How to write: voice

You're unique, and so is your voice. It's one the world wants to hear. So don't be afraid to write as YOU. I start my writing day with an eggsellent breakfast courtesy of my five ex-battery hens.

What is 'voice' exactly, when it comes to writing?

Think of your favourite author, the one you turn to again and again. It's likely he or she has a special way of looking at the world, a quirky way of saying things, a uniqueness that's hard to pin down, but that makes you long for their next novel.

For me, reading a favourite author is like having their voice whispering in my ear. It feels like they're 'talking' just to me. And because their writing is so fabulous, you forget that it's writing. It feels like they're actually speaking.

New writers often disregard their own voice. They seriously 'sit down and concentrate to write a book' and forget that their voice is special. Never before in the history of humankind has there been a voice like theirs, and there never will be again.

If your writing has a stilted feel, it's because you're trying too hard.

Imagine you're writing for just one reader, someone you like very much. It could be your bestie, or your Mum, or your Grandma. Write exactly as you would talk to them. Your own voice will come through and your readers will love you for it.

My novel A Hard Man to Love is free on Amazon from Valentine's Day!!