Finding your writer’s voice

Writer’s coach Leda Sammarco returns with some tips on finding your authentic voice:

As you may have guessed, I’m not talking about the need to speak up! Finding your writer’s voice is essential if you want your ideas to be taken seriously, understood and remembered. It is also part of your brand and appeal as a writer. The best way is to simply start writing and allow it to flow and write as often as you can.

Here are some things to keep in mind as you write:

Say it well
Your reader needs clarity, so use words that are specific. Try alternating long and short sentences for balance and ease of reading. Be consistent in your tone or point of view. Stick to the active rather than the passive voice as it is more action-oriented and direct.

Say it once
If you have explained something well the first time you don’t need to labour the point or readers will question your expertise. Try to stick to one idea per paragraph and if a paragraph doesn’t add anything on its own combine it with another one or leave it out.

Be yourself
Don’t strut on the page and try to be someone else because you are writing rather than talking. Let it flow, adopt a conversational style and don’t self-edit as you write. You can engage your reader with humour, figures of speech, your tone and choice of words.

Make the personal universal
Share your stories, as people can relate to these and feel they aren’t alone. You can also address the reader directly by using ‘you’ and ‘yours’ and write in a way that is supportive and inclusive e.g. everyone gets stressed when running a business.

Read widely
Not only is reading lots of fun (yes, indeed!), but you will be exposed to different styles. Look at books you enjoy and see how the author uses language to convey their ideas and to inspire, inform or entertain you.

It is essential that a book is well-written, but your writing style also reflects your personality and your essence. Allow your passion for your topic to shine through and be authentic as this engenders trust and even though there are many different voices out there, people will gravitate to the ones who resonate with them the most.

Leda Sammarco empowers spiritual entrepreneurs to write their first book. She works with authors in a partnership way to help them write their book and get it out into the world.

Click here for all posts by Leda Sammarco, writer’s coach.