Write of Passage Weekly - Imitate, then Innovate

Write of Passage Weekly

​Hey Writers,

You’re back for the best writing advice on the Internet, yes? Perfect. We’re on the same page.

We have news: you’re a copycat. Your ideas are not all yours. Somewhere, sometime, you heard that lyric, you read that prose, you admired that outfit. You’re soaking up inspo every which way to Sunday and unconsciously claiming it as your own. This makes you a copycat—and one-thousand percent normal!

We have more news, it’s time to own it! Imitation, like your mom would say, is a form of flattery, and a very smart practice (though she didn’t say that). As kids, we hated being copied. Could this be why, as adults, we believe originality is good and imitation is bad? Whatever the reason, let’s reverse that thinking. Imitation is good. It’s a road to mastery. The more you do it, the more you sharpen your voice. Permission granted!

Last week we brought you Be Known For Your Voice. This week we’ll talk about the power of imitating your favorite writers so you can find your voice.
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The Mailbag

Your writing questions, answered.

How do I actually translate my personality onto the page? I know the vibe I want to get across, but when I sit down and write, it feels flat.

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Some would say, “Voice is just something you have. Don’t think about it. It’s natural. It just comes out.” While this might eventually be true, it’s hard to write authentically in the early days. We’re stuck in our bad habits– we write long sentences, we show instead of tell, and our prose is littered with cliches. The ideas are beautiful in our head, but awkward on the page.

There are many ways to bring out your voice– audio transcriptions, editing out loud, pseