As teenagers figure out who they are becoming as adults and where they fit in the world, they sometimes experiment with other identities. We can apply a similar strategy to finding our writing voice: try on a few extreme alternatives.
Today’s writing exercise entails writing about your own life using an entirely different voice than your default option. You’ll pick a voice of a fictional character or famous author, and use it to discover things about your own writing voice.
The exercise (repeat as often as desired)
First, make a short list of fictional characters or famous authors with distinct approaches and voices.
For fictional characters, you might dip into distinct options from favorite books or shows, like Sam Spade or the Dowager Countess on Downton Abbey (as portrayed by Dame Maggie Smith, of course). For authors, consider Jane Austen’s sly narrator in Pride and Prejudice, or Edgar Allen Poe’s narrator in “The Raven.” Think of character voices you can summon easily.
Now, make a short list of activities or experiences in your life. This might include:
- A description of your favorite coffee shop
- An event from your last vacation
- A protest or city hall you attended
- A recent phone conversation with a relative
Now, pick one event and one character, and match them up.
- How would Hercule Poirot (famously fastidious) describe the hike you took in the woods?
- How would the Dowager Countess from Downton Abbey, as played by Dame Maggie Smith, describe attending a local protest?
You get the idea. Write a few paragraphs using one voice, then try on another.
Why do this?
When you’re done, see what you learned. Which parts of this character’s voice might true to you, to a greater or lesser degree? Which are not? What does this tell you?
Your fictional character may give you an entirely different (and maybe humorous) perspective on your topic. And, you may discover elements of their voices that you’d like to play with on your own.
You may find that you have a dash of Dowager Duchess, or that you enjoy rugged Hemingway prose. Perhaps this will lead you to experiment. If nothing else, it should help you identify and lean into your own voice when you need it. Writing is a human communication, we need to distinguish ourselves from the bots!
Related Reading
Finding a Writing Voice that Fits.
Watch the video of this exercise on YouTube.
Check out more exercises in The Writer’s Voice.
