To better understand what makes up “voice” in writing See previous post.

Below are 7 exercises you can do to cultivate your own authentic & unique voice as a writer.

1.       Study different authors and  come up with 3-5 adjectives that describe their voice. Ideally read several pieces by the same author. A few examples of adjectives: Gentle, abrasive, sarcastic, humorous, dour. (Go further by taking it apart: what makes their voice that way?)

2.       Journal or freewrite. A key part of cultivating your voice is letting go of any internal boundaries that might be getting in your way. Perhaps like Mary Pipher you are trying to “commit the act of literature.” Loosen up.

Or maybe you’re trying to hard to be the next David Sedaris and it’s not quite working. Don’t try to be someone else – take what works for you and integrate it into your own unique voice.

3.       Try speech to text tools. Since we often speak more casually than we write, this can be really effective.

4.       Write about things you love, are interested in, know a lot about, and/or are passionate about it. It might help to write as if you’re writing a letter (or email) to a friend.

5.       Experiment with different genres. Some of us write more authentically in one genre. Once you’ve worked on developing your voice, it will be easier to transfer that to other modes.

6.       Ask for feedback. Ask someone who reads your writing to describe how you sound.

7.       Take on different personas that resonate with you and write from that point of view. Try out different ones until you find aspects of each that work.

Let me know what ideas you have for finding your voice, and how these went if you try them!

For more writing tips, check out http://inyourownbloom.com/blog.html.