A while back a buyer told me, “I like your voice.”
What? I didn’t get it at first. My voice? But, in the same way that you see Honda Civics everywhere only after buying one yourself, I started noticing ‘voices’. I was suddenly aware of a part of writing previously invisible.
The best analogy I can think of for a writer’s voice is a musician’s style. All writers can write in all genres, just as any musician can play any style of music. If you need words in English, I can give you something reasonable to read (note, I didn’t say good). But, like a musician, I am better at certain types of writing. It isn’t about word choice, just as style in music isn’t about note choice. It’s about inflection, rhythm, and something beneath and beyond the words on the page. Voice is about personality and ways of communicating your thoughts.
Four writers, four voices.
You may not have noticed that this blog is written by four different writers. (Check the bylines.) We each have a different voice, although we all have to meet the stylistic guidelines and formatting that a blog requires.
- Sarah writes clear, concise and to the point posts. She uses facts as a powerful tool to make her case. Sarah also writes from her experiences as both a provider and a buyer at oDesk.
- Nelson writes in a more colorful and creative style. He engages my emotions and has a great command of the descriptive.
- Dave has a wonderful narrative voice. He is able to connect simply and cleanly with story and a smooth flow.
- I’m naturally pedantic. My normal voice is dry and instructive, like a math teacher. I do best with subjects I can cudgel into shape with over-analysis (and I like to use words like cudgel).
Granted, none of us fit completely into the boxes above, but if you read some posts with an eye (and an inner ‘ear’) towards voice, you will readily see what I mean.
How to spot your own voice.
Take a look at what you write for fun or when there’s no push to get it exactly right. Heraclitus said it this way, “Man is most nearly himself when he achieves the seriousness of a child at play.”
When the pressures are off and your internal editor relaxes, that’s when your voice emerges most strongly. So look to something you wrote because you wanted to write it, because it needed to be said. I actually see my truest voice in chat. I don’t care just what I am writing, although I do care about what I am saying.
How to use this to your advantage.
Your voice is both a gift and a curse. If you write in a manner and tone that buyers want, you will almost effortlessly meet their needs. And there will be some niche that makes your voice worth having. On the other hand, the area you want to sell in might require you to suppress your natural voice.
I have a friend who is new to oDesk. She writes very simply. She had a hard time until she recognized that her voice was tailored for young adults and children. Now, she looks for opportunities where she can write in that genre. She is handicapped in one way, but perfectly suited in another. Finding her voice gave her the confidence to look for and get work in the area she was most qualified for.
Speaking in tongues.
Once you are voice aware, you can shape your writing to better fit the requirements of any particular job. By reading examples in the style you need, you can pick out phrasing and tone. And when you catch yourself doing a jazz riff in the middle of a country song, you can stop and edit and play the notes ‘right’.
By paying attention to your own voice and the voices of other writers, you will be better able to control when you release your inner muse and when you should reign it in. And when someone tells you they like your voice, you will know just what they mean.
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I’ve spent a lot of time doing workshops and studying voice. It’s integral to every writer, and if you don’t know yours you’re due for a lot of heartache without ever knowing why.
It’s like anything else, you have to understand what’s happening before you can change it. Study voice– the writer who can develop a clear and compelling one will be bringing in the money.
It’s also important to remember that you can have multiple voices to call upon. Just as a rockstar can play some country songs, you can learn to adapt your style of art/writing/etc to fit exactly with what the buyer needs. Once you’re good at it, you’ll switch gears without even thinking about it.
I suggest working with a natural style before trying to master several voices. Do what you do best and develop the other styles in your spare time, and the best way to do develop them is through viewing the work of others. See what they did right/wrong, take the best qualities into your own work, and leave the rest.
Hi guys!
I like to see more of your posts! I find this blog very interesting for newbie oDesk members as well as those who have been able to already secure jobs.
For me, my voice is still under some mentors. I am more of an engineer and a programmer by profession, but somehow I ended up having some writing opportunities.
I like this idea of a writing “voice” and it is indeed a lot like getting yourself in several musical genre - or a combination of these. I am also a frustrated singer (well there are plenty of karaokes and videokes here in my place) so I get to sing-along many musical genre’s (I like pop, jazz, acoustic and some alternative). I do not get paid for singing though (I had to do the reverse, just to be able to sing).