In this chapter, we’ll cover your writer’s voice and what inspires you. Both are important, though I would argue that the latter is more important than the former.
17a: Your Writer’s Voice:
Your writer’s voice is the way you “sound” when your works are read out loud. Every writer out there has a voice, and your unique voice shines through your works to the public at large.
So what makes up your writer’s voice? Well…it consists of your writing style and your linguistic repertoire. I, for instance, use natural dialogue that matches the character in question, and my narrations are normally done in a professional speaking voice, though I may change that up to reflect the POV of the narrator.
Your voice is unique. Fostering it takes time and practice; it’s experience that’s your greatest ally. As a writer, your greatest advantage in improving your writing is actually sitting down and writing something. Don’t put it off!
17a1: Changing Your Voice:
Your voice will develop over time. Though you may struggle with putting down the words you want to hear when spoken aloud, that struggle will end once you have enough experience under your belt.
Changing or hiding your writer’s voice is extremely difficult, so I would get used to fostering your own talent before you attempt something so grandiose.
For example, there are many in the literary world who believe Sir Francis Bacon wrote some or even all of Shakespeare’s plays. The only problem with this theory? Their writer’s voices sound nothing alike. It is possible Sir Francis Bacon wrote Shakespeare’s plays, but due to the differences in their writer’s voices, that theory is highly unlikely.
17a2: You Can Do It:
This book is primarily meant for new authors, not experienced ones, so this advice applies to those who are just starting out: you can do it. You have to have the will and the drive to sit down and write in a professional manner in order to actually write that book or short story you wish to write, and then you actually have to sit down and do it.
The world is full of naysayers, true, but you’ll find that the greatest naysayer of all is yourself. There are a million things you can do with your time other than writing, so eventually, you’re going to have to order yourself to write. Obedience is the act of doing something because someone else told you to, but discipline is the act of doing something because you told yourself to. Take some time out during the day and write.
Believe it or not, I write every single day with no time off for good behavior, and I’m not exactly a role model for exemplary discipline. If I can do it, then you can do it.
17a3: Don’t Let Others Impede Your Progress:
In order to develop your talent for writing and your writer’s voice, you have to have a thick skin. Other people will tell you that no one will ever read your works, that no one will ever buy your book, that you’ll never be successful, and yadda, yadda, yadda. You decide whether you have talent or not, not other people. That choice is yours.
17b: Inspiration:
Now comes the fun part. What inspires you? In truth, you can be inspired by almost anything, but we’ll just cover some broad basics. There are many ways to be inspired to write and to decide what to write, so here are some examples of what those ways may be:
17b1: Your Favorite Author:
The odds are pretty good you have a favorite author, and this author has fostered a love in you for literary works. I, for example, cut my teeth on Robert E. Howard’s Conan the Barbarian books after I had first learned to read. I was around eight or nine years old. Please, don’t let your child read these books. They’re for adults, but back in my day, the world was a different place, so oversight in what your kids read wasn’t exactly a thing back then. Parents were just happy that their kids were reading at all.
Your favorite author is the author who has you running to find the latest story they wrote. Maybe you really like what they write, or maybe you like the way they write, but whatever the case may be, you want to emulate them, or you just want to write in the genre they’re writing.
For example, I have a friend who cut his teeth on Stephen King novels, something he started reading at the age of eleven. This has inspired him to write like Stephen King to this day. Please, don’t let your child read these books, either. They’re for adults, but back in his day, the world was a different place, so oversight in what your kids read wasn’t exactly a thing back then. Parents were just happy that their kids were reading at all. Does this advice sound familiar? Well…that’s because it is.
Your favorite author is someone you can visibly study through their works. They offer insight into how you wish to write.
17b2: Your Most-Hated Author:
There are a number of figures in the literary world that I simply cannot stand, and my guess is that you have authors you intensely dislike as well. Well, good news! These authors can also inspire you to write! You just won’t be writing like them. No, you’ll do it your way because you think they’re wrong. Just don’t bring up any specific names when you write. Don’t be petty. Just fix what you think is wrong.
17b3: Your Favorite Story:
Have you ever read a story that was so good, you just couldn’t get it out of your head? Well, congratulations. You’ve just been inspired by a story. You’ll find there are a number of individual works that will jumpstart your engine, and they’re just floating around out there waiting to be read.
17b4: Movies and TV:
Movies and television have their place in the inspiration department. Considering how much is available and waiting to be watched out there, you can be inspired simply by turning on the TV or going to the movies. Maybe you watch stuff on your phone, but the point here is that modern media creates new stories and recycles old ones on a regular basis.
17b5: Theater:
Ever seen a stage play? I’ve been to a number of them, and no, I did not enjoy all of them. Nevertheless, they can be a great source of inspiration.
17b6: Genre:
Like having a favorite author, the odds are pretty good that you have a favorite genre. If so, that’s where you should start. Regardless of what that genre may be, you’ve probably read and seen a lot of it. Now all you have to do is come up with your own story in that genre.
17b7: Video Games:
If you’re an older person, video games have greatly evolved since you first heard of them. The first video game I ever played was Pong, not exactly intellectual material. Many of today’s games consist of immersive worlds with in-depth storylines. If you’re a young person, you know this already. Needless to say, video games are a great source of inspiration.
You can go online and look up the storylines of popular video games if you have no desire to play any of those games. There are a number of sites that will accommodate you.
17b8: Music:
Can’t get a certain song out of your head? I think in music, and I always have a song playing in the back of my mind, so this inspires me in ways that you, personally, may not have thought of. For instance, a whole style of music can inspire you to write a novel or story. A single song can, and has for me, inspire you to write certain scenes in a story that match the theme or tune of the song. You can actually build the entire story around that scene, though I would be careful with that. You still need a good plot, characters, and dialogue.
17b9: Art:
Art falls into the same category as music. You may be inspired to write a story because of a painting, statue, drawing, or other work of art. Rod Serling’s old TV show Night Gallery explores this concept in depth. Also, there are online sites such as Pinterest that can inspire you with numerous works of art.
17b10: Location:
Nothing quite inspires a story like a location. Seeing pictures of other places or just walking around outside can inspire you to set a story within those surroundings, whether those surroundings are nature, outer space, a classroom, or even an abandoned building.
17b11: Your Daily Activities:
Just walking down the street to the grocery store can inspire you to write something involving…err…just walking down the street to the grocery store. Your new story could involve you finding the love of your life, or maybe zombies suddenly attack, or maybe you narrowly avoid being hit by a car. Your daily activities can be an inspiration all their own.
17b12: Even Your Pets Can Inspire You:
There are many authors out there who have written about their pets, and you may wish to as well. This can be taken to include your favorite animal, monster, or inanimate object if you so choose. This isn’t personally my thing, and maybe it’s not your thing, either, but it has inspired other authors, and that’s the point. As a genre fiction writer, you’ll use anything that inspires you.
17c: In Closing:
The point of this chapter is to hammer home the importance of motivation. You’ll only find your writer’s voice through experience, and you’ll only gain experience by actually writing something. In order to write, you need motivation, and that’s where inspiration strikes.
Find what inspires you, hold on to it, and use it. Then sit down and write.
The Quick and Easy Guide to Writing Genre Fiction Copyright 1st ed. © 2022 Matthew L. Marlott
TQ&EGtWGF: Chapter 17…Your Writer’s Voice and Inspiration Copyright © 2026 bloodytwine.com Matthew L. Marlott
The image for Chapter 17 of TQ&EGtWGF was generated by artificial intelligence courtesy of OpenAI.
