Finding a Freelance Writing Voice
By: Michael Kwan
While it is of paramount importance to be versatile and flexible in your freelance writing career, it’s also important to have something that separates you from the rest of the competition. What makes you a different (or better) freelance writer than the other guy? Personally, I think that one of the greatest factors that can differentiate you from the crowd is a unique writing voice.
What is a Writing Voice?
You could say that a freelance writing voice is akin to finding a certain style or manner in which you write. It is partly because of their unique voices that people like Michael Crichton, Tom Clancy, and Mitch Albom are able to achieve the level of success that they do. There is no one else who can write quite the same way as Michael Crichton does. That’s his voice.
To truly stand out as a freelancer, you’ll want to find your own writing voice as well. There is no exact science to finding your unique style, so it will largely be a matter of trial and error before you can say that your writing is truly your own.
Voices of Inspiration
One of the greatest ways for you to find your own freelance writing voice is to look to other freelance writers for inspiration. This doesn’t mean that you should simply emulate their style, because that’s their style and not yours. That said, you can look to these other writers to get a sense of what is possible and why their distinct style of writing is different from that of everyone else.
For example, when you check out the blog of Chris Bibey, you’ll find that he makes extensive use of rhetorical questions. In many of his posts, he will pose a quick question and then respond to it himself, usually by saying that there is no single answer that will fit at all times. This style works for him and it’s a style that I immediately recognize as Chris Bibey’s.
Defining Factors of My Voice
In terms of my freelance writing voice, I find that I have a tendency to use compound sentences (just like this one). I also have a preference for sentence inversion, because it brings emphasis to the uniqueness of the circumstances. This style is used extensively in my feature articles and product reviews, as well as blog posts like this.
Do you have a writing style that is distinctly your own? Have you found your freelance writing voice?
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8 Comments
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I think that I have at least two different voices. I write a little differently for The Thrifty Entrepreneur than I do on dcrBlogs. I enter a different frame of mind when I’m on the one site as compared to the other.
I also adapt my style according to site I write for.
Be careful about not developing multiple personality. lol
I agree to that:) The first time I write a blog, i realized that i have my own style and point of view in writing. I also noticed that there are people more creative in expressing their thoughts clearly than spontaneously.
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