Thread by @Joannechocolat

Okay, let’s do this one. Follow #TenThingsAboutFindingYourVoice to collect them all!

https://twitter.com/jmc_lord/status/1662786264733458437

1. Every writer has a voice. Behind any character voices you might create, there’s your voice, which is unique to you, indelible as your fingerprint. #TenThingsAboutFindingYourVoice

2. Your voice is a combination of your natural tone and speech patterns; your innate ability with words; your upbringing, education and reading habits, as well as your preferred inflexions and choice of vocabulary. #TenThingsAboutFindingYourVoice

3. Like your singing voice, you can train it, improve its tone, try out different musical styles, but you can’t change it completely - and you absolutely don’t need to. #TenThingsAboutFindingYourVoice

4. Even when you’re “doing other voices”, your natural voice will still show through. That’s a good thing: it reflects your personality and helps connect you to your readers. #TenThingsAboutFindingYourVoice

5. Your voice will evolve and go through various changes as you gain experience. By all means let that happen - but don’t push yourself out of your natural register (by using unfamiliar vocabulary, etc): it will make you sound pretentious and fake. #TenThingsAboutFindingYourVoice

6. You may think your voice is dull. Trust me, it’s not. It’s yours, and it’s unique. People will only think it’s dull if you use it to tell dull stories. #TenThingsAboutFindingYourVoice

7. You may find that there are some people who don’t like your voice. This happens to everyone at some point or other, and there’s nothing you can do about it. No-one can please everyone. #TenThingsAboutFindingYourVoice

8. You may not find your voice straightaway. That’s normal; we often have to grow into our skills. The best thing to do is not to overthink it; just keep writing (and reading) what you love. #TenThingsAboutFindingYourVoice

9. Copying someone else’s voice is sometimes a useful exercise. But it is really only a means to exploring and finding your own voice. All others are already taken. #TenThingsAboutFindingYourVoice

10. Be aware of how well your voice matches up with the kind of story you want to tell. As with music, you have a natural register. Be aware of your limits (experience, culture, vocabulary) and you’ll always be sure of sounding authentic. #TenThingsAboutFindingYourVoice