The Voice Problem in Writing: How Do You Capture Personality on the Page?

Some tried and true tricks to getting it right.

Photo from Wix Media

I spent the holidays binge-watching Younger—for the second time. From Darren Star, creator of SATC and Emily in Paris, the show follows a forty-something woman who lies about her age to get an assistant job in publishing. It's classic Darren Star, with over-the-top storylines and WTF fashions—and it's set in the publishing world of NYC, so of course, I love it. And every so often, there is a kernel of truth among the frivolity of the storylines.

Take S5 E6: Editor Kelsey Peters (played by Hilary Duff—be still, my elder Millenial heart!) finds herself disappointed in the first chapter she gets from her author, a high-flying political speechwriter and podcaster. He's clearly a strong writer, but the chapter falls flat. She tells him:"Your voice on the podcast is charming and funny and it makes me laugh about politics ... I want readers to get that same feeling that I got the first time I heard it."

The issue at hand: Voice. Her author is having trouble taking the voice he's honed over years of podcasting and speechwriting and translating that to a compelling book chapter. It's a common problem—even more so for people who already have a strong voice honed in other media. The question is, how do you capture that voice on the page in a way that resonates with readers?

There are a few tricks I use to help book coaching clients and author partners get it right, including:

• Write to one specific person, not "readers" at large. Writing can fall flat when we try to appeal to everyone at once. Picture one real person—a friend, a colleague, a family member—and write directly to them. This trick forces you to write conversationally and keeps you slipping into generic "author mode."

• Read your work aloud—or better yet, record yourself talking about your topic first. Before writing, try recording yourself having a casual conversation about your subject, as if you're explaining it to a friend or on a podcast. Then transcribe it. You'll often find that your natural speaking voice is more engaging than your "writing voice." Use that transcription as raw material to shape your first draft.

• Identify your signature phrases and verbal tics (the good ones). What words or phrases do you use repeatedly when you speak? What's your go-to way of explaining complex ideas? These patterns are part of your authentic voice. I had an author partner who used the word "Herculean" and it really stood out, because it's so rarely used in everyday speech. I made sure to weave it in!

• Figure out what's working. When you have words on the page that feel like you, take note! Highlight what's working and consider how it can be replicated. You may even have source material lying around to work from, like old blogs.

• Embrace individuality over conformity. A lot of author partners get hung up on sounding "professional" or "authoritative," often to the detriment of their unique voice. Trust the content to build your authority; allow your voice to establish your uniqueness.

I had an author partner from the southern US who frequently spouted sayings you would only hear down South. As long as they were straightforward enough to be clear to a non-Southerner, I made sure to use them! They were part of what made his book engaging, interesting, and different—in short, part of his unique voice.

Thank you for reading my blog! This is a space where I share personal thoughts — an opportunity for self-expression that has nothing to do with my professional writing. None of the thoughts or opinions expressed in this blog should be construed as anything but my own, nor should they be affiliated with any company or person I contract with or write for as a ghostwriter.

NOW that that's done... I'd love to hear from you about this blog post in the comments!