3 ways to make your writing sound natural

{how to deliberately seek out your authentic voice}

There is much talk in the world of writers about “finding your voice.” Most will tell you that the best way to discover and develop yours is to write a lot. There is definitely truth to this advice; you certainly won’t develop a distinct writing voice if you never write! This advice is overly simplistic though. While writing a lot will probably lead to finding a natural-sounding voice eventually, there are ways to deliberately seek out that voice, and being deliberate will help you develop your voice rapidly.

Read your writing out loud.

Take something you have written and read it out loud to yourself. Notice any awkward phrasing and think about how you would changing the wording if you were speaking to someone. Adjust the writing to reflect the natural cadence of conversation. Eventually people who have heard you speak will be able to literally hear your voice in their head when reading what you have written.

Write to a young person in your life.

Practice clarity and simplicity by writing directly to a young person. Think of someone you know personally. Rather than choosing a topic specifically for him, write about whatever you would be writing…