What Is Writing Voice? 5 Great Ways to Develop Yours

What is writing voice? This article explains more.

A writing voice basically describers what you say and how you say it.

It’s kind of like your point of view as a writer.

If you write fiction, a writer’s voice reflects that of the narrator, characters and protagonists.

But…

What if I were to tell you going in search of your voice is a fool’s journey?

When I first started writing non-fiction, I spent a lot of time trying to find my voice. 

I worried about writing in the first person and about using personal stories in my work.

I tried to figure out how much of myself I should inject into my articles and how much I should hold back.

And I mimicked the style of other writers I admire.

Here’s the problem with my approach:

I spent too much time fussing about what my writing sounded like.

The voice of a writer is not the Holy Grail.

I learnt the hard way that great writers develop their writing over time.

They don’t waste time on fool’s errands.

Why Your Writing Voice is Like Lifting Weights

Writing voice is the distinctive combination of word choice, tone, perspective, and style that makes a writer’s work recognizable. It encompasses what you say and how you say it. Authors like Marcel Proust developed their voice over decades—Proust spent 18 years completing In Search of Lost Time after abandoning imitative early work like Pleasures and Days (1896).

Go to the gym once a fortnight and try to benchpress bodyweight.

It’s just not going to happen.

You won’t be strong or fit enough to lift heavy weights.

A good gym coach will say that you must gradually increase the amount of weights you lift session after session.

You must make gradual and consistent progress towards your goal.

You must develop your body.

But you’re a writer, not a weight lifter.

I get it.

Your goal should be to develop your writing by making gradual progress through small daily wins.

An individual writing style takes time to develop.

What You Can Learn From Marcel Proust’s Great Failure

Marcel Proust was a French novelist, critic and one of the greatest writer of the late 19th and early 20th century.

At the beginning of his writing career, Proust was determined to become a famous fiction writer.

His first novel Pleasure and Days was a commercial success, but Proust’s critics dismissed it as all form and no substance.

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They said this portrait of French society was the efforts of a man who wanted to impress.

An unhappy Proust, set out to write a more honest work based on the many stories, character sketches and lessons about psychology and life he’d collected over the years.

That novel became In Search of Lost Time and is one the 20th century’s most respected works.

Proust overcame failure, he stopped trying to impress, and he developed his writing voice.

He concentrated on making gradual and consistent progress and on developing his writing.

Here are five strategies you can use to find your writing voice, just like Marcel Proust.

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1. Identify Your Point of View

It took Proust more than 18 years to finish the eighteen volumes of In Search of Lost Time.

And that’s to say nothing of the research beforehand.

Proust regarded almost every setback as challenges that he had to overcome.

He knew what he wanted to accomplish, and he kept connected to his idea of writing the ultimate portrait of French society as a whole.

Consider the topics you’re passionate about and always ask yourself if you’re writing about these types of things.

Your author’s voice will emerge over time.

2. Gather Your Source Materials

Proust spent much of his life reading books, going on long walks, writing letters and going to parties, without actually accomplishing much.

His friends and even Proust bemoaned the time he was wasting.

Proust, applied or used almost every lesson he learnt from these activities. And he included all of these lessons in In Search of Lost Time.

Proust used everything for his greatest work.

Consider what you’re writing about today and the last thing you learnt about this topic. Perhaps you can combine an interesting story from your personal life with your research?

Fiction writers do this all the time, behind the cloak of “fiction”.

How will you use your new-found knowledge in a unique way?

3. Go Wide, Go Deep

When Proust wanted to write about plants and flowers, he drove into the countryside and studied them for hours.

When Proust wanted to a character for his work like a wealthy débutante, he found her equivalent in French society.

Then, he got himself invited to the same events she attended.

He even went as far as to gather his friends for a dinner party where he studied them intensely and recorded what they said.

Yes, Proust’s approach was extreme.

However, if you’re passionate about a topic, make a point to dive deeper into this topic than superficial reading online or a simple Google search allows.

By all means, try different voices during your journey. If it helps listen to author writers narrate their audiobooks and write out the first pages of books you admire,

4. Take Creative Risks

Proust saw his writing as a lifelong pursuit.

He finished this 18-volume memoir just two days before he died, and he never saw the final version of his masterpiece in print.

I’m not suggesting you write into your death-bed.

Instead, doing the work and succeeding often means going at it longer and harder that what feels like normal.

Write in the first person. 

Write in the second and third person. 

Play around with your character’s voices and unusual word choices. 

Take creative risks.

It means seeing through your ideas and your writing projects through to the very end.

What was the last project you finished?

5. Try Exploratory Writing

Developing a writer’s voice and honing your unique style takes time. It’s not something an english teacher can necessarily teach you either. 

After all, creative writing isn’t supposed to feel easy all the time.

That said, I recommend free writing and daily journaling as two useful practices for writers who want to develop a more consistent voice.

Both practices will force you to sit in the chair and write for a little bit every day. 

Often, the act of turning up will help you understand things like sentence structure, character development and what constitutes a strong voice. 

Consistency, as a writer, is your best friend.

Don’t Search For Your Writing Voice; Develop It

I learnt through publishing my work, blogging, writing articles and through reading great books that writers don’t need to find their writing voice.

I stopped searching for my writing voice, and I stopped trying to write like other bloggers and writers that I admire.

Now, if I see a piece of writing I admire, I try and learn what I can from this writer.

Then, I go back to writing, doing the work and pressing publish.

A writer’s voice isn’t an end goal, it’s a journey.

Like the weightlifter who finally crushes it on the benchpress, you can develop your writing by making gradual and consistent progress.

Anything else is just a waste of time.

Writing Voice FAQ

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is writing voice?

Writing voice is the unique blend of tone, word choice, perspective, and style that distinguishes one writer’s work from another. In fiction, it reflects the narrator and characters; in nonfiction, it reflects the author’s personality and worldview. It develops gradually through consistent practice rather than deliberate searching.

How do you develop your writing voice?

You develop a writing voice through consistent daily writing practice, similar to how an athlete builds strength gradually over time. Strategies include identifying your point of view, writing honestly rather than trying to impress, and studying writers you admire without mimicking them directly. Most writers find their voice emerges naturally over months or years of regular work.

How long does it take to find your writing voice?

Developing a writing voice typically takes years of consistent practice. Marcel Proust, one of the most celebrated novelists of the 20th century, spent over 18 years writing In Search of Lost Time after his early imitative work was criticized. There is no fixed timeline, but daily writing habits accelerate the process significantly.

What is the difference between writing voice and writing style?

Writing voice refers to the personality, perspective, and authenticity a writer brings to their work—the sense of a real human behind the words. Writing style refers more specifically to technical choices like sentence structure, punctuation, and vocabulary. Voice is broader and more personal, while style is a component that contributes to overall voice.

Can you learn writing voice by imitating other writers?

Studying other writers is a useful exercise, but directly mimicking their style can prevent you from developing an authentic voice of your own. Marcel Proust’s early novel Pleasures and Days was criticized for being imitative and all form with no substance. Most writing coaches recommend reading widely for inspiration while focusing your own work on honest, personal expression.