Developing a voice

I consider myself an essayist rather than a technical writer. When I write in my free time, I don’t write manuals on how to use my cell phone or reports detailing the strengths and weaknesses of a new program; instead, I write personal nonfiction essays. The more I write, the more my writing voice develops.

Voice is something that most writers associate with creative writing. Hemingway has a voice, Faulkner has a voice, McCarthy has a voice; every writer has a voice, and the most enduring writers have distinct voices which set them apart from the masses. Novelists and other “literati” (to borrow a term from one of my professors) rely on a unique, likeable voice for their livelihood.

But a unique voice isn’t something that only creative writers need. Technical writers need to develop their voices, too. There’s a lot more room for individuality and voice in tech writing than you might believe. Here are some tips to develop your voice.

1. Use a normal vocabulary. Whether you’re writing a recommendation report or a help file for the latest version of a program, choose words that the audience will be familiar with and understand. While there is some temptation in technical/professional writing to try to sound “science-y” and smart, using flashy words more often than not makes you sound pompous and irritating. A good voice carries readers through a document from start to finish and doesn’t drive them away. Here’s the rule I live by: if I wouldn’t use a word in a conversation with my friends, don’t use it when I write unless no other word will work.
   
   
2. Read what you write out loud. This relates to your vocabulary, but also involves sentence structure. Again, in the attempt to maintain the objective tone needed for much of technical/professional writing, some writers will adopt a bureaucratic voice. Overuse of prepositional phrases, passive voice, and utter confusing are some of signs you’re writing too much like a government official and that your audience will have no idea what you’re talking about. How to overcome this? Read your sentences out loud. If you read what you’ve written out loud and it flows naturally, you’re probably using a good voice. Remember, technical and professional documents are meant to be read and understood. You can sound professional without sounding bureaucratic.
   
   
3. Read technical and professional writing. Read help documents and take note of what works and what doesn’t. Read the manual for your remote control and figure out how confusing phrases could be reworded for clarity. And read technical/professional writing blogs to get tips on how to improve your own writing while exposing yourself to more good writing. The more good writing you read, the more your voice will naturally improve.

As a final note, I’ve updated the links to other blogs on my sidebar. Go ahead and check them out; they’re all full of great tips and ideas.