C.M. Rachels

Almost every author starts their writing career by trying to sound like their favorite author. One day you’re channeling Jane Austen, the next you’re sure you’re Dean Koontz in disguise. And before you know it, your manuscript sounds like a Regency thriller-romance narrated by a caffeinated philosopher.

Welcome to the awkward teenage years of your writing voice.

The reality is that finding your author voice isn’t about forcing it into existence; it’s about stopping the mimicry long enough to hear yourself think. It’s about accepting that you’ll sound odd at first, but in time you’ll find your own voice, and then you’ll develop it until it’s uniquely you.

It’s about learning to appreciate the small quirks that you use, such as punchy one-liners or extensive worldbuilding. Don’t edit it all out; it’s your author voice shining through. Refine it, sure, but don’t scrub away your fingerprints.

Most of all, continue writing until it no longer feels like work. One day, you’ll look back at an old draft and think, “Who wrote this?” and the answer will be, “Me. But with training wheels.” That’s when you know your voice has arrived: steady, recognizable, and impossible to imitate.

Finding your author voice isn’t a destination. It’s a messy, joyful, slightly chaotic process of becoming more you on the page. And the best part? Once you find it, readers won’t just recognize your stories; they’ll recognize you behind them.

So go ahead. Write terribly. Experiment shamelessly. Be delightfully odd.