When I started writing, I looked up the statistics and decided I would write science fiction because it sold better than horror. I liked both genres, so I figured, why not go for the one that’s more lucrative? To be clear, I never went into writing with the idea that I’d make a fortune, but I figured, why not give myself the best shot?
As it turns out, writing doesn’t work like that. Just because you like to read a genre doesn’t mean that you’re well-suited to write it. My stories got better with practice. I received personalized rejections, and even had a few stories shortlisted, but in the end, all my submissions came back the same, “Not the right fit.” In retrospect, I know that’s because my voice wasn’t there. I was trying to write like Asimov, Heinlein, or Clarke. What I was writing wasn’t original. I hadn’t yet figured out how to write like me.
It took way longer than I care to admit to learn this lesson, but if you don’t write what comes naturally to you, it doesn’t matter if your prose is flawless. It doesn’t matter if your stories are technically perfect. If you don’t have a strong voice, or your voice doesn’t feel authentic, your stories are not going to sell.
After trying and failing for years and receiving rejection after rejection. I became disillusioned with writing. A lot of crazy shit happened in my life, and I ended up setting writing aside for a few years. And what I learned during that time is every bit as important as what I learned while actively pursuing my writing career; if I don’t write, I’m unhappy.
So, about three years ago I made myself take it back up again, but this time, I was going to write horror. I told myself that I didn’t care if I ever made any money off of my writing and that I was going to focus on what I loved. And even then, I don’t feel like I was writing like me until the last four or five months.
What changed? I realized voice is not something you find. Voice is something you have. All writers have an authentic voice. They all have a unique way of telling stories. It’s the characters that appeal to them. Their vocabulary and the words they choose. Their tone. Their voice is who they are and what they think of the world. The trick is figuring out what that voice is, then polishing it as much as possible.
For me, the first step was saying, “fuck it,” and shifting my focus to horror. In the past, I’d kept trying to write straight science fiction. I kept trying to shove the corpses back in the basement. It wasn’t until I let them out to roam around the living room that I was able to be myself.
As it turns out, my voice is dark. Yours may be light or lyrical or serious or comedic. It doesn’t matter. What matters is you write what comes naturally to you. Be yourself.
And yeah, I know this advice is about as useful as a wet match. It’s not like anyone ever sits down and thinks, you know what, I’m really hoping to write something that’s derivative and boring, hopefully in a voice that doesn’t ring true.
The problem with the “be yourself” advice is that no one knows who the fuck they are. We’re all stumbling around in the dark. None of us have any clue what’s going on. How the hell do you write in your authentic voice when you have no idea who you are?
Here’s a few things that worked for me:
- Trust the unicorn: Don’t force yourself to write something just because you want the respect of your peers. If every time you sit down at the keyboard, a voice in the back of your head is telling you to write about unicorns, you’re doing the world a disservice by writing a shitty, derivative version of Faulkner. Listen to the voice in your head that is urging you to write the kind of stories you want to write. Fuck respect. That unicorn voice is your authentic voice. Embrace it.
- Write what’s interesting: Throw the “write what you know” advice in the toilet. If you don’t know something and you want to write about it, learn it. If it’s interesting to you, it will be interesting to other people as well. Even if the story doesn’t pan out, you’ve lost nothing because you enjoyed being engaged with the subject matter.
- Find out what you write: Ask people around you what kind of fiction you write and pay attention to the answer. You may think you’re writing comedy, but if people never get the joke and think your work is dark and gritty, you may be focusing on the wrong things. The sooner you find out the way your work is perceived, the sooner you can lean into that voice.
- Study writers who write like you: Once you have an idea of what you’re writing, find writers who tell similar stories. I had no clue I wrote weird fiction and neo-noir until someone in my writer’s group told me I did. From there, I’ve been able to study several author’s work who write similar stuff. I love reading their work, but also, by studying their stories, my voice has become stronger and stronger.
- Regardless of the genre, write what scares you: As a horror writer, you’re often given the advice to write what scares you. I used to think this meant if you’re afraid of clowns or spiders, you should write about those (and sure, do that if you want). But really, what this means is to write what you are afraid to write. If while you are writing you think, “I can’t write this because people will find out who are really am and what if they don’t like it and don’t accept me and because I wrote this I’m going to die all alone.” That’s what you should be writing. That’s your voice. Believe it or not, every time I feel this way while I’m writing, these are the stories that resonate the most, because we’re all human and they may be afraid to say it, but part of them feels the same way too.
I hope this helps! Good luck with your writing, and in the words of Charles M. Schulz, “Be yourself. No one can say you’re doing it wrong.”
Cheers,
C.J.