About Finding Your Writing Voice

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Dear Joyvity™ Friends,

If you’re the kind of person who grew up with their nose buried in books, this might sound familiar: you sit down to write… and instead of your voice, you get stuck — either hearing someone else’s or overthinking the sound of your own.

Toni Morrison’s lyricism. Stephen King’s storytelling rhythm. The crisp, clean prose of Hemingway.

You admire them. You love them.
And now, you want to write like them — or worse, like a blend of all of them.
Or even worse… you can’t write at all.

So how do you find your own writing voice when you’ve read too many books?

The short answer: You write.
You keep writing, as you can.
You keep showing up until words come, and sentences form, and paragraphs grow, and your story continues.

And then you realize you have a voice.

But here’s the longer version.

1. Your Voice Already Exists. It’s Just Hidden Under Layers of Influence.

Reading widely is essential — but it also means your internal library gets loud. You’ve absorbed decades of styles, cadences, and sentence structures. That’s not a bad thing. It’s training.

But your true voice? It’s not mimicry. It’s the tone and rhythm that show up when you’re not trying too hard to sound like a writer.

Start noticing when your sentences feel natural — like thoughts you’d speak aloud to a friend. That’s a clue.

2. Un-Perfect Your First Drafts

Perfection is a disguise.
When we try to write “beautifully,” we often write to impress — and that’s when someone else’s voice sneaks in.

Try this instead: Write freely, even if it’s messy. Strip it of polish and give it teeth.

It’s what you’re trying to say that matters in this draft — not how you say it.
How you say it lives underneath, in the second and third drafts.

Your voice lives in the freedom you give yourself to write as you are.

3. Use Journaling to Reclaim Your Cadence

Journaling is your safe house. It’s where you speak plainly, without performance — and that’s why it’s one of the best ways to develop your writing voice. Journaling is really the thinking that makes your writing voice.

Try doing it on paper. The act of slowing down — pen to page — lets your natural rhythm surface. There’s no delete key, no pressure. Just your real words, as they come.

Here are my favorite journal and pen I use in my journaling:

Journal – PU Leather, elegant and practical, available in 10 colors

Its thread-bound lay-flat feature makes it easy for all hand users to write on every page. It has 216 ruled pages that don’t ghost or bleed-through. Just lovely!

👉 See price + more photos on Amazon

Pen – Bic Velocity 1.0 in black

I have used these for years due to their comfortable grip and easy glide system. I won't write with anything else!

👉 See price + more photos on Amazon

To make this even more powerful, I fold journaling into my daily writing ritual that was essential in me finishing my first book draft. Here's what kicks off my daily writing ritual (sensory signals that help create my inner world where my writing lives):

1. A Candle That Grounds You

Choose a scent that signals focus — sandalwood, lavender, or something personal that reminds you of warmth and stillness. This here is the one I prefer.

👉 See price + more photos on Amazon

2. A Ceramic Mug That Feels Like Yours (Unisex)

There’s something grounding about holding the same mug every day — it becomes part of your creative identity. I love this one: the image on the outside, the writing on the inside, the feel & the shape.

👉 See price + more photos on Amazon

3. An Hourglass That Binds Your Time

Flipping an hourglass at the start of your writing block turns time into something tangible — a visual ritual that signals focus, presence, and the gentle pressure of now. This is mine - 60min.

👉 See price + more photos on Amazon

4. Read Like a Thief, Write Like a Ghost

Reading won’t erase your voice — unless you let it.
You can absorb techniques without copying tone. A great scene, a vivid metaphor, a sharp transition — note it, learn from it, and let it pass through.

But when you write, disappear into your world. Don’t echo brilliance. Channel your own.

5. Say It Out Loud (Seriously, Read Your Work Out Loud)

There’s no better test for authentic voice than your own ears.

If it sounds like something someone would naturally say, it probably is.
If it sounds like someone’s script — pause. Drop the weights. Rephrase it.

Final Thoughts

Reading won’t ruin your voice. It refines your ear, builds your vocabulary, and shapes your sensibility.

Your writing voice isn’t built from borrowed parts — it’s built from use, reflection, and courage.

Trust that your voice is enough. That it matters.
That someone out there will hear you speak the way only you can.

Wishing you courage, clarity, and a little freedom on the page.
Ana