What’s Author Voice and Why's it Important for Fiction Books?
- Feb 20
- 4 min read
Great authors have strong voices that shine through in all their stories, like a thumbprint that tells you it’s theirs.
As readers, we love voice because it's what we keep reading an author's work for. It's about the emotions they make us feel, the ideas they have, and our reading experience. There isn't a right or wrong voice, but a well developed one creates loyal readers who keep coming back for more.
This means for authors and editors, understanding voice and cultivating our own elevates our careers by connecting us more closely with our readers.
What's author voice in fiction?
All writers and editors will have their own definition of what, exactly, voice is. It's such a personal concept. While some define author voice as an intangible injection of your personality and beliefs into your writing, I see it as a holistic blend of your style (like words and punctuation choices), your tone (your personality, your level of seriousness, the emotions you evoke), your characters’ personalities, and the standards of the genre you’re writing for.
Why Developing a Distinct Author Voice is Important for Fiction Writers
Why do authors struggle to find their voice?
To write well, you have to read a lot, and read deeply; studying what other authors are doing so you can discover what works and what doesn't. Unfortunately, when we're absorbing a lot of other people's work, it can bleed into our own. We start to use the words they use, the sentence structures they rely on, or even put across their beliefs rather than our own.
To start finding your own voice and get it to a place where it isn't influenced or shaken by others, journal. A lot. Without editing yourself. Free write a page or two a day for a few weeks, then come back and notice the words you use, where you put commas, what your tone sounds like. What kinds of writing did you employ when you were sad versus when you felt hopeful?
You can also dictate (using Speech-to-Text) to retell a scene you’ve written. When the dictation adds punctuation, how does the flow change? You likely speak very differently out loud compared to how you write - but the way you speak is less filtered and punctuated. It'll be freer and hold more of your personality, because you aren't editing yourself.
How do you balance author voice and character voice?
There are two voices at play in novels: your POV character’s and your own. Pulling the two together is what makes a book feel unique; crafted expertly in your tone while diving deep into a character who may be nothing like you. Your voice should also keep in mind your genre and audience, and what kind of tone will resonate with those readers.
It can be difficult, in fiction, when your own voice as a writer shines through too much and overshadows the POV character. Learning to balance both – allowing your unique writing style to glow through your work while also giving your main character room to breathe – is a skill we gain through studying other authors’ work and practising putting ourselves in our characters’ shoes.
How do professional editors work with author voice?
Editors enhance your voice, but if you don’t have a strong voice to enhance, there’s only so much they can do. They may end up rewriting it in their own voice, or only doing basic copy edits and no higher level edits, because that’s all they can really do
with an undeveloped writing style. This is why I don’t tend to accept manuscripts that aren’t ready – I don’t want to trample someone’s voice when they haven’t even
discovered it yet.
Remember, myself and other good editors will always keep your author voice and creativity as a top priority, because it’s not our book or the readers’ book – it’s yours! That means we aren't trying to alter your book to 'perfection', but polish and enhance your artistry.
But when you skip self editing and finding your voice before attempting publication, the book may no longer feel like your story by the time it's been given feedback. Especially so if the feedback goes against your vision for the story, but you don't have the confidence to know what to take on board and what to ignore.
That's why I suggest aspiring authors start with my guidebook, HOW TO EDIT YOUR OWN NOVEL, before approaching professional editors.
Chat to me to learn more!
Poppy Rose Solomon’s creative pursuits are a manifestation of her passions for the whimsical and magical. Evoking inspiration and escapism is the goal of her storytelling. From her home in Lutruwita/Tasmania, she freelances as a YA editor and coach through her business Poppy’s Pages. Woken Kingdom is her first series, with plenty more novels to come, and she has also released a book to help other authors titled How to Edit Your Own Novel.
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