Only by writing extensively, including keeping a journal, are you likely to find your voice. Editors and writing teachers can help with grammar, structure, and sense– but they shouldn’t fundamentally mess with your style. Your voice––comprised of cadence, rhythm, word choice, tempo, and syntax––is your fingerprint as an author. It’s what makes you, you.
Could you describe your writing “voice” to someone else? What sets your voice apart from other writers? Do you have one voice or several, depending on subject matter and audience? What’s the thing you love best about your voice? What needs the most work?
One way to discover the strength of your voice is to read back over what you’ve written, underlining the words, phrases, and passages that please you. Spend time reflecting on why you like them. Then write from this springboard – I am a writer who….
Onward!
Mary
What a joy to find such clear thinking. Thanks for psoitng!