25 for 25: Writing voice
Your writing voice is as unique as a fingerprint or a snowflake.
This essay is part of my 25 for 25 book writing series. The lessons in this series are meant to simplify the book writing and production journey. You can find a guide with links to the entire series here.
Your goal isn’t just to get words down, but to get purposeful words down and for the text to sound like you. Your writing voice is unique—it’s like a fingerprint or a snowflake. It involves so many different factors, from your education and background, where you live, family or personal sayings, the message you’re trying to convey and the reader you’re trying to reach.
You’re going to write differently for different audiences. I often think about baseball books, and a children’s biography about Babe Ruth is going to sound a lot different—and use much different words—than a book like Moneyball by Michael Lewis, which focuses on player value and how much a player’s worth in terms of wins and losses to their team.
Same general topic, very different voices.
Establishing your voice can engage the reader. But if your writing voice isn’t consistent, it could drive readers away. The writing could sound “off” for them.
What does your writing voice sound like? And what do you want to convey with the words and vocabulary you use in your writing?
Some authors have clarity in terms of their voice. They write regularly and give many speeches to interest groups. They sit for interviews and have a clear understanding of their voice.
Other authors have no idea. They don’t trust their voice or their message.
As an author, you need to tap into what you’re trying to say and how to say it. You want to use a conversational language for a more general audience and a more elevated writing voice for a specialized or highly educated audience.
With general writing, it’s often said to focus on a middle school reading level.
You can actually check your reading level in Microsoft Word by going to review – spelling and grammar – document stats (so far the Fleish-Kinkaid reading level of this draft is 7.5, which is literally smack-dab in the middle of a middle school reading level). What is the reading level of your writing? And if you think back to your audience, does your writing level match with your ideal reader?
If not, it’s time to rethink your audience or shift your writing voice.
As you review your text, if it doesn’t sound quite right, it could be because you are trying to convey a voice that isn’t really natural to you.
I get it! You want to sound smart and successful and accomplished. You want to sound like you have it all together. But we are all works in progress—we are all imperfect. And leaning into those flaws and imperfections—being yourself—is going to make the book that much more compelling.
Watch this!
I cover writing voice in this video.