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How to Find Your Voice as a Writer (Without Copying Anyone)
It’s not as hard as you might think
At first, you just want to sound good.
You read other writers and think, That. That’s the tone I want. That’s the way I want people to feel when they read my words. So, you start mirroring their flow, their cadence, even their word choices.
It’s innocent at first. Natural, even. Like trying on someone else’s coat to see if it fits. But over time, something starts to feel…off. Your writing looks good, sounds good, but doesn’t feel like you.
And that’s when you realize:
You haven’t found your voice yet.
You’ve just borrowed someone else’s.
It happens to every writer. Especially in the beginning. We mimic what we admire because it gives us a starting point. But eventually, we want to stop sounding like someone else — and start sounding like ourselves.
No one tells you how to do that.
They say, “Just be authentic!” or “Find your voice!”
But what does that actually mean?
How do you be yourself… when you’re not quite sure what that self sounds like on the page?