Almost all authors struggle with finding their voice. It took me years to figure out how to find it. In fact, I looked so hard, I almost missed it. Sometimes the simplest things give you the most trouble.
There are three things you need to possess.
- Confidence that there is someone out there; who thinks enough like you: to be interested in what you have to say. Writing as much and as often as you can is the only way to gain the confidence you need. Reading is required also. Write whatever interests you and there will be people who want to read it. There are billions of people in the world, after all.
- Something to be Passionate about. It really does not matter what it is.
- Practice listening to your speaking voice. Listen to the cadence, the words and notice the times when people really listen. Those are the times you are hearing your writing voice.
Voice is not the same as style. Characters, storylines, genres, have a style. Style has to do with what you are writing about. The writer’s voice, instead, enables the reading to flow smoothly no matter what you are writing. Even when writing nonfiction, you are telling a story to the reader in your voice.
When you are practiced enough your characters will speak in their own voice.