Episode 132

Finding Your Writing Voice

Welcome to Writing Momentum with Christopher and Gena Maselli! In this episode, we explore the process of finding your unique voice as an author. Discover what it means to develop your writing style, why authenticity matters, and how it helps build trust with your audience. Chris and Gena share their favorite authors and how their distinct styles have influenced their own writing. Learn practical tips on experimenting with different techniques and the importance of reading often to refine your voice. Tune in to unlock the key steps to discovering and embracing your authentic writing style. Don't forget to share this episode with fellow writers!

  • 00:00 Introduction to Finding Your Voice
  • 00:29 Understanding Your Unique Voice
  • 2:57 The Importance of Authenticity
  • 04:04 Examples of Distinct Writing Styles
  • 0:04 Practical Tips for Finding Your Voice
  • 15:35 Conclusion and Encouragement

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Transcript
Gena:

How do you find your voice as an author?

Christopher:

We can help with that.

Christopher:

Hey, welcome to Writing Momentum.

Christopher:

I'm Christopher Maselli here with my wife, Gena.

Christopher:

How's it going, Gena?

Gena:

It's going really well.

Christopher:

Have you found your voice?

Gena:

You know, that's an interesting question.

Gena:

I think our voice as authors really change and evolve over time.

Gena:

So we're talking about that today.

Gena:

How do you find your voice?

Christopher:

How do you find, and so let's take a step back.

Christopher:

What does it mean to find your voice, right?

Christopher:

Your voice is your style.

Christopher:

It's the way you say things when you write, right?

Christopher:

Just like our physical voice has a certain tone to it, a certain rhythm,

Christopher:

that people hear, and when they hear it, they know that tone, they know

Christopher:

that rhythm, they know it's you.

Christopher:

The same comes across in your writing.

Christopher:

Your tone, your style, your rhythm, that's what makes you consistently you.

Christopher:

And we're not talking about not paying attention to, like, what

Christopher:

rules and conventions are, and just doing your own thing, right?

Christopher:

You need to know the rules before you can break them, we always say that.

Christopher:

But it means that you allow yourself to be you for people to

Christopher:

see you in your writing, right?

Gena:

Yes.

Gena:

I, I think you're right.

Gena:

I think you've got to understand your, the way you want to speak.

Gena:

Mm-Hmm.

Gena:

the way you want to, to write your, your work and lean into that.

Gena:

Understand that your voice is unique and it's beautiful and

Gena:

it's worthy of being heard.

Gena:

And I think there's a lot of times there's these little, um, messages

Gena:

that come in our minds that tell us that somehow we should sound different.

Gena:

We should write differently.

Gena:

We should have our words, we should say everything differently.

Gena:

And that we're, like Chris said, we're not talking about not, Paying attention to

Gena:

rules of grammar and punctuation and just being sure that we're clear and concise.

Gena:

Those things we need to study in order to become stronger in, but we're

Gena:

really talking about just finding that natural way that you communicate in

Gena:

writing and really leaning into that.

Gena:

And there are some authors, you know, depending on who your favorite

Gena:

author is, Chris and I each have different authors that we love.

Gena:

They will each have their own voice and what resonates with one reader, won't

Gena:

necessarily resonate with another reader.

Gena:

You may have someone that you love their style.

Gena:

Oh, I just love the way that they say things.

Gena:

Someone else will love someone else.

Gena:

They'll love another, another writer, another type of writing,

Gena:

another style of writing.

Gena:

And that's beautiful as well.

Christopher:

Yeah.

Christopher:

So why, why do you need to develop your voice?

Christopher:

Because it creates that authenticity.

Christopher:

People can tell when it's not you, right?

Christopher:

When it's just someone just writing a paper.

Christopher:

And I think when you create that authenticity, it allows you to be you

Christopher:

in a very uncomplicated way, right?

Christopher:

It's just you showing up and it builds trust with your audience.

Christopher:

Not only that, it helps you find your audience because like Gena

Christopher:

was just saying, the authors that you like are generally, there's

Christopher:

some reason that you might connect with them in the way they write.

Christopher:

Others may not connect with them in the way they write that way.

Christopher:

There are going to be people who will connect with you, and there will be

Christopher:

people who won't connect with you.

Christopher:

And what you can do, though, is help people find you by being authentic.

Gena:

Right.

Christopher:

By being you.

Christopher:

You don't have to worry about the people who won't connect with you.

