8 Practical Tips on How to Develop Your Unique Writing Voice
All the world’s most prominent writers have a distinctive writing style. As a content writer, finding and continuously improving what makes your writing unique will not only establish your identity as a writer but also get you the right clients while helping you reach your target audience.
But like all good things that take time, improvement does not happen overnight. Here are some tips that will help you take the steps you need to develop your unique writing voice:
Write More and Do It Often
Writing is a talent, but it is also a skill. Like all skills, they must be continuously improved through conscious practice and training. Writing regularly will be a great exercise to keep words and ideas come easy to you when you need them.
You can always rely on writing prompts for ideas, but you must establish a routine and stick to it, just like how athletes show up for training or performers commit to rehearsals. You will become aware of your writing style the more you write, and only then can you learn how to be better at it.
Over time, you may notice that your writing voice can adapt depending on what you need to write.
Read Widely
Reading is a crucial aspect of writing. In reading, you are exposed to the outputs of other writers. You get a sense of their writing style and thought process, which you can study and use to improve your own.
You will also come across new terms that you can save in your word bank and use in your writing one day. You will discover themes and subjects you can write about, expanding your breadth and depth as a content writer. Read as much as you intend to write about any topic or genre.
Master the Basics
Grammar, spelling, punctuation, and even capitalization are the essential tools of writing. Nothing puts off your eagle-eyed readers more than spotting even the slightest mistake in these areas—especially since these are the easiest to be noticed. Getting the basics right ensures that your readers comprehend the content you have created.
When you have been hired to write content, your client expects it to be done flawlessly, and your editor trusts you to make zero to minimize errors in the basics. Thankfully, most writing software these days are equipped with spellcheckers and other proofing tools. You can also subscribe to editing applications to take your writing to the next level.
Use Your Personal Experience
We have always known that no two persons are alike. So, if you are unique, so are your experiences! Your firsthand knowledge and observances, whenever appropriate and fitting, will bring your writing to life. This will make adding details or describing the specifics to be a critical point in your content. Your style will have a sense of authenticity and even expertise that hooks readers because it is credible and relatable.
Do Some Research
Your writing voice is innate and unique to you, but you are not the first and only writer to struggle in realizing and improving their voice. In this day and age, you are lucky that the internet is filled with resources and tips on how writers achieve their best selves. You can also join online communities for fellow writers who are also in the course of honing their craft, all while reaching their target clients and markets as well. You can also sign up for writing courses and tutorials to supplement and test out what you learn.
Experiment
When you have already read a lot, wrote a lot, and mastered the basics, it is now time to explore! Do not fear the quality of your output; lousy writing is better than no writing at all because bad can be fixed and enhanced. You can also take on unfamiliar topics or try out formats you have never applied before.
Ask for Feedback
There will be a point where you feel stuck and cannot objectively review your work, and that is when you need someone to take a look. Not all writers will be fortunate to have an editor, so whenever you can, show your output to some friends (writers or not) and find out if their comments match your intended reader response. By seeking and accepting feedback, you ensure your continuous improvement as a writer and that your writing meets client expectations.
Above All, Enjoy Writing
Finding, recognizing, and developing your unique writing voice might take longer than you would want it to be. But, your feelings and attitude towards writing will manifest in your voice in one way or another. So, try to keep at it and radiate joy in your words, whatever the purpose of your writing—whether to sell, argue, teach, or entertain. Visit our writer profiles and find inspiration on how to develop your unique writing voice.
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Published by Ciara Antolini on Wednesday, October 13, 2021 in Content Writing, Freelance Writer, Writer's Experience, Writing.