditative voice…”  Apparently the author didn’t just “have” this voice available: he had to “find” it.  It probably involved, as most searches do, plenty of false starts, dead ends and luck.   So are there any tips that might aid one in the search?

One place to start is with subject matter.  Obviously some people know their subject matter, their stories, from the start.  But for others it’s a matter of hit or miss.  The best description I know of what characterizes one’s true subject matter is in Sean O’Faolain’s On Writing the Short Story :  “What one searches for and what one enjoys in a short story [or poem, memoir, story or novel] is a special distillation of personality, a unique sensibility which has recognized and selected at once a subject that, above all other subjects, is of value to the writer’s temperament and to his [and hers] alone – his counterpart, his perfect opportunity to project himself.”

If we think of certain works, this pithy but somewhat abstract quote takes on body and meaning. Don’t we recognize intuitively in a Mary Oliver poem, for example, that she has found her “perfect opportunity to project herself” in writing about the natural world, or that Julie Hecht, in creating a narrator whose “tone of voice mocks her own narcissism” in her first novel The Unprofessionals , has found what is uniquely her own?

Sometimes teachers may help you identify what your best subject matter is. Sometimes what the writer wants to avoid is, in the end, the richest vein to tap.   Reading writers who have similar or simpatico backgrounds, locales, issues or styles can point one in the right direction. Finding the right subject matter takes experimentation, patience, and a lot of writing that doesn’t amount to much but which moves the writer along in ways that we don’t necessarily understand.  It means writing not what you think you should write, but what you actually want to write.  Sometimes it is a matter of maturing and developing one’s self.  Peter Elbow believes that the attainment of what he calls “real voice” is “a matter of growth and development rather than mere learning.”  Happily, writing itself feeds one’s knowledge of self, and knowledge of self feeds one’s writing.

Another way to develop voice is by learning to “hear” one’s own writing, in much the same way the reader does. In One Writer’s Beginnings , Eudora Welty talks about how from an early age, she always heard the sentences on the page in a voice “…saying it silently to me.  It isn’t my mother’s voice or the voice of any person I can identify, certainly not my own. It is human, but inward, and it is inwardly I listen to it.  It is to me the voice of the story or the poem itself…  I have supposed, but never found out, that this is the case with all readers – to read as listeners – and with all writers, to write as listeners… My own words, when I am at work on a story, I hear too as they go, in the same voice that I hear when I read in books.  When I write and the sound of it comes back to my ears, then I act to make my changes.  I have always trusted this voice.”

Most successful writers, I’d wager, have developed the ability to “hear” their own writing in the way Welty describes. You have to be able not only to write — but also – at some point — to be able to hear the voice in the writing that the reader will hear and the voice of the piece itself.  I remember Grace Paley saying when she was a Loft Mentor that she writes with her ear, reading everything aloud as she goes.

In a fascinating example of letting the voice of the story take over, Dorothy Allison describes in her contributor’s note in The Best American Short Stories 2003 how she had worked on her story “Compassion” through many unsatisfactory drafts, but finally decided to just finish it to read for a large audience.  But at the reading, when she got to the last two pages of the story, they weren’t there.  She had brought the wrong draft.  “I let myself unfocus, opened my mouth, and spoke the story’s voice.  It took me up and carried me through, finished itself the only way it could.”  I don’t recommend trying this in front of an audience!  And I’m pretty sure that voice wouldn’t have taken over if Allison hadn’t done as much processing and writing of the story as she had.  But while discounting for a certain amount of natural storytelling bull, I do like to believe that that story knew what it wanted, and did indeed speak for itself.

One thing the writer who listens to his or her own writing will be listening for is tone.  Tone has to do with the writer’s attitude towards the material.  Tone is one of the cues that the reader picks up automatically as he gets his bearing and begins to grasp what is intended.  It is a large part of what he “hears” in the writing.  Tone is what happens when the writer feels the material, is in synch with the emotions behind the writing.  Tone doesn’t have to be one dimensional, either.  It can consist of a lot of notes, ranging up and down the scale, as long as there is a cohesive feel to the work, the overall key, we might say.

The writer Norman Podhoretz has said that “the poem, the story, the essay…is already there, much in the way that Socrates said mathematical knowledge was already there, before a word is ever put to paper, and that the act of writing is the act of finding the magical key that will unlock the floodgates and let the flow begin…. The key… is literally a key in that it is musical…it is the tone of voice, the only tone of voice in which this particular piece of writing will permit itself to be written.

It’s an appealing idea that if we just find the right tone, we can channel the whole thing onto paper effortlessly.  And sometimes it does work that way.  More often, however, the poem or story may be “there,” but getting it “here” is different matter.  Try as we might we can’t find that magical key.  What then?  The problem may be that we don’t know how we feel about the material, or there hasn’t been enough inner processing, which is often unconscious and certainly not amenable to our deadlines, to have a voice ready to speak.  I find just writing itself, piling up a huge mountain of words, may in fact be a way of both accessing and creating what is not immediately available.  Out of that effort and let’s face it, waste, a thread may appear, one you can pluck if you’re lucky to unwind the whole spool.

It’s hard to overestimate the importance of reading other people’s good writing in the process of developing one’s own writing and voice.  People think writing comes from experience, and it does, but it also comes from reading .  At a literary conference I heard Billy Collins say that beginning writers sometimes think that by reading other writers, they will be too influenced and not develop their own unique voice, but that it’s just the opposite.  The more you read, the more likely you are to write with originality, and the less you read, the more likely it is you’ll write cliched or generic stuff.

Seeing what other writers have done opens up possibilities for us.  Here’s a passage I wrote about caring for my mother:  “I had arrived at the moment when I myself and no one else had to give my mother an enema.  It was called Fleet, a name I turned over and over in my mind, conjuring up the curious associations of speed or naval ships.  How did it get that name?  A family name?  Who would want enemas to bear the family name?  Not me.  I had slunk around like a criminal at the drugstore when I bought it.  It seemed childishly shameful, a dark secret, “excrement problems,” something so private I wished to be far far away.  But I was the only one around.  Life had brought me to this moment, which involved squirting a vial of liquid into my mother’s rectum as she lay curled on her left side of the bed.  I looked around for someone else to do this, to take over.  But no one else was there. It was one of those bald moments in life, the realization that no one else is going to do it, whatever it is.  You have to do it yourself.  And I did.”  I probably wouldn’t have written that passage if I hadn’t read Philip Roth’s description of cleaning up his father’s shit in Patrimony .

To achieve voice in writing – either in an individual piece or the singular voice of the mature artist – is usually a long process involving the three R’s: reading, writing and revision.  Though I’m sure there were glimmers of it from the start, I imagine that Alice Adam’s distinctive voice evolved over time, story by story, as she came to be – and trust – herself more and more as a writer and a person.  I imagine she listened for the voice on the page, the voice of the story itself.  Each successful line, paragraph and completion built her confidence – and confidence is no small thing, in writing and just about everything else.  It seems the only way to attain confidence is to hang in there, to keep on trucking, “screwing one’s courage to the sticking point,” coming closer each time to what is truly one’s own.

Related Posts

A Writer Learns about Creative Process from Two Artists: Hopper and O’Keeffe

Examining a Passage from The Goldfinch

Vivian Gornick on Situation and Story

What the Reader Needs…

Thanks for this breathtaking post. I'm practically hyperventilating. You've explored and "nailed" not only that ineffable force called a writer's "voice," but the difficulty of locating it.

Reading the text aloud helps me; it's as if I'm presenting a speech (which I'm experienced at). I can hear and say to myself: "Ooh. That doesn't sound like me."

Tx again for this wonderful post. I'm going to share it with my writing students.

I agree with Lynette, and would add that your discussion of tone is especially apt.

I found this really helpful as I try and understand the creative writing basics. Thanks!

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Enchanting Marketing

Writing advice for small business

How to Find Your Creative Voice (and Let Your Writing Shine)

by Henneke | 49 enchanting opinions, add yours? :)

It upsets me a little.

When people talk about creative writing, they often refer to writing fiction, poetry, or memoirs. Somehow, writing for your business isn’t seen as creative.

Why? Oh why?

Sure, some people blog as if they’re robots. They compose boring blog posts without a hint of personality.

But to truly connect with your readers, you can’t just simply share your tips. If you want to make an impact, if you want to get comments, if you want people to come back for more, then you need to make your writing human.

And that requires creativity and finding your unique voice .

A dream about fireflies

Songwriter and musician Ben Folds starts his memoir by sharing a childhood dream. In his dream he sees lightning bugs but no one else can see them. So, he picks up the bugs, puts them in jar, and shows them around so others can admire the glow, too.

As Folds writes:

(…) the dream reflects the way I see artistry and the role of an artist. At its most basic, making art is about following what’s luminous to you and putting it in a jar, to share with others.

I like this story so much because we often think of creativity as something inside us, something we need to find and allow to escape.

But soul-searching alone won’t help us be creative. As Austin Kleon has pointed out in his book All Artists Steal :

All creative work builds on what came before.

We learn by imitating our heroes. By mixing styles from different heroes and by imitating badly, we find our own unique voices.

When I started blogging, I was nervous about my lack of writing skills. So, I studied other bloggers to see what I could learn from them. How do they structure a blog post? How do they write an opening? What clincher sentences do they write? How do they weave stories into their writing?

I didn’t even worry about finding a voice. I simply wanted to write better.

To find your voice, think about this:

• Who are your heroes?
• And what can you learn from them?

Creative output requires creative input

A voice is about style but also about ideas. It’s about what you write and how you write it, about the recurring themes in your work.

Initially, I found my blogging input from conversations with clients, questions in your inbox, blog comments or forum discussions. But over time, I found more inspiration in non-fiction books at the edge of my topic, such as books about creativity, empathy, courage, and habits. More recently, I’m mostly inspired by fiction and memoirs.

I’m not suggesting this as a blueprint for you to follow. See it instead as an encouragement to look outside your niche and to see where your curiosity leads you to. You can find your inspiration everywhere.

And a unique mix of inspirational sources will help you develop your voice. Maybe you’re more inspired by song texts, poetry, speeches, movies, heroic sports stories, overheard conversations in the train or supermarket, or even marketing material.

To find your creative voice, think about this:

• Which ideas seem most luminous to you?
• Which questions would you love to answer?
• What does your heart tell you to write?

Use your voice

Of course, we can’t just find our voice by reading and listening.

We also have to use our voice.

When I started writing, I didn’t think I had a story to tell, and I was afraid I didn’t have enough ideas.

But writing taught me I was wrong.

By writing regularly, I learned what matters to me. I started to weave more personal stories into my writing, and I allowed myself, occasionally, to be vulnerable in my writing—to share my doubts and my mistakes.

Over time, I learned to write from the heart, and that’s when I found a more authentic voice .

You won’t find your voice by searching for it.

You’ll find your voice by using it.

So, get to work. We all have ideas, stories, and experiences to share. We just have to pick up the courage to start writing and to keep writing.

Everyone’s voice matters.

What’s stopping you?

What’s stopping you from writing more?

What’s stopping you from writing from your heart ?

Creative work can feel scary, and sharing our work can be petrifying.

Most of us have felt belittled as a child because something we had created wasn’t appreciated by our parents or teachers.

When we start to create something new, we’re reminded of that time we felt ashamed because we had created something unworthy. What if we’re just not good enough? What if we’re too ordinary? What if we’re too boring?

To create something new requires us to sit with our doubts. We have to remind ourselves our self-worth isn’t tied to how this piece of writing will turn out—whether it’s a success or a failure or something in between. Each piece of writing is part of our journey to find our voice and to write better.

We can’t find our voice by sticking to the known paths. We have to find the courage to embrace uncertainty and be vulnerable. As Brené Brown suggests in her book Daring Greatly :

Vulnerability is the birthplace of love, belonging, joy, courage, empathy, and creativity. It is the source of hope, empathy, accountability, and authenticity. If we want greater clarity in our purpose or deeper and more meaningful spiritual lives, vulnerability is the path.

The more I write, the more I realize that the doubts never disappear. The vulnerability is always there. I’ve simply learned to accept my vulnerability as part of the writing process and to keep writing.

Let your voice shine

As I was writing this blog post, I wondered why and how fireflies glow.

On the National Geographic site , I found this explanation:

Fireflies have dedicated light organs that are located under their abdomens. The insects take in oxygen and, inside special cells, combine it with a substance called luciferin to produce light with almost no heat.

Isn’t that amazing? Isn’t that exactly what creativity is about? Find your input and mix it with something you know already.

And just like creativity, we don’t quite know how fireflies glow:

Firefly light is usually intermittent, and flashes in patterns that are unique to each species. Each blinking pattern is an optical signal that helps fireflies find potential mates. Scientists are not sure how the insects regulate this process to turn their lights on and off.

So, my friend, don’t worry if you’re not sure where you’re going with your writing.

Keep studying your heroes. Keep looking for inspiration. Keep doing the work.

And your voice will glow, glimmer, and shine.

Books mentioned in this post:

Recommended reading on finding creative your voice:

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Reader Interactions

Leave a comment and join the conversation cancel reply.

August 7, 2020 at 10:11 am

Great post! I loved the blog. I appreciate your writing skills. Thanks for sharing such a helpful and informative blog.

August 7, 2020 at 10:53 am

Thank you, Nisha. Happy writing!

May 3, 2020 at 9:44 am

Hey Henneke,

Excellent resource. I wish I had this guide with me before I started my online writing journey. I was so lost with the optimization process that I completely forgot that there will be a real human who would read and interact with me. Regards Chayan

May 3, 2020 at 7:32 pm

It happens so often that people get lost with the optimization process; it can kill our creativity.

Happy writing, Henneke

February 19, 2020 at 1:09 pm

Hi mam! Yes in business today people treat the other like a robot so they cramming into post impulsive whatever they desired, wherein few of others like you put bug on the jar for more inspiration to adhere others on their individual paths.

February 19, 2020 at 3:52 pm

Yes, it’s true that it’s easy forget that we’re writing for humans not bots because we can’t see whom we’re writing for. Thank you for stopping by, Indranil. 🙂

February 17, 2020 at 10:26 am

Great post..!! I like it, how you put the words.

February 17, 2020 at 12:08 pm

January 27, 2020 at 11:00 am

Your articles are full of knowledgeable things and are so inspirational. I enjoyed reading your articles.

January 27, 2020 at 11:32 am

Thank you, Anisha. Happy writing!

January 24, 2020 at 11:42 pm

I read a mysterious novel. Something happened to me while reading it. It was not directive, like oh forgive, all is well, which I detest, as it does not address the mystery of some things that happen in life, or include full emotions. I want to write about emotion, not like a therapist. Behavior is obvious, consciousness is not. The light of the firefly can be explained, but not how it feels to be a firefly, what meaning does a firefly give to its light? How can these giants catch fireflies and put them in bottles? We have light inside us. Are there giants waiting… like that. Mystery.

January 26, 2020 at 10:07 am

Yes, and what do fireflies think of each other’s light? And how does that light of the others make them feel? And what attracts them more to the glow of one firefly rather than another? And what’s it like to be in a crowd of fireflies each shining so brightly? Life is a big mystery.

January 23, 2020 at 11:25 pm

Recent advice I came across about your voice. Stop waiting for it to feel comfortable. It never will. Maybe it never should totally? Maybe your true voice is being true to your message by the way you get it out there? Your stories, analogies, adjectives, phrases you and your “tribe” use to communicate regularly? Another bit of advice, your “Brand Voice” should reflect your polished professional self. Your best foot forward. I say not being cocky, but brave. Using your superpower, voice, to do good for the world. Anyways, great to have you back. Thanks, Phil

January 24, 2020 at 10:53 am

I think we worry far too much about voice (and authenticity). If we focus on writing well, then our voice will appear as if by magic.

And yes to picking up our courage and using our voice to do good. For me, that doesn’t always mean I have to be polished and professional. It’s often when we let that mask of professionalism slip that we connect most strongly with our audience. It’s a balance and everyone needs to find their own balance.

Good to see you again, too, Phil!

January 23, 2020 at 12:57 pm

“You’ll find your voice by using it.” So true! Great post Henneke. I love it! Marisa

January 23, 2020 at 6:48 pm

Thank you, Marisa. I’m glad you enjoyed it.?

January 23, 2020 at 5:06 am

I’m glad your back. From the sound of your post the short break was a good thing for you.

Back in the dark ages when I was in graduate school a professor suggested that we keep six areas of reading going at the same time. And, being a minister with the responsibility of at least three presentations a week it seemed like more than a good idea. However, beware of that strategy. Not only will your mind/spirit/soul fill to over flowing, your home will become walled with books. But ….. the good news. Each one will become, in its own way, a good friend. Some of their voices will never be forgotten. Others will whisper a reminder now and then of the solid place they gave you, at least for awhile to stand. Then others will leave you with the gladness of their just being there. As time passes, to be alone with your books will be…….to never be alone. Grace and peace.

January 23, 2020 at 6:47 pm

What a wonderful ode to books.

They are indeed good friends, and excellent teachers, too.

Glad to see you again, too, Curtis. I much appreciate you stopped by to leave a comment. Thank you.

January 22, 2020 at 4:13 am

I don’t know why, but I do not really enjoy reading most fiction. However I do study how to write fiction because the story-telling skill is imperative in writing non-fiction. We tell stories all the time, even in self-help and other instructional materials. Case studies, imaginary introductions, and even simply the manner in which we explain or instruct, all benefit from the application of good story-telling. So, I study story-telling and use it a lot. I’ve found though, that if I study one of the few fiction writers whom I truly enjoy, I will end up on page 86 or so, with no notes, but completely taken in again! Not sure how to rightly study such engaging writing. Haha!

January 22, 2020 at 12:37 pm

I somehow struggle with a lot of non-fiction. I find most business and marketing books too superficial and bland. I like to read more in-depth stories—what problems people encountered, how those problems made them feel, and how they changed.

I don’t often take notes when reading fiction either but find it often more engrossing than non-fiction books. The storytelling is usually better. Also, I sometimes come across a specific writing style I like and then I might highlight sentences or paragraphs (like how Tommy Orange uses long sentences or how Andrew Sean Greer uses fun metaphors or how Nora Ephron uses repetition).

I also love studying storytelling!

January 22, 2020 at 3:33 am

I struggle with being vulnerable and completely open in my writing. I now have a new outlook after reading your post and definitely more courage to share my work. Thank you, Henneke!

January 22, 2020 at 12:32 pm

I don’t think we have to be completely open. There are things I don’t write about on my blog either (for instance, difficult family relationships). It’s okay to set our own boundaries, and over time, these boundaries may change. My writing is a lot more personal now than it was a few years ago.

January 22, 2020 at 1:00 am

How full of inspiration this article is. And actions to take to enhance our writing. I’m saving this to Pocket!

January 22, 2020 at 12:28 pm

Thank you so much, Cassie. happy writing!

January 21, 2020 at 7:03 pm

“Somehow, writing for your business isn’t seen as creative.”

Why on earth have I never realised this before? Of course I can be creative while writing for my business and not just for the stories I write only for myself.

This is a game-changer, Henneke, thank you so much! ?

January 21, 2020 at 7:13 pm

Yay! Go for it, Catherine! ?

January 21, 2020 at 5:16 pm

Henneke – YOU’RE my writing hero! ?‍♀️ I’ve learned, and continue to learn, so much from you in each and every post. Thank you!

January 21, 2020 at 5:43 pm

Wow. Thank you so much, Kristen. ?

January 21, 2020 at 5:13 pm

Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts – in a truly authentic voice, it’s touching, inspiring and empowering! That damn stupid voice of not being good enough, the fear of not being good with words…I do believe that as long we are authentic we all have exciting unique voices. But we have to allow ourselves to be authentic – so thanks for the reminder and the beautiful pictures you were painting in your post!

That damn voice never shuts up, does it? I learned that to listen to it first, then put it aside, works best for me. When I fight or ignore it altogether, it only gets louder.

Happy writing, Frauke. And thank you for stopping by.

January 21, 2020 at 4:05 pm

I usually never read any articles or blogs till the end but your article attract me to read it. When I start to read I decided that I won’t read it till the end but each paragraph creates more curiosity to read it further. That’s how I read whole article & I just loved it. Because usually people say that you need to focus on particular topic to get expert but as I expected you told us to continue what we love? Thank you for precious writing I also want to be a part of your work. Looking forward for that opportunity ?

January 21, 2020 at 5:41 pm

What a lovely comment, Sarita. It’s exactly how I hope to write—so people keep reading until the last word.

Thank you so much for stopping by. ? Happy writing!

January 23, 2020 at 7:14 am

Pleasure is all mine ? Keep writing such articles so we can some more ideas about writings ?

Thank you for making me stop on your writing ☺️ Have a wonderful Day, Henneke?

January 21, 2020 at 2:17 pm

I always love your posts. Well written, but more importantly empowering. Thank you!

January 21, 2020 at 2:25 pm

Thank you, Keiko. If I can empower just a few people to find their voices, I’m happy! 🙂

January 21, 2020 at 1:42 pm

Hi Henneke,

There are writers who know storytelling, and storytellers who have to learn the skill of writing. I think Debbie Macomber said that writing was the skill she had to learn before she published a novel. I am so glad you noted the misconception of creative writing. It is used in business, too. Fiction or nonfiction, it’s the skill behind great storytelling that follows the beginning, middle, and ending. And I agree, when you find your voice, you can better tell your story. I just love the fact that every one of us has a story. -Vanessa

January 21, 2020 at 2:11 pm

Yes, so true—storytelling is important for business writing, too. Thank you for adding that, Vanessa. Happy storytelling!

January 21, 2020 at 1:18 pm

I love your posts. I am from Brazil and used to read your articles always I can. Congratulations

January 21, 2020 at 2:10 pm

Thank you so much for stopping by, Orlando. It’s a great honor that people from across the world are reading my blog. Thank you.

January 21, 2020 at 1:00 pm

What a beautiful post! Thank you for writing this 🙂

Thank you, Bharat. Happy writing! 🙂

January 21, 2020 at 12:35 pm

You are so right, self-doubt is a killer if you let it. Quick success story of me overcoming mine… I recently contributed a poem to Chalkboard on Medium. I had picked my picture and saved it, but when the month came to do my prompt, I had not saved my original poem. I had to come up with something new, yet in my mind, it sounded lame. Well, that was in Oct of 2019, now the claps have reached 1 million! That’s a 1st for me! Glad I trusted my voice and published it!

January 21, 2020 at 2:09 pm

Congratulastions, Kim! 1 million claps sounds amazing.

January 21, 2020 at 12:25 pm

Beautiful post, Henneke!

January 21, 2020 at 12:26 pm

Thank you, Iustina. Happy writing!

January 21, 2020 at 12:02 pm

About vulnerability: as soon as you stop taking risks, your writing is bland. That’s my #1 truth.

January 21, 2020 at 12:05 pm

Yes, that’s so true.

January 21, 2020 at 11:51 am

This is a beautiful post! You really are a great writer.

January 21, 2020 at 11:52 am

Thank you, Leah. I wanted to start the year with some inspiration (for myself, too!).

Happy writing!

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What is Voice in Writing?

Written by Haley Boyce

Chances are you’ve got a favorite author. There’s something about their words on paper that work in a spellbound way to reach up from their place in line to grab your hand and pull you into the imagined world before you. The connection you feel to the characters, the subject, the era – all of it feels as though it’s being spoken directly to you and for you. Whether you laugh or cry at the right moments as you read, if you nod your head in agreement, or dogear a page so you can return to it because the feeling is so moving you’ve got to experience it more than once in a lifetime. All of this comes down to one tiny word with a very big meaning: Voice. 

What Are the Elements of Voice in Writing?

Voice is personality on a page. How a writer uses it determines their own unique sound. Just as you cannot force a personality onto someone, you cannot force voice in writing. Every voice is unique. 

If you polled hundreds of writers asking them to identify the elements of voice, you’d receive varied feedback. That’s because of how individual and personal voice is to each writer. Some might say voice comes down to sentence structure and length. Another would argue that voice is an ambiguous word to describe the magic that happens when words travel from our imaginations on the page. But that’s not what you’re here for, right? Sometimes we need to improve our skill with a concrete guide. We hear you. We’re going to give you a list of elements to consider when writing that will help develop your voice. You have to promise, though, that you will take these steps as tools rather than rules. Use them in conjunction with artistry – write what feels appropriate for your topic and the audience you’re trying to reach.

Voices at Work

All this talk about voice can feel a bit abstract since it’s each voice is unique to the writer and the story they are telling, so let’s take a look at the difference between passages from some authors with distinctly different voices:

When spring came, even the false spring, there were no problems except where to be happiest. The only thing that could spoil a day was people and if you could keep from making engagements, each day had no limits. People were always the limiters of happiness except for the very few that were as good as spring itself.

( A Moveable Feast , Ernest Hemingway)

“Because,” explained Mary Rommely simply, “the child must have a valuable thing which is called imagination. The child must have a secret world in which live things that never were. It is necessary that she believe. She must start out by believing in things not of this world. Then when the world becomes too ugly for living in, the child can reach back and live in her imagination. I, myself, even in this day and at my age, have great need of recalling the miraculous lives of the Saints and the great miracles that have come to pass on earth. Only by having these things in my mind can I live beyond what I have to live for.”

( A Tree Grows in Brooklyn , Betty Smith)

Oh, it’s delightful to have ambitions. I’m so glad I have such a lot. And there never seems to be any end to them– that’s the best of it. Just as soon as you attain to one ambition you see another one glittering higher up still. It does make life so interesting.

( Anne of Green Gables , L.M. Montgomery)

Everyone must leave something behind when he dies, my grandfather said. A child or a book or a painting or a house or a wall built or a pair of shoes made. Or a garden planted. Something your hand touched some way so your soul has somewhere to go when you die, and when people look at that tree or that flower you planted, you’re there.

( Fahrenheit 451, Ray Bradbury)

She is a friend of my mind. She gather me, man. The pieces I am, she gather them and give them back to me in all the right order.

( Beloved , Toni Morrison) 

Among other things, you’ll find that you’re not the first person who was ever confused and frightened and even sickened by human behavior. You’re by no means alone on that score, you’ll be excited and stimulated to know. Many, many men have been just as troubled morally and spiritually as you are right now. Happily, some of them kept records of their troubles. You’ll learn from them—if you want to. Just as someday, if you have something to offer, someone will learn something from you. It’s a beautiful reciprocal arrangement. And it isn’t education. It’s history. It’s poetry.

( Catcher in the Rye , J.D. Salinger)

But just because you bury something, that doesn’t mean it stops existing. Those feelings, they’d been there all along. All that time. I had to face it. He was part of my DNA. I had brown hair and I had freckles and I would always have Conrad in my heart.

( To All The Boys I Loved Before , Jenny Han)

Without further ado, we give you elements of voice:     

How you arrange words to develop sentences. Not everyone does it the same way, nor should they. Creative writing is art because there are countless ways to say one thing. 

The attitude of your piece and the words you choose to express it.

Word choice can make or break the believability of your piece. If a story is not believable, your reader could very likely roll their eyes and put your story down in favor of one written by a different author. 

This is one of those things that is exactly as it sounds. Imagery = images created based on what the words describe. If you’ve ever pictured a story in your mind while reading it’s because the author used imagery. Figurative language (simile, metaphor, personification) is sometimes used to create this imagery, and sometimes it comes down to some darn good description of a scene. Lean into the five senses to make the image undeniably accurate to the piece you’re writing. 

Punctuation

This connects back to sentence length in syntax. Varied sentence types have the power to define a voice, whether it’s yours as the writer of an argumentative essay or the first person voice of a fictional character in a novel. You know how some people sound like every sentence they speak sounds like a question? To get that sound into your readers’ minds you will need to write the sentences exactly as they sound. This is the stuff that puts creative in creative writing. 

The words you choose and the order in which you set them up can manipulate a reader’s heart, change their mind, plant an idea. There truly is no limit to the power words can have on a reader when they are voiced well. 

KathySteinemann.com: Free Resources for Writers and Poets

Word lists, cheat sheets, and sometimes irreverent reviews of writing rules. kathy steinemann is the author of the writer's lexicon series..

250+ Ways to Describe Voices: A Word List for Writers

(Discover even more words in The Writer’s Body Lexicon .)

Your protagonist’s voice will evoke varied reactions. As a writer, your job is to make readers hear what you want them to hear.

In context, dulcet tones could imply a beautiful woman. Abrasive barks might work for an impatient CEO. Singsong droning would be appropriate for many teachers.

Let’s Review What a Few Other Authors Have Written for Voice Comparisons

“A hoarse bass voice like an echo in an empty house.” ~ Amos Oz

“A voice as hard as the blade of a shovel.” ~ Raymond Chandler

“A voice like a broken phonograph.” ~ Anonymous

“A voice like a strained foghorn.” ~ W. W. Jacobs

“A voice like the cry of an expiring mouse …” ~ Arthur C. Benson

“A voice like the whistle of birds.” ~ Arabian Nights

“Brittle as the first ice of autumn.” ~ Michael Gilbert

“Delicate voices, like silver bells.” ~ Nikolai V. Gogol

“For thy voice like an echo from Fairyland seems.” ~ Anonymous

“Gruff voice, like the creaking of the gallows-chain.” ~ R. D. Blackmore

“Her voice … creaked like the hinges of a rusty iron gate.” ~ Stefan Zweig

“Her voice is like the evening thrush.” ~ Robert Burns

“Her voice is like the harmony of angels.” ~ Beaumont and Fletcher

“Her voice was like a bagpipe suffering from tonsillitis.” ~ Anonymous

“His voice is like the rising storm.” ~ Lord Byron

“Like melting honey.” ~ Jimmy Sangster

“Liquid voice resounded like the prelude of a flute.” ~ Gabriel D’Annunzio

“No more inflection than a traffic light.” ~ John Updike

“Voice flat and hard as a stove lid.” ~ James Crumley

“Voice like a chair scraping across a tiled floor.” ~ Roderic Jeffries

“Voice like a coyote with bronchitis.” ~ O. Henry

“Voice like dark brown velvet.” ~ Josephine Tey

“Voice like dish-water gurgling through a sink.” ~ Octave Mirbeau

“Voice like down feathers.” ~ William Diehl

“Voice like the music of rills.” ~ William Cullen Bryant

“Voice soft and cool as a prison yard.” ~ Joseph Wambaugh

“Voice was like hollow wind in a cave.” ~ Ossian

“Voice, as pure and sweet as if from heaven.” ~ Aubrey De Vere

“Voice, cruel as a new knife.” ~ George Garrett

“Voice, low as the summer music of a brook.” ~ T. Buchanan Read

“Voices as soft and murmurous as wings.” ~ George Garrett

What Other Comparisons Could You Use?

Pleasant baby’s giggle bubbling porridge cascading waterfall contented kitten cooing dove chirruping nightingale church choir finely tuned guitar gently lapping waves lilting xylophone lover’s kiss mother’s murmur pattering rain purring engine sweet cello symphony of crickets tinkling glass twittering canary whispering meadow wind chimes

Unpleasant alarm clock ambulance siren backfiring jalopy belching bully car alarm cat fight clucking hen coughing cat cracking knuckles dentist’s drill discordant violin explosive vomit freeway pileup grating manhole cover grizzly bear insistent jackhammer mewling cat microphone feedback pregnant frog simmering sewer snuffling sow squawking crow squeaky wheel squealing brakes thick phlegm violent windstorm whistling teakettle woofing seal

Tip: Listen to the sounds around you, including those on TV, podcasts, and online recordings. Make a list of agreeable and disagreeable sounds. Then incorporate them in your next writing project.

No Need to Always Use Like for Comparisons

Many of the words from 150+ Ways to Say “Look Like” or “Seem Like” could be used to create direct comparisons.

A music teacher might create an analogy based on a musical instrument: “Her shrill voice embodied every discordant violin I had ever heard.”

A lover would hear only the best from his sweetheart: “Her voice resonated: a cooing dove amidst a symphony of crickets.”

However, after an angry breakup, his attitude might change: “Her hen-clucking pecked apart everything I did.”

Be bold. Experiment. Unusual comparisons will produce the most memorable moments in your writing.

While you create, remember that what seems pleasant to one person could be disagreeable to someone else. Provide context that illustrates your intent.

Watch point of view. Your protagonist could label another person’s voice as sweet but would be unlikely to use the same adjective for self-description.

More Than 250 Adjectives to Describe Voices

Some of the following words tell rather than show.

For instance, describing a voice as mocking tells in one word what might be better shown with dialogue and body language: “You’re no better at darts than your puny brother,” Jim said, eyebrows raised. “My kid sister could beat you with her eyes closed.”

A abrasive, accusatory, acerbic, acidic, acrimonious, adenoidal, alto, animated, appealing, astringent, authoritative

B barbed, baritone, barking, bass, big, biting, bitter, bland, bleak, blunt, bombastic, booming, bored, boyish, brash, braying, breathy, breezy, bright, brisk, brittle, broken, bubbly, burbling

C to E calm, caustic, cheerful, cold, colorless, contralto, countertenor, crisp, critical, croaky, cutting, dead, demanding, disembodied, disinterested, dispassionate, droning, dulcet, dull, effervescent, energetic

F and G faint, fawning, feathery, feeble, fierce, firm, flat, forceful, fretful, fruity, gentle, girlish, glum, goofy, gracious, grating, grave, gravelly, grim, growling, gruff, guttural

H to J hard, harsh, hearty, hesitant, high-pitched, hissing, hoarse, honeyed, hostile, hushed, husky, immense, impartial, indifferent, indistinct, ingratiating, insinuating, intense, ironic, jeering, joking, jubilant

L and M lifeless, light, lilting, lively, loud, loving , low, malicious, matter-of-fact, mellifluous, melodious, mezzo-soprano, mild, mocking, modulated, monotone, monotonous, mournful, muffled, musical, muted

N to Q nasal, nasty, neutral, nonchalant, obsequious, oily, orotund, passionate, penetrating, piercing, piping, placating, plummy, polished, pretentious, quavering, querulous, quiet

R ragged, raspy/rasping, raucous, raw, razor-edged, reedy, refined, relaxed, resonant, restrained, ringing, roaring, robust, rough, rumbling

Sa to Sn saccharine, sad , sarcastic, sardonic, savage, scathing, scornful, scratchy, screeching, searing, serene, severe, shaky, sharp, shrieking, shrill, sibilant, silken, silly, silvery, sincere, singsong, sleek, slippery, sluggish, slurred/slurring, sly, small, smarmy, smoky, smooth, snide

So to Sy soft, somber, sonorous, soothing, sophisticated, soprano, sotto-voce, sour, squeaky, squealing, staccato, stark, steely, stentorian, stern, stiff, stilted, stinging, stony, strained, strangled, strident, strong, suave, subdued, submissive, subservient, sugary, suggestive, surly, sweet, sympathetic

T and U tart, taut, teasing, tender, tenor, tense, thick, thin, throaty, thunderous, tight, toneless, trembling, tremulous, trilling, unctuous, unsteady, unsympathetic

V to W vague, velvet/velvety, venomous, vicious, virulent, vitriolic, warm, wavering, weak, weary, wheezy, whiny/whining, whispering, wistful, wobbly, wooden

Are You Interested in More Word Lists and Writing Tips?

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9 thoughts on “ 250+ Ways to Describe Voices: A Word List for Writers ”

Very interesting. A good way to overcome w. Block!

Thanks, Pat.

May 2023 turn out to be your best writing year ever.

Is this list of words in one of your lexicon books?

It’ll be in The Writer’s Body Lexicon , which won’t be published for a few months. The chapter in the book will contain even more options.

This table of contents shows what is available in both volumes of The Writer’s Lexicon .

Hi Kathy! I bought both your books, but I don’t see the list for voices (the list that is here). Can you tell me which page it’s on? Thank you!

Lynne, I just emailed you.

I’m sorry, Kathy! My eyes skimmed over the word Body in the title. I now see you have a new book coming out soon. Very exciting! I will definitely buy a copy when it comes out. Thank you!

Hi: Thank you for sharing this blog. I know so many times I find myself using the same descriptive words such as low, soft, angry and after a while, all the characters seem to be coming out the same. This list is most helpful as a creative, brainstorming part for me to use not only on the first write but the revisions as well. Also, thank you for taking the time to research and list the various authors and their descriptive terms. Again, thanks for sharing this great information.

Thanks for stopping by, Janice! Do you have any words you’d like me to research?

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College Minor: Everything You Need to Know

14 fascinating teacher interview questions for principals, tips for success if you have a master’s degree and can’t find a job, 14 ways young teachers can get that professional look, which teacher supplies are worth the splurge, 8 business books every teacher should read, conditional admission: everything you need to know, college majors: everything you need to know, 7 things principals can do to make a teacher observation valuable, 3 easy teacher outfits to tackle parent-teacher conferences, 10 creative writing activities that help students find their voice.

I don’t have a story to tell. My life is not intriguing. Any resemblance? No teacher that I am aware of hasn’t heard pupils say this. Our kids struggle when we ask them to write about themselves. We know how crucial it is for them to share their narratives. It’s how we discover our identities and preserve our cultures and history. When we don’t share our tales, it can even be deadly. Every subject benefits from storytelling, not only English Language Arts; when students consider how their own stories connect to historical events, civic involvement, and the practical applications of STEM, they engage more deeply and learn more. Any subject you teach can benefit from these 10 creative writing exercises :

Here are 10 of our top story-telling exercises for motivating students:

Compose a poem titled “I Am From”

Students read George Ella Lyon’s poem “I Am From.” They then write a poem on their own identities using Lyon’s structure. To publicize their poems, pupils then make a video. We adore this work since it provides pupils with a clear structure and sample that they may imitate. But much like their story, the outcome is original.

Create a social media post to share a memorable experience.

How can you tell a tale using your point of view? We want our pupils to realize how special they are and how their tales are the only ones that others would want to hear, could relate to, or could learn from. Students watch two Pixar-in-a-Box movies at Khan Academy as part of this exercise to learn about viewpoint and narrative. Then, they choose a memorable, engaging, moving experience and create a social media post.

Draw a line to represent an emotional story in a picture.

How can emotion be conveyed in a single line? To learn how lines convey character, emotion, and tension, students in this assignment watch a Pixar in a Box video on Khan Academy. As they create their story, they then experiment with these elements. This is a great tool for pre-writing and for assisting kids in discovering their story arc. Additionally, this can assist children who enjoy drawing or learning visually in expressing their tale and demonstrate the variety of methods in which a story can be told.

What is the origin of your name?

To communicate a tale about who we are, our culture, and our family history, we should share the origin of our name. And if there’s no backstory, we can discuss our feelings and describe the sound. In this project, students introduce themselves to their classmates through video while explaining the meaning behind their names. Students are tasked with connecting their names (and identities), their personal and family history, and more general historical forces. Try Sandra Cisneros’ “My Name” if you’re seeking a mentor text that works nicely with this one.

Create a personality sketch in pictures

Allocate enough time for students to develop a character portrait of themselves. This will enable them to better understand their place in the narrative. Students in this session develop a visual personality sketch. They’ll begin to view themselves objectively and treat themselves as a person.

Construct a website outlining the plot of your film.

A fantastic technique to teach children how to arrange the elements of their tale in a logical order is by having them build a narrative spine. Making decisions regarding the structure is practiced here. This practice is one of our favorites since it allows students to observe several narrative structures in action. They then reflect on the issue of how to employ structure to make your story successful.

Answer writing prompts.

Because they lack inspiration or require a different starting point for telling their story, our students occasionally become stuck. Give them a wide variety of writing prompts to pick from. Distribute paper and pencils. Set a fifteen-minute timer. The board with three to four writing prompts. Encourage pupils to write for fun without worrying about whether or not their ideas are sound. I don’t know why I remember… is one of our favorite prompts to entice children to share their tales.

• Which location is your favorite and why?
• What possessions help to describe your life’s story?
• What information about you would surprise someone?
• Construct a portrait of yourself that explores identity and self-expression.

Because they are still developing their identities, kids often find it challenging to write their own stories. Students investigate how they and others define their identities in this project. What part does one’s identity have in how others view and handle them? What is revealed to the public, and what is kept private?

To convey a key occasion in your life, make a video.

Motivate learners to choose the best way to describe a time when they overcame their worries. Students to reflect on the issue: How can you express your tale using several shot types? To understand more about various camera angles and how they may be used in the narrative, they watch a video from Pixar in a Box on Khan Academy. They then select three scenes from their story to turn into photographs using Photoshop or Adobe Spark Post. We use this great tool to get kids to consider perspective and tempo. Sometimes, the things we leave out of our stories are just as significant as the things we do.

Examine wild writing.

You read a poem and choose two lines from it using Laurie Powers’ approach. With one of those phrases, students begin their essays. They repeat their jump-off line whenever they become stuck. Any poem can be used for this single exercise or as a regular writing warm-up. We adore how it brings down the bar. Lacking any ideas for writing, Restart after repeating the jump-off line. Some of our preferred jump-off points are listed below:

• The reality is
• Some people claim…
• Here’s what I neglected to mention to you….
• Some questions are unanswerable…
• What I’m reluctant to write about is as follows…

ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act): Everything You ...

9 roles of a school principal you ....

Matthew Lynch

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How to Describe Voices in Writing (300+ Words & Examples)

Describing voices accurately in writing can transform your story or screenplay, giving your characters depth and making them feel real to your readers.

Here is how to describe voices in writing:

Describe a voice in writing by identifying elements like tone, pace, timbre, volume, and accent. Use adjectives for depth or speed. Consider the voice’s emotional state, age, and physical circumstance. Create a better reading experience by differentiating the voices in your story.

In this guide, you’ll learn everything you need to know about how to describe voices in writing.

How To Describe Voices in Writing (The Elements You Need To Know)

Table of Contents

To portray voices effectively in writing, it’s crucial to grasp the various elements that constitute a voice.

Let’s delve into some of these vital components:

The tone of a voice reveals the emotional undercurrents beneath the words spoken

It’s not just what the character says, but how they say it that provides context and clues to their emotional state.

Tone can encompass a wide range of emotions, from sarcasm and anger to affection and impatience.

For instance, a character’s voice can drip with venom in their anger, quaver in their anxiety, or soften in their affection.

Example: “ His tone dripped with scorn as he responded to her, his words carrying an edge sharper than a sword. “

Example: “ Her voice softened, the gentle lilt carrying a tender affection that warmed the room. “

The pace or speed of a character’s speech can reveal much about their personality, mood, and state of mind.

A character speaking at a fast pace might indicate excitement, anxiety, or impatience.

In contrast, a slow-speaking character might come across as more contemplative, calm, or possibly confused.

Example: “ His words tumbled out in a fast-paced torrent, echoing the racing thoughts within his mind. “

Example: “ She spoke slowly, her measured pace reflecting the weight of her words. “

Timbre is the unique quality or texture of a voice that differentiates it from others.

It adds color and depth, making a voice sound velvety, gravelly, husky, or raspy. Timbre can convey a voice’s warmth or harshness, and sometimes, it can even provide a physical feeling to the listener.

Example: “ His voice had a gravelly timbre, reminiscent of rocks grinding together. “

Example: “ Her voice was velvety, a soft timbre that felt like a warm blanket on a cold night. “

The volume at which a character speaks can provide insight into their emotional state, intentions, or personality traits.

A loud voice can indicate excitement, anger, or an attempt to dominate, while a soft voice might suggest shyness, secrecy, or gentleness.

Example: “ Her voice was a barely audible whisper, as if sharing a precious secret. “

Example: “ His voice thundered across the room, demanding attention from all. “

How To Describe Specific Types of Voices in Writing

In this section, we’ll cover how to describe many different types of voices in writing.

Sometimes you want to describe the voice of a man or woman or child. Other times, you might want to describe a deep, high-pitched, or melodious voice.

Keep reading to find out how (with examples).

How to Describe Male Voices in Writing

Male voices, typically lower in pitch, can be described with a variety of adjectives, such as deep, gravelly, husky, or rough.

Physical reactions can also enhance the description.

Example: “ His voice, like a bass drum, resonated in her chest, leaving her with a strange fluttering sensation. “

Example: “ The velvety texture of his voice was soothing, lulling her into a state of tranquillity. “

How to Describe Female Voices in Writing

Female voices often have a higher pitch and can be portrayed as soft, melodic, shrill, or husky. By integrating the character’s emotional state, you can add nuance to the voice description.

Example: “ Her voice was like a flute, high and melodious, filling the room with a lively cheer. “

Example: “ Her husky voice carried a distinct warmth, wrapping around him like a comforting embrace. “

How to Describe a Deep Voice in Writing

A deep voice can portray a range of characters and moods, from authoritative figures to comforting allies or menacing villains.

Deep voices can be described as resonant, rumbling, or sonorous.

Example: “ His deep voice rolled over her like a wave, carrying an authority that demanded respect. “

Example: “ His voice was a low rumble, like distant thunder, carrying an underlying threat. “

How to Describe a Fast Voice in Writing

A fast voice can suggest a range of emotions and personalities, from anxiety and excitement to impatience.

Descriptions can include words like rushed, hurried, or jabbering.

Example: “ His words were a rapid-fire barrage, revealing his barely controlled excitement. “

Example: “ She jabbered quickly, her words bouncing around the room in her nervousness. “

How to Describe a Loud Voice in Writing

A loud voice can portray dominance, excitement, or panic. It can be described as booming, deafening, or blaring.

Example: “ His booming voice echoed in the room, a loud proclamation of his dominance. “

Example: “ Her voice was a deafening roar, mirroring the chaos and panic she felt within. “

How to Describe a Soft Voice in Writing

A soft voice can indicate a variety of moods, including gentleness, fear, or mystery.

Descriptions can include words like hushed, whispering, or murmuring.

Example: “ His voice was a soft murmur, a soothing balm over her frayed nerves. “

Example: “ Her whispering voice held a note of mystery, a secret waiting to be unveiled. “

How to Describe a Singing Voice in Writing

A singing voice can encapsulate a range of emotions, from sheer joy to profound sorrow.

Descriptions can include words like harmonious, melodious, lilting, or crooning.

Example: “ His voice, a melodious baritone, wove a rich tapestry of sound, filling the air with a soulful melody. “

Example: “ Her lilting voice danced through the air, each note a joyous celebration of life. “

How to Describe a Crying Voice in Writing

A crying voice, often deeply emotional, can be portrayed as choked, sobbing, wailing, or whimpering.

Example: “ His voice came out in choked sobs, the pain apparent in each word. “

Example: “ Her whimpering voice was heart-rending, each cry echoing her despair. “

How to Describe a High-Pitched Voice in Writing

A high-pitched voice can contribute to various character portrayals, from bubbly and enthusiastic personalities to those filled with fear or anxiety.

This voice type can suggest youth, as younger individuals often have higher-pitched voices, or perhaps someone who is excited or scared.

Descriptions might include words like squeaky, shrill, or piercing.

Example: “ Her voice was a shrill siren, each word piercing the air like a needle. “

Example: “ His voice, high and squeaky, was filled with unabashed enthusiasm, like a child on Christmas morning. “

How to Describe a Nasal Voice in Writing

A nasal voice, where the sound seems to resonate from the nose rather than the mouth or throat, can be an interesting trait for a character.

This can be used to emphasize a character’s comical, annoying, or unique personality.

Descriptions might include words like twangy, whiny, or braying.

Example: “ His voice had a nasal twang, each word sounding like it was squeezed out of a tight space. “

Example: “ Her voice was a nasal whine, a sound that grated on their nerves. “

How to Describe a Raspy Voice in Writing

A raspy voice, rough and hoarse, can suggest a character’s age, health, or emotional state.

This type of voice can denote an old or weary individual, someone who’s been shouting or crying, or perhaps someone who’s ill.

It can be described as hoarse, gravelly, or scratchy.

Example: “ His voice was a gravelly rasp, a testament to the many years he’d weathered. “

Example: “ Her voice emerged as a hoarse whisper, the aftermath of hours spent in tearful conversation. “

How to Describe an Emotionless Voice in Writing

An emotionless or monotone voice can reveal a lot about a character’s mindset or state of being.

This can denote someone who’s indifferent, in shock, or emotionally withdrawn. It could also be a character who’s pragmatic or analytical in nature. Descriptions can include words like flat, lifeless, or monotonous.

Example: “ His voice was flat, void of any emotion that might betray his thoughts. “

Example: “ Her voice held a monotonous drone, a dull sound that mirrored her detached demeanor. “

How to Describe a Whispering Voice in Writing

A whispering voice is soft and hushed, often used when a character wants to convey a secret or speak without being overheard.

It can also be indicative of fear, romance, or intimacy.

Words to describe a whispering voice might include hushed, muted, or breathy.

Example: “ His voice was a hushed whisper in the dark, a gentle brush against her ear that sent shivers down her spine. “

Example: “ Her whispering voice was barely audible, carrying an air of secrecy that tingled his curiosity. “

How to Describe a Melodious Voice in Writing

A melodious voice often has a musical quality, whether the character is singing or speaking.

It’s the type of voice that’s pleasant to hear, often used to describe a character who is charming or soothing.

Descriptions might include words like musical, harmonious, or lyrical.

Example: “ Her voice was harmonious, each word a distinct note that composed a beautiful symphony. “

Example: “ His voice was a lyrical song, the soothing melody washing over her like a gentle tide. “

How to Describe a Bellowing Voice in Writing

A bellowing voice is loud and resonant, often used when a character is yelling or expressing strong emotions like anger or excitement.

It can also convey a sense of authority or power.

Words to describe a bellowing voice might include booming, roaring, or thunderous.

Example: “ His voice bellowed across the battlefield, a roaring command that rallied the troops. “

Example: “ Her voice boomed through the lecture hall, an authoritative echo that demanded attention. “

How to Describe a Child’s Voice in Writing

A child’s voice is typically high-pitched and clear, often reflecting innocence, excitement, or curiosity.

Depending on the child’s age, their voice might have a lisping or stammering quality.

Descriptions might include words like squeaky, clear, lisping, or stammering.

Example: “ His voice, high and clear, was filled with the infectious excitement that only a child could muster. “

Example: “ Her voice was a soft squeak, a lisping sound that underscored her tender years. “

How to Describe an Elderly Voice in Writing

An elderly voice can reflect the wisdom and experiences of a lifetime.

Depending on the character’s health and vitality, their voice might be strong and clear or frail and quavering. Descriptions might include words like quavering, frail, shaky, or wise.

Example: “ His voice was shaky, a fragile echo of the robust sound it once was. “

Example: “ Her voice held a wise and steady tone, the weight of years echoing in each word. “

How to Describe a Smooth Voice in Writing

A smooth voice often conveys a sense of calm, elegance, or seductiveness.

It can suggest a character who is self-assured, sophisticated, or soothing.

Descriptions might include words like velvety, silky, or soothing.

Example: “ His voice was velvety smooth, each word a gentle caress that soothed her worries. “

Example: “ Her silky voice flowed through the room, like a comforting balm over their tired souls. “

How to Describe a Strained Voice in Writing

A strained voice is often used when a character is under emotional or physical distress.

It can suggest pain, anxiety, or exertion. Descriptions might include words like tight, tense, or choked.

Example: “ His voice was tense, the strain betraying his efforts to maintain composure. “

Example: “ Her voice came out in a choked whisper, each word a battle against the tears welling up in her eyes. “

How to Describe a Crackling Voice in Writing

A crackling voice often indicates age, nervousness, or emotional instability.

This can be used to describe a character going through puberty, an elderly character, or a character in a highly emotional state.

Descriptions might include words like breaking, unsteady, or wavering.

Example: “ His voice was breaking, each word wavering as if treading on unstable ground. “

Example: “ Her voice crackled like dry leaves underfoot, the years etched into every syllable. “

How to Describe a Stern Voice in Writing

A stern voice usually conveys authority, seriousness, or disapproval.

This voice type could be used to describe a parent, a boss, or anyone in a position of power.

Descriptions might include words like harsh, firm, or forbidding.

Example: “ His voice was harsh, a stern command that left no room for argument. “

Example: “ Her firm voice echoed her resolve, a testament to her unyielding stance. “

How to Describe a Gentle Voice in Writing

A gentle voice often suggests kindness, warmth, or care.

It’s typically associated with characters who are compassionate, patient, or soothing. Descriptions might include words like soft, warm, or tender.

Example: “ His voice was soft, each word a gentle caress that calmed her restless heart. “

Example: “ Her voice held a tender warmth, a soothing melody that eased their worries. “

Descriptive Words for Voices in Writing

The table below includes 30 types of voices and a collection of unique descriptive words for each type.

I hope it provides a handy reference for writers seeking to add depth and nuance to their character portrayals.

Before you go, here is a good video about how to describe a person’s voice (with audio examples):

Final Thoughts: How to Describe Voices in Writing

By learning to utilize a wide variety of voice descriptions in your writing, you can create a captivating soundscape that enriches your narrative and breathes life into your characters.

Your words can help your readers not only see your characters but also hear them, deepening their engagement with your story.

Related Posts:

• 400+ Words to Describe a Flower Garden: Best Writers Guide
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• How to Describe a Sunset in Writing: 100 Best Words & Phrases
• 55 Best Demonic Words for Fiction (Meanings & Examples)

Finding Your Voice and Crafting Stories that Ignite the Soul with Sue William Silverman

• Apr 11 2024
• Length: 57 mins

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Sue William Silverman joins the Writing Your Resilience Podcast to talk about the power of creative nonfiction, how to use metaphor, masks, and language to harness its power, and how this work can lead to personal growth.

As you listen along, here are a few questions to ponder: Which of your stories yearn to be told? How do you uncover their many emotional truths? What do those truths look like on the page and sound like when you read them out loud?

Sue William Silverman is an award-winning author of eight works of nonfiction and poetry. Her most recent book is Acetylene Torch Songs: Writing True Stories to Ignite the Soul . Her previous book, How to Survive Death and Other Inconveniences ," won the gold star in Foreword Reviews Indie Book of the Year Award and the Clara Johnson Award for Women’s Literature. Other works include Love Sick: One Woman’s Journey through Sexual Addiction, which was made into a Lifetime TV movie; Because I Remember Terror, Father, I Remember You , which won the AWP Award; and The Pat Boone Fan Club: My Life as a White Anglo-Saxon Jew. She is faculty co-chair of the MFA in Writing Program at Vermont College of Fine Arts.

Episode Highlights:

4:00 Why We Write Creative Nonfiction

8:00 Metaphors in Creative Nonfiction Writing

24:00 Using Masks to Externalize the Narrator and Connect with Their Voice

30:00 Writing, Creativity, and Emotional Truth

36:00 Creative Nonfiction Writing and Personal Growth

42:00 Writing, Memoir, and Essay Collections.

48:00 Writing, Resilience, and Self-Expression

Resources Mentioned During This Episode “Innocence & Experience: Voice in Creative Nonfiction” by Sue William Silverman

“INTERVIEW & REVIEW: Sue William Silverman, Author of Acetylene Torch Songs”

Connect with Sue:

Website: www.SueWilliamSilverman.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SueWilliamSilverman Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/suewilliamsilverman/

Connect with your host, Lisa:

Get Your Free Copy of Write More, Fret Less: https://lisacooperellison.com/newsletter-subscribe/

Website: https://lisacooperellison.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lisacooperellison/

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Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lisacooperellison/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisa-ellison-b5483840/

Sign up for Psychology of Character Development for Memoirists: https://janefriedman.com/the-psychology-of-character-development-for-memoirists-with-lisa-cooper-ellison/

Produced by Espresso Podcast Production: https://www.espressopodcastproduction.com

What listeners say about Finding Your Voice and Crafting Stories that Ignite the Soul with Sue William Silverman

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3 Types of Creative Blocks, and How to Overcome Them Science can help you understand the walls you're running into, when you struggle to start or finish a project.

By Amber Rae • Apr 24, 2024

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

I had every intention of writing this article yesterday morning. And then again, last night. And then this morning. But my team needed me, I had a couple of fires to put out, and honestly, I just didn't really feel like doing it.

When I finally sat down to write, I realized what was going on: Procrastination was rearing its head. Or, as I like to call it, "Fear in overalls." Procrastination is a type of fear that has good intentions but lacks consistent follow-through, and it's easy to slip into. It's the part of us that says, "It's all good, I can do this later, I'm not really in the mood, I'm waiting for inspiration to strike."

As a bestselling author of three books, and a writing mentor who's supported thousands, I've learned a thing or two about why we don't start or finish projects — why ideas nudge us for years but rarely see the light of day.

Whether I'm supporting a founder with a track record of success, a New York Times bestselling author, or an aspiring writer who's just picking up the pen, creative blocks plague us all. Through my work, I've identified three types of creative blocks and how to overcome them.

Creative Block #1: Procrastination — "I'll do this later after I do that other thing."

Maybe you're reading this right now to avoid something else that you need or want to be doing. If so, you may be dealing with procrastination. But before you get down on yourself, let's look closer at the real cause. Unlike what many of us learned, procrastination is not a sign that we're lazy, weak, or lacking in motivation. Procrastination, from a psychological perspective, is also a survival function.

When we're stressed, overwhelmed, burnt out, or dealing with any perceived threat — which could be, "I really want this to go well but the outcome is uncertain," or "I want to put myself out there but I'm not sure how it'll be received," — our nervous system moves into a fight/flight/freeze response. In other words: we procrastinate.

Understanding the science of this can help us have compassion for ourselves—and others—and also decide what to do about it.

I learned about "micro-yeses" from my friend Britt Frank, a neuropsychotherapist and the author of The Science of Stuck . A micro-yes is the smallest next step you can take—a step so small, it seems almost ridiculous to call it "a step."

So, if you're wanting to write an article but you're stalling — like I was — the next micro-yes is not to schedule an hour to write. That might spook your nervous system and send you into further delays. In my case, my micro-yeses were:

• Get my tush in the chair.
• Write one bad sentence.
• Write another.

And voila, the brain stopped perceiving threats, my nervous system was more regulated, and I cranked out the article. I was on my way, and micro-yeses will help you get going, too.

Creative Block #2: Perfectionism — "This isn't good enough."

If procrastination is "fear is overalls," perfectionism is, as Elizabeth Gilbert put it, "fear in fancy clothes." Of all the blocks out there, perfectionism—and the pressure to be great right away—is one that will stop a project dead in its tracks before it ever has a chance to flourish.

When I landed my first book deal, my publisher asked me if I could write the book in three months. As crazy as that sounded, my book was titled Choose Wonder Over Worry , so instead of worrying about how unrealistic that deadline sounded, I asked myself: I wonder how I can get this done?

I cleared my calendar, flew across the world for a writing retreat, and then, as I sat down to write, I found myself paralyzed by a voice inside my head that chimed in every ten seconds to tell me, "That's a very bad sentence."

After consulting with a mentor (and nearly losing my mind), I was reminded that there is no such thing as a great first draft. In fact, my goal was to be a "bad writer" and write terrible first drafts, so that I'd get to the stage of having so-so second drafts and better third drafts.

That strategy helped me finish my book—and it's one that's helped many others in my signature writing workshop, On The Page . Revision is essential and will strengthen your work—but first you need to get those "pen miles" down.

Creative Block #3: Imposter Syndrome — " Who am I to call myself a writer? Am I going to get found out?"

If procrastination is "fear in overalls" and perfectionism is, "fear in fancy clothes," then imposter syndrome is "fear in hiding."

Whenever you're putting yourself out there, or trying something new, there will be people who will be more experienced, or knowledgable, or renowned than you. It's a simple fact of life. Whether you are just starting out in your career, or have decades' worth of accolades, there is always a fear that people who have achieved more will say: You don't know what you're talking about, or, who are you to think you can do this?

In fact, sometimes the more successful you are, and the more you've accomplished, the more likely you are to feel imposter syndrome. It's like the old saying attributed to Aristotle: "The more you know, the more you know you don't know." Case in point, I have a client who got a significant book deal on a topic that she's a world-renowned expert on. She's been featured in dozens of publications, she has a thriving business in her field, and her book is a vehicle to make her message more accessible to more people. And yet, on one of our calls, she shared with me: "I hope I can one day call myself a writer."

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"Well, I'm not a writer like those other writers," she said. "Maybe if the book's a huge success."

That right there is where imposter syndrome thrives: between internal doubt, and the belief that external accolades will prove we are worthy. And the most brutal part of imposter syndrome is that even if we reach our vision of "ultimate success," it's still not enough.

So what to do about it? The solution to imposter syndrome is two-fold:

• Notice the critical voice inside your head that says, I'm not enough, I'm going to be found out, I don't deserve this, I have to work harder to prove myself — and remember that voice is an old and damaging story that you don't need to buy into anymore. Notice it, remember it's not you, and as uncomfortable as it might feel, choose a more empowering narrative, such as: I'm already enough.
• Celebrate the progress you've already made—including the mistakes. Focus on what you're learning, how you're growing, what you value, and what is meaningful to you. Don't get caught up in what you'll need to "someday" achieve so that you'll finally arrive. You've already arrived.

I know encountering blocks can feel unsettling. But once we name what we're experiencing, we can recognize it more easily, and then respond to it differently. Creative blocks are challenges, yes, but they do have science-backed solutions. Sometimes it starts with lowering our really high personal expectations, rolling up our sleeves, and having a little faith in the process.

Author, speaker and writing mentor

Amber Rae is an international bestselling author, speaker, and writing mentor, best known for her acclaimed works Choose Wonder Over Worry, The Answers Are Within You , and The Feelings Journal . Through her work as a writing mentor, Amber guides creatives and entrepreneurs to turn their mission and message into stories worth sharing. Amber's writings and work have been featured in The New York Times, TODAY, Forbes, and New York Magazine , and she has collaborated with companies such as Kate Spade, Meta, Microsoft and TED. Her signature writing program  On The Page  with Amber Rae helps people break through creative blocks and get writing.

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

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The Arc of Reflection and The Arc of Action featuring Sue William Silverman Let’s Talk Memoir

Sue William Silverman joins Let’s Talk Memoir for a conversation about claiming our stories, creative nonfiction as an act of affirmation and courage, tapping into artistic masks, discovering answers along the way, the aware and the unaware voice, writing metaphorically and sensorily, the arc of reflection and the arc of action, her decades of teaching at the Vermont College of Fine Arts MFA program and her newest book Acetylene Torch Songs: Writing True Stories to Ignite the Soul.   Also mentioned in this episode:  -the revision long-haul -our many writerly voices -Sue’s complete reading list   Books mentioned in this episode: -I wore the Ocean in the Shape of a Girl by Kelle Groom -Sue's Reading List: https://www.suewilliamsilverman.com/click_here_to_see_sue_william_silverman_s_contemporary_creative_nonfiction_readin_71566.htm   Sue William Silverman is an award-winning author of eight works of nonfiction and poetry. Her most recent book is "Acetylene Torch Songs: Writing True Stories to Ignite the Soul." Her previous book, "How to Survive Death and Other Inconveniences," won the gold star in Foreword Reviews Indie Book of the Year Award and the Clara Johnson Award for Women’s Literature. Other works include "Love Sick: One Woman’s Journey through Sexual Addiction," made into a Lifetime TV movie; "Because I Remember Terror, Father, I Remember You," which won the AWP Award; and "The Pat Boone Fan Club: My Life as a White Anglo-Saxon Jew." She is faculty co-chair in the MFA in Writing Program at Vermont College of Fine Arts.    Connect with Sue: Website: www.SueWilliamSilverman.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SueWilliamSilverman Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/suewilliamsilverman/ Get Sue’s Books: https://www.amazon.com/s?k=sue+william+silverman&crid=3L3XIG0XVQ21Z&sprefix=%2Caps%2C123&ref=nb_sb_ss_recent_1_0_recent — Ronit’s writing has appeared in The Atlantic, The Rumpus, The New York Times, The Iowa Review, Hippocampus, The Washington Post, Writer’s Digest, American Literary Review, and elsewhere. Her memoir WHEN SHE COMES BACK about the loss of her mother to the guru Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh and their eventual reconciliation was named Finalist in the 2021 Housatonic Awards Awards, the 2021 Indie Excellence Awards, and was a 2021 Book Riot Best True Crime Book. Her short story collection HOME IS A MADE-UP PLACE won Hidden River Arts’ 2020 Eludia Award and the 2023 Page Turner Awards for Short Stories. She earned an MFA in Nonfiction Writing at Pacific University, is Creative Nonfiction Editor at The Citron Review, and lives in Seattle with her family where she teaches memoir workshops and is working on her next book. More about Ronit: https://ronitplank.com   Sign up for monthly podcast and writing updates: https://bit.ly/33nyTKd   Follow Ronit: https://www.instagram.com/ronitplank/ https://twitter.com/RonitPlank https://www.facebook.com/RonitPlank   Background photo credit: Photo by Patrick Tomasso on Unsplash Headshot photo credit: Sarah Anne Photography Theme music: Isaac Joel, Dead Moll’s Fingers

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By Kate Knibbs

How One Author Pushed the Limits of AI Copyright

Last October, I received an email with a hell of an opening line: “I fired a nuke at the US Copyright Office this morning.”

The message was from Elisa Shupe, a 60-year-old retired US Army veteran who had just filed a copyright registration for a novel she’d recently self-published. She’d used OpenAI's ChatGPT extensively while writing the book. Her application was an attempt to compel the US Copyright Office to overturn its policy on work made with AI, which generally requires would-be copyright holders to exclude machine-generated elements.

That initial shot didn’t detonate—a week later, the USCO rejected Shupe’s application—but she ultimately won out. The agency changed course earlier this month after Shupe appealed, granting her copyright registration for AI Machinations: Tangled Webs and Typed Words, a work of autofiction self-published on Amazon under the pen name Ellen Rae.

The novel draws from Shupe’s eventful life , including her advocacy for more inclusive gender recognition. Its registration provides a glimpse of how the USCO is grappling with artificial intelligence , especially as more people incorporate AI tools into creative work. It is among the first creative works to receive a copyright for the arrangement of AI-generated text.

“We’re seeing the Copyright Office struggling with where to draw the line,” intellectual property lawyer Erica Van Loon, a partner at Nixon Peabody, says. Shupe’s case highlights some of the nuances of that struggle—because the approval of her registration comes with a significant caveat.

The USCO’s notice granting Shupe copyright registration of her book does not recognize her as author of the whole text as is conventional for written works. Instead she is considered the author of the “selection, coordination, and arrangement of text generated by artificial intelligence.” This means no one can copy the book without permission, but the actual sentences and paragraphs themselves are not copyrighted and could theoretically be rearranged and republished as a different book.

The agency backdated the copyright registration to October 10, the day that Shupe originally attempted to register her work. It declined to comment on this story. “The Copyright Office does not comment on specific copyright registrations or pending applications for registration,” Nora Scheland, an agency spokesperson says. President Biden’s executive order on AI last fall asked the US Patent and Trademark Office to make recommendations on copyright and AI to the White House in consultation with the Copyright Office, including on the “scope of protection for works produced using AI.”

Although Shupe’s limited copyright registration is notable, she originally asked the USCO to open a more significant path to copyright recognition for AI-generated material. “I seek to copyright the AI-assisted and AI-generated material under an ADA exemption for my many disabilities,” she wrote in her original copyright application. Shupe believes fervently that she was only able to complete her book with the assistance of generative AI tools. She says she has been assessed as 100 percent disabled by the Department of Veterans Affairs and struggles to write due to cognitive impairment related to conditions including bipolar disorder, borderline personality disorder, and a brain stem malformation.

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She is proud of the finished work and sees working with a text generator as a different but no less worthwhile method of expressing thoughts. “You don't just hit ‘generate’ and get something worthy of publishing. That may come in the future, but we're still far from it,” she says, noting that she spent upwards of 14 hours a day working on her draft.

After her initial registration was refused, Shupe connected with Jonathan Askin, founder of the Brooklyn Law Incubator and Policy Clinic at Brooklyn Law School, which takes pro bono cases centered on emerging tech and policy questions. Askin and Brooklyn Law student Sofia Vescovo began working on Shupe’s case and filed an appeal with the USCO in January.

The appeal built on Shupe’s argument about her disabilities, saying she should be granted copyright because she used ChatGPT as an assistive technology to communicate, comparing her use of OpenAI’s chatbot to an amputee using a prosthetic leg. The appeal claimed that the USCO “discriminated against her because of her disability.”

The Brooklyn Law appeal also claimed that Shupe should be granted copyright for compiling the book—that is, doing the work of selecting and organizing the snippets of AI-generated text. It provided an exhaustive log of how Shupe prompted ChatGPT, showing the custom commands she created and the edits she made.

It includes a side-by-side comparison of the unedited machine output and the final version of Shupe’s book. On a sentence level, she adjusted almost every line in some way, from changes in word choice to structure. One example describing a character in the novel: “Mark eyed her, a complex mix of concern and annoyance evident in his gaze” becomes “Mark studied her, his gaze reflecting both worry and irritation.”

The appeal cites another recent AI copyright decision about the graphic novel Zarya and the Dawn , which incorporates AI-generated images created with Midjourney. In February 2023, author Kris Kashtanova was granted copyright to the selection and arrangement of AI-generated images in the text, even though they were denied copyright on the specific images themselves.

When the USCO granted Shupe’s request for copyright, it did not address the disability argument put forth but agreed with the appeal’s other argument. Shupe could be considered the author of “selection, coordination, and arrangement of text generated by artificial intelligence,” the agency wrote, backdating her copyright registration to October 10, 2023, the day that Shupe had originally attempted to register her work. That gives her authorship of the work overall, prohibiting unauthorized wholecloth reproduction of the entire book, but not copyright protection over the actual sentences of the novel.

“Overall, we are extremely satisfied,” says Vescovo. The team felt that copyrighting the book’s compilation would provide peace of mind against out-and-out reproduction of the work. “We really wanted to make sure we could get her this protection right now.” The Brooklyn Law team hope Shupe’s approval can serve as a blueprint for other people experimenting with AI text generation who want some copyright protection.

“I’m going to take this as a win for now,” Shupe says, even though she knows that “in some ways, it’s a compromise.” She maintains that the way she uses ChatGPT more closely resembles a collaboration than an automated output, and that she should be able to copyright the actual text of the book.

Matthew Sag, a professor of law and artificial intelligence at Emory University, calls what the USCO granted Shupe “thin copyright”—protection against full-fledged duplication of materials that doesn’t stop someone from rearranging the paragraphs into a different story. “This is the same kind of copyright you would get in an anthology of poetry that you didn’t write,” Sag says.

Erica Van Loon agrees. “It’s hard to imagine something more narrow,” she says.

Shupe is part of a larger movement to make copyright law friendlier to AI and the people who use it. The Copyright Office, which both administers the copyright registration system and advises Congress, the judiciary system, and other governmental agencies on copyright matters, plays a central role in determining how works that use AI are treated.

Although it continues to define authorship as an exclusively human endeavor , the USCO has demonstrated openness to registering works that incorporate AI elements. The USCO said in February that it has granted registration to over 100 works with AI incorporated; a search by WIRED found over 200 copyright registration applications explicitly disclosing AI elements, including books, songs, and visual artworks.

One such application came from Tyler Partin, who works for a chemical manufacturer. He recently registered a tongue-in-cheek song he created about a coworker, but excluded lyrics that he spun up using ChatGPT from his registration. Partin sees the text generator as a tool, but ultimately doesn’t think he should take credit for its output. Instead, he applied only for the music rather than the accompanying words. “I didn’t do that work,” he says.

But there are others who share Shupe’s perspective and agree with her mission, and believe that AI-generated materials should be registrable. Some high-profile attempts to register AI-generated artworks have resulted in USCO refusals, like artist Jason M. Allen’s effort to get his award-winning artwork Théâtre D’opéra Spatial copyrighted last year. AI researcher Stephen Thaler has been on a mission for years to prove that he should be entitled to copyright protections for a work made by the AI system he developed.

Thaler is currently appealing a ruling in the US last year that rebuffed his attempt to obtain copyright. Ryan Abbott, the lead attorney on the case, founded the Artificial Inventor Project , a group of intellectual property lawyers who file test cases seeking legal protections for AI-generated works.

Abbott is a supporter of Shupe’s mission, although he’s not a member of her legal team. He isn’t happy that the copyright registration excludes the AI-generated work itself. “We all see it as a very big problem,” he says.

Shupe and her legal helpers don’t have plans to push the ADA argument further by contesting the USCO’s decision, but it’s an issue that is far from settled. “The best path is probably to lobby Congress for an addition to the ADA statute,” says Askin. “There's a potential for us to draft some legislation or testimony to try to move Congress in that direction.”

Shupe’s qualified victory is still a significant marker in how the Copyright Office is grappling with what it means to be an author in the age of AI. She hopes going public with her efforts will reduce what she sees as a stigma against using AI as a creative tool. Her metaphorical nuke didn’t go off, but she has nonetheless advanced her cause. “I haven't been this excited since I unboxed a Commodore 64 back in the 1980s and, after a lot of noise, connected to a distant computer,” she says.

Updated 17-4-2024, 4:35 pm EDT: President Biden's executive order on AI last year asked the US Patent and Trademark office to make recommendations on copyright and AI in consultation with the Copyright Office, it did not ask the Copyright Office itself to make the recommendations.

Updated 18-4-2024, 9 am EDT: This piece has been updated to clarify Stephen Thaler's position on AI system copyright.

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Levelland HS senior recognized for hard work on the field and in the classroom, local middle school teacher awarded for creative writing

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LUBBOCK, Texas (KCBD) - A Levelland High School senior baseball player was recognized for his hard work on the field and in the classroom and a Hutchison Middle School teacher was awarded for his success in creative writing in today’s KCBD News Channel 11′s Tell Me Something Good.

Congratulations to Levelland High School senior Anson McMahan! He was named to the Texas High School Coach’s Association First Team Academic All-State Team. Which means he’s working hard on the field and in the classroom.

We also want to highlight Hutchinson Middle School’s creative writing teacher Nathan Dahlstrom. The National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, in Oklahoma City, honored him with the Juvenile Book Award for his book ‘Heartwood Mountain’. It’s the eighth book in the ‘Wilder Good’ series.

For those with good news to share, go to the Community section at KCBD.com and click on Tell Me Something Good to fill out the entry form. Please include photos or video so the station can share the good news.

Copyright 2024 KCBD. All rights reserved.

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