Christopher:

You know, we can't make everyone connect with us.

Christopher:

We can't be all things to all people.

Christopher:

But, We can go ahead and be ourselves and bring that audience

Christopher:

in that likes who we are, right?

Gena:

I think we need to give some examples of what we're

Gena:

talking about people of different styles and different ones.

Gena:

You love Dave Barry.

Gena:

You love his writing.

Gena:

What is it that you love about his writing?

Christopher:

So, Dave Barry is a, columnist with the, um, Miami Herald,

Christopher:

I believe, or at least he used to be.

Christopher:

I'm not sure if he is anymore.

Christopher:

I think he still is.

Gena:

I'm not sure.

Christopher:

Um, but he's a very, uh, funny writer, right?

Christopher:

He writes columns.

Christopher:

He does a lot of repetition in the columns.

Christopher:

He does a lot of, um, uh, irreverent kind of humor sometimes.

Christopher:

He makes fun of Florida a lot.

Christopher:

Those are earmarks of his type of humor.

Christopher:

And like, I really like Dave Barry because I like that type of humor, but other

Christopher:

people may read it not like it so much.

Christopher:

But to me, it's instantly recognizable.

Christopher:

I know there are certain jokes, certain patterns, certain ways he says things that

Christopher:

if I read them and You said, who is this?

Christopher:

I could probably tell you it was Dave Barry because it's so uniquely him, right?

Christopher:

It comes across as, as, as just who he is, right?

Gena:

He's very funny.

Gena:

He's very quick.

Christopher:

Yes.

Gena:

He's very, and I noticed that a lot of times with authors that

Gena:

you really like, they're very quick.

Gena:

They use a lot of rapid.

Gena:

If they're, if they're writing fiction, they're using rapid dialogue.

Gena:

You really like rapid dialogue.

Gena:

You like tight scenes.

Gena:

So, those are the style that you really like.

Christopher:

That's one of the styles I like for sure.

Christopher:

So, for instance, I also like Claire North, who's a young writer.

Christopher:

She's written some really profound kind of books.

Christopher:

But she's very, um, um, broad in her scope of writing.

Christopher:

And her writing is often chaotic when you're reading it, right?

Christopher:

But there's something about that that kind of also resonates with me.

Christopher:

I like the way that she writes that way because of her style of writing.

Christopher:

I will read her books, even though some of her books, I didn't enjoy that much.

Christopher:

Some, I thought were some of the best books I've ever read, but it's, that

Christopher:

style that resonates with me that brings me back and says, I want to read more

Christopher:

by that author because this is someone I just like the way they do things.

Christopher:

And you'll find that there are people who feel that way about your writing too.

Christopher:

They see the way you write.

Christopher:

It resonates with them and it builds that trust, it builds that authenticity

Christopher:

and they're going to come back for more.

Gena:

Yeah.

Gena:

I would say for me, I, I've read, okay, Mark Twain.

Gena:

I read some of his books.

Christopher:

You bring in the classic books.

Gena:

I bring in some of the classics because I read with my kids, right?

Gena:

I read with our kids and we read some of these.

Gena:

But Mark Twain, his book, which I don't think I have the title right, but it's

Gena:

the Puddenhead Wilson book was amazing.

Gena:

It was, like, I was reading it and I remember thinking, oh my gosh,

Gena:

the way he's captured the, the, uh, language, the way he's captured the,

Gena:

the dialects and the, the, um, even the, uh, accents, the way he, just the way

Gena:

he captured the scenes were amazing.

Gena:

And I thought, wow, this, this is a masterpiece.

Gena:

This is really, this really captured it.

Gena:

Amy Tan is another one.

Gena:

That when I have read her work, I'm like, wow, the way she turns the

Gena:

phrase, the way she captures a scene and really paints it is just beautiful.

Gena:

So for me, I also like some authors that are a little quick witted.

Gena:

They're a little bit irreverent or, a little bit, um, they're funny,

Gena:

but in a really unexpected way.

Gena:

And that will catch my attention.

Gena:

Those are some of the stylistic choices that I look for in writers

Gena:

that really resonate with me.

Christopher:

And it doesn't just have to be fiction.

Christopher:

We've given four examples of fiction writers that we like.

Christopher:

Um, I think of Seth Godin who's a, um, marketing, he teaches about marketing.

Christopher:

He teaches about, um, uh, kind of becoming that person that you want

Christopher:

to be that's really motivational kind of material as well as marketing.

Christopher:

In his style of writing, he uses usually very short sentences.

Christopher:

It's very, um, he doesn't take you from point A to point B by the end of the book.

Christopher:

He kind of meanders on his way there and gets you around to that final point that

Christopher:

he's going to, but every sentence he uses really counts and it's very profound.

Christopher:

And so I would read anything by Seth Godin and that's generally the people who

Christopher:

follow Seth Godin will say exactly that.

Christopher:

They don't care what he's teaching on, they want to read it.

Christopher:

So much so that it's kind of become a thing where he, the books he recommends,

Christopher:

people will flock to because they figure, if I like him, I'm I'm surely going

Christopher:

to like someone he recommends, right?

Christopher:

And so it doesn't just have to be fiction.

Christopher:

It can be nonfiction too.

Christopher:

Whatever you're writing, you can have a voice.

Gena:

I would say James Clear for me with Atomic Habits was one of the

Gena:

books that when I read it, I thought, wow, this is really well written.

Gena:

This is a man who is taking a something that could be seen kind of as dry, and

Gena:

he's added in stories and he's added in personal elements that has really

Gena:

brought it together in a way that makes it really easy to read, but really

Gena:

resonates with me as an, as a reader.

Gena:

So you're right.

Gena:

This is not just about fiction.

Gena:

This is also about nonfiction.

Gena:

Absolutely.

Christopher:

So ironically, Finding your voice isn't something that often

Christopher:

just naturally happens immediately.

Christopher:

It's something that you kind of have to work toward, not in a laborious way,

Christopher:

but just in a, trying to figure out what is it that you sound like, right?

Christopher:

You, and you kind of have to write a lot to find that often.

Christopher:

So how do you start in finding your voice?

Christopher:

Our first point is going to be.

Christopher:

You need to write often.

Christopher:

You need to try a lot of different styles.

Christopher:

You need to try a lot of different techniques, right?

Christopher:

You've got to find things that somehow resonate with you so that

Christopher:

you can find out what you sound like.

Gena:

Absolutely.

Gena:

And when Chris is talking about trying different techniques, I

Gena:

wouldn't take that as, I'm going to read about 10 techniques and try to

Gena:

implement all of them all at once.

Gena:

Focus on one or two.

Gena:

Focus on, you know what, I'm going to look where I can add

Gena:

a metaphor into my writing.

Gena:

And I'm going to start working in maybe some metaphor.

Gena:

I'm going to work in some simile.

Gena:

Simile is a lot of times easier to write than metaphor.

Gena:

You try working with some personification.

Gena:

What can you give human qualities to something that's not human?

Gena:

You know those kind of things.

Gena:

Work in some illusion.

Gena:

You know, you're gonna kind of lightly reference something that's very common

Gena:

that people would know in Our life today in, in 20th, 21st century, what's

Gena:

something that people know that you can kind of allude to, to make your

Gena:

point, to bring a clearer picture.

Gena:

These are just a few of the different techniques that you can

Gena:

use, but there's, there's many more.

Gena:

Repetition.

Gena:

Chris talked about repetition, and repetition is just a broad term,

Gena:

but there's a lot of different types of repetition that you can use.

Gena:

So play with them.

Gena:

That's what we're talking about.

Gena:

Playing with them.

Christopher:

That's right.

Christopher:

It's just kind of about figuring out what you like.

Gena:

And then the other thing is to read often.

Gena:

As you read, you will find authors that you really like,

Gena:

writers that you really like.

Gena:

And Chris and I are talking, we talked about book authors, but

Gena:

there are some incredible essayists.

Gena:

I, people have laughed at me before because I will buy, I don't buy

Gena:

as many magazines anymore because so many of them have gone out.

Christopher:

You can't find them anymore.

Gena:

You can't find them as much anymore.

Gena:

But I used to buy magazines just to read the author or the editor's note

Gena:

at the beginning of the magazine.

Gena:

So I would just love the way that they would work in and they would talk

Gena:

about what the magazine was about and what was going on in their daily life.

Gena:

I found that really beautiful and there were a few that I ended up

Gena:

buying their books because I read their opening editor's notes.

Gena:

So we're not just talking about books.

Gena:

This can apply in a lot of different, different types of writing, but

Gena:

finding that voice, make sure that you are reading, reading,

Gena:

reading, and reading quality stuff.

Gena:

You know, I mean, read the not so quality stuff.

Gena:

You know, some of the blogs that people put out, maybe that they're

Gena:

doing it because it's a passion thing, not necessarily because

Gena:

they're wanting to, um, but really read looking at people's style.

Christopher:

That's right.

Christopher:

So, This is pretty much what it comes down to, right?

Christopher:

Write often, read often.

Christopher:

The more you write, the more you read, the more you're going to find, and then

Christopher:

experiment as you write yourself, the more you're going to find what you sound like.

Christopher:

And what we mean by that is what values you're drawn to, what

Christopher:

sense of humor you're drawn to, what way you like to communicate.

Christopher:

Let me just give you another quick example.

Christopher:

I have found when I write, I really like using em dashes, using ellipses, right?

Christopher:

This is something that if someone follows me for a while, they're going to start

Christopher:

seeing those things popping up often.

Christopher:

It's a way I communicate because I like the drama of using those kinds of things.

Christopher:

A lot of people don't use ellipses or em dashes at all.

Christopher:

But it comes out a lot in my writing, probably because

Christopher:

of my marketing background.

Christopher:

We use those sort of things a lot, but that has become a bit of my style.

Christopher:

I've noticed that that has set me apart sometimes, even when it comes to marketing

Christopher:

writing, when I use those things, the people who like them follow them.

Gena:

Right, right.

Gena:

And definitely just as you're, as you're reading, as you're writing, just really

Gena:

stop and think, if you come across something that you love, really stop

Gena:

and think, why is it that I love this?

Gena:

It may not be just because if it's a fiction piece because the plot or

Gena:

the character you may also love that author's style Same with if you do read

Gena:

magazines if you're reading newspapers if you're reading online Material

Gena:

just whatever it is nonfiction books.

Gena:

Just really if you come across something that you love really stop and ask

Gena:

yourself What is it about this that I love what is resonating with me and then

Gena:

notice if If You find that you follow similar styles across several books or

Gena:

across several pieces because you might start noticing, okay, yeah, I really

Gena:

like that quick witted humor, or no, I really like the traditional or the

Gena:

more structured way this is written.

Gena:

However it is for you, just really pay attention to that and then start

Gena:

playing with it in your own writing.

Christopher:

More than anything too realize your voice is going to change.

Christopher:

It's not the kind of thing you're going to figure out today and then

Christopher:

say, okay, that's what I'm sticking with for the rest of my life, right?

Christopher:

It can change over, over time, over experiences that you go through, over

Christopher:

the kinds of things you enjoy reading and what you're trying to communicate.

Christopher:

So it's not an exact science, but it is the kind of thing that you want to figure

Christopher:

out because it helps you Helps you set yourself apart and help people find you.

Gena:

Absolutely.

Christopher:

Hey, if you have enjoyed this episode, we hope that

Christopher:

you are able to find your voice.

Christopher:

If you would, please let others know about this episode too.

Christopher:

If you know some writer who needs to find their voice, there's

Christopher:

usually a share button on whatever app you're using, or whatever.

Christopher:

If you're watching on YouTube, there's a share button.

Christopher:

If you click that, It allows you to send it to someone else either by text or by

Christopher:

email or usually through that platform.

Christopher:

So would you do that?

Christopher:

Try to think of someone who might like this and then go

Christopher:

ahead and send this to them.

Christopher:

And we thank you so much for listening.

Christopher:

You guys are just awesome.

Christopher:

That's why we put these out.

Christopher:

And um, you know, this is not the kind of thing that we feel like you

Christopher:

should do alone, all this writing.

Christopher:

It's, it's, it's together.

Gena:

We have writing momentum.

Christopher:

I threw that one at you fast, didn't I?

Gena:

I know that I'm following, I'm tracking.

Christopher:

Bye bye.

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About your host

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Christopher Maselli

Christopher P.N. Maselli is a Certified Digital Marketing Professional, an award-winning children’s author of more than 50 books, a direct mail writer, and a ghostwriter for many prominent, international speakers.

“I love sharing what I’ve learned over the past 25 years,” says Chris. “We’re all in this together and hopefully what I’ve learned can benefit beginners and veterans alike.”

Chris regularly speaks at writer’s conferences nationwide and on the training portion of WritingMomentum.com, he helps put other writers on the fast track to success. He holds a Masters of Fine Arts in Writing.