Voice in Writing

Voice in writing is the sound or tone of your words on paper. When speaking, your voice displays your accent, how fast or slow you speak, your pitch, and your choice of words. In writing, your voice shows your tone, the pattern of your sentences and again, your choice of words.

An important outside the box skill is cultivating a passionate voice. How? The simplest route to capturing audience attention is to be sincerely interested in your topic. If you are excited about the topic, your readers will sense it. The writing will stay with them and they will remember the message conveyed.

The tone also affects your reader. Is it friendly or distant, formal or casual, serious or funny? The use of first and second person is usually friendlier than the use of third person. The use of first person usually makes readers feel that the writer is opening up to them. It makes readers think that the writer is willing to share how he thinks or feels. However, some readers find the use of first person one-sided. They do not feel involved or part of the story or article.

The use of second person is also friendly because then the reader becomes part of the story. The writer seems to be talking to them personally. The use of second person teaches the readers to do things, tells them to take action, or convinces them to make a stand. The third person is distant because it does not talk about the writer or the reader.

Using a knowledgeable voice in writing shows the reader that you have a good understanding of what you are writing about. One of the problems frequently encountered with using a knowledgeable voice is finding the balance between too much information and not enough. If you use too much information, then your reader may lose interest or be too overwhelmed to develop an accurate understanding of your writing. By not using enough information, you can leave the reader feeling as if you didn't have the knowledge to support your article. Try to introduce the reader to more general easy to understand information first, adding more technical and difficult to understand information later.

Having a passionate and knowledgeable voice when writing is crucial to attract and keep the attention of your reader. When you are writing, try to imagine what the reader would think reading what you have just written. If the writing draws in the reader with emotion or excitement, then you have a passionate voice. The key to writing in this manner is to move quickly. Never focus too much on one aspect and try to avoid adding excessive information that could bore the reader. A combination of knowledge and interest will allow your balanced voice to come through.

Voice in Writing to Writing Techniques