After writing professionally for two years, I thought I had a writing voice, but I can’t find it. Did it disappear, or did I never have one?

I have written 120 op-eds for my former employer and hundreds more articles. The routine had become almost automatic, and by the end, my editor and I worked seamlessly. 

Articles needed very few tweaks and changes. Not only that, but readership had also increased. In this article about how the future of EVs is in jeopardy, people commented and shared, and it wasn’t the only one. So, I was confident in my writing voice. 

That’s until I had to write for myself. After getting laid off, I was now responsible for finding a writing voice that responded to what I wanted. At first, I thought it would come easy, but gradually, I began to stumble. Along the way, I learned a lot about finding your writing voice. 

What’s your writing voice?

So, what is a voice in writing? No, we’re not talking about passive or active voice, although you should always avoid using the passive voice. Or, as a great writing teacher used to tell me, the passive voice should always be avoided by you. 

 A writing voice is, simply put, the way you write, but it goes beyond that. A writer’s voice results from your word choice, tone, pace, and views of reality. It also only comes after some time and won’t remain stationary forever. 

When it comes to writing, finding your voice is essential. That is the biggest problem with the topic of a writer’s voice. You can become obsessed with finding it, and the internet does a fine job highlighting its importance. 

It only takes a quick Google search, and you’ll find that some writers are identifiable with a single sentence. Hemingway, Munro, García Márquez–I wanted to achieve this, but now, I have realized I was looking at it through the wrong lens.

Writers achieve a powerful voice with time. You create it slowly, only after after years of dedicating time to your craft. It’s not easy, as is everything about writing, and that leads to a massive realization which can hurt a bit. 

Writing for someone else won’t give you a voice

You won’t find your writing voice if you’re writing for someone else, and honestly, that sucks. After all, one of the writers’ most significant income sources is lending our abilities to someone else. The problem is that, in the end, that voice won’t be yours. 

I hadn’t thought of this when I started writing for a newsletter that would eventually have 200,000+ subscribers. Instead, I was writing the best op-eds I could, and with my editor, we punched out fascinating products week in and week out. 

When it came to breaking off from the company, I realized I had been creating that company’s voice. That’s great, don’t get me wrong. After all, it helps that company grow, but those articles are no longer my voice. 

As a writer, I frequently find myself writing for others. I’m even writing someone’s autobiography! All these jobs give me experience, but they will always be someone else’s. That’s not to say I can’t learn from each. 

How to find your writing voice

Granted, writing for someone else won’t give you your writing voice, but it will provide valuable tools for your craft. The most important and obvious one is that it’s a job and comes with orders. 

Queues are essential for your writing voice

For me, nothing is more intimidating than starting to write on a blank paper. What will come out of this will depend only on my creative process and prowess, nothing else. Whenever I face this, procrastination creeps in; instead of writing, I’ll check all the tabs, videos, and texts I must before I write. 

This didn’t happen when I wrote for others, even if I was the one who had suggested topics. That’s because, when we write with outside queues, more often than not, it’s to guarantee our «survival.» Sure, it sounds exaggerated, but it’s not. 

In university, we write essays to pass a course and eventually graduate. At work, we write because it’s part of our responsibility. Even when we’re writing for our mental health, there’s another purpose: to feel better. 

The problem then comes when we have to write for ourselves, which happened to me. Nothing happened whenever I turned on my computer and focused on finishing my book. I wanted to write an article and zilch. Zero. Nothing. 

That’s because, at this time, writing depends entirely on me. There are no outside queues; writing queues are essential for writing, especially if we want to find our writing voice. 

So, if you’re working hard to find your writing voice, create queues for yourself. Prompts are valuable, and they can help you become a better writer. These can include scheduling (one day for a specific type of content), topics (what do I like writing about), and even copying others (writing an article that’s already been published but in your tone). 

Writing voices need editorial voices

AKA: edit yourself, and do it frequently. At first, having an editor is of great help, but that’s only sometimes possible. So, it’s your responsibility to edit yourself. By doing so, you’ll notice tendencies (I’m a clause addict, for example) and correct them if you dislike what you read. 

Editing yourself also means accepting when you love or hate an article. It’s okay if you wrote something that’s junk. It comes with the profession–some pieces will be great, others not. That’s what a voice is in writing.  

Write, write, and write

You’ll hear it once and multiple times. The only way to become a writer is by writing. How often? That’s up to you. 

I used to be a proponent of writing daily, but then I did it and found out it’s not glamorous. Plus, it can really harm your writing, and if you want to know more about this, check this article out on why writing daily is crappy advice. 

Plan your craft: it’s a big step in what is a voice in writing. For some, that might be, in fact, daily, but for others, it’s not. Your responsibility is to obey your plan, be authentic, and work on yourself. This means sticking to your best calendar. 

ChatGPT won’t help you find your voice

I had an accident that left me hearing impaired. There are also massive traumas that I’m dealing with, and I have a particular dislike for mayonnaise. Believe it or not, all these aspects are equally important for my writing voice. 

Who you are makes up your writing voice, and that’s why ChatGPT won’t help you find it. AI can’t grasp how I feel when I relive that accident. It can’t also explain why I hate Mayo. Yet, I can. I can write an entire essay on losing my hearing–what I felt, my fears, my hopes. 

So, don’t turn to ChatGPT or any AI tool to find your writing voice. Sure, you can use it for work, but stay away from it if you’re trying to find your true writing self. 

A generative AI platform is one of many ways you can hamper your writing. Even editing software can slowly eat away at your identity. While, at first, it can be intimidating to reject a suggestion on Grammarly or Hemingway, feel free to do so. 

Your writing voice, in the end, isn’t perfect. It’s yours, and that’s more important. 

I’ll take my time finding my writing voice

I’ll be the first to say it: I’m scared. This is a new stage: going full-time into writing for myself, but it’s also something that excites me. After all, I’ve never been in this position, and there’s no better time than now. 

Having said that, I will take my time finding my writing voice because, in the end, one never truly comes to an end in this search. Your writing voice will change. Mine took the second stage after almost four years of writing great content for a great company. 

With everything I’ve learned, it’s time to find a new writing voice that resembles who I am now. That takes time, and it’s a labor of love, but then again, almost all writing is. Rushing a thing you love is never a good thing.