Finding your voice means settling in to a style of writing that you are comfortable with and which, hopefully, sets you apart from other writers. Like a good speaker, a good writer develops their own rhythm, pace, and tone of voice. They connect with us, draw us in, inform and entertain.

Finding your voice is less about technical writing ability than having the confidence to be yourself.

If you can do this in conversation (and most of us can), then you can do it on the page.

Here’s how.

1. Write because you want to
2. Write about what you know
3. Write about what you care about
4. Have something worthwhile or valuable to say
5. Have a point of view and the courage to express it
6. Use your own words – your language, your style, your way of expressing yourself
7. Imagine yourself speaking the words or explaining your point to a friend
8. Read what you’ve written aloud. Does it really sound like you?

In truth, that’s it.

It does also help to read – and ideally read a lot. Different styles, different media.

Not to blatantly copy, but to absorb aspects that appeal to you and make them your own.

And here’s the one thing to avoid at all costs.

Writing about a topic you think you should be writing about (maybe jumping on a bandwagon) in which you have little or no genuine interest. Of course you need to be tapping into what your audience wants to read about – but you need to love the subject too.

If you’re struggling with a particular piece, ask yourself if you’d rather be writing about something else and, if so, go write about that instead.