How to Find Your Writing Voice

Apparently the way to start writing your book, according to Nathan Bransford, published author and former literary agent (http://nathanbransford.com) is to find two things: 1. Plot and 2. Voice.

Now, finding if you have a plot is actually quite a complex thing and I’ll look into that a little later. However, finding your ‘voice’ is actually extraordinarily simple. More or less. Just start writing. The more you write the sooner you find your voice. Obviously it will take everyone different amounts of time to discover it. I envy those who find it on the first page. I have been writing my book now for about a week (this is after months of research, planning, character ideas etc.) and I can feel that I’ve just found my voice. Now I’ll have to go back and revise all that I wrote, pre-voice.

So what is this elusive ‘voice’? A voice is a writing personality. It’s an authentic and consistent writing style. The best are original and are able to transport the reader into the world of the book. When I think of reading my favorite books, I am actually in their world. I have no sense of actually reading.

It’s a funny thing that defining ‘voice’ is almost impossible, but when you have found it, you know it. Simply write, wrtie, write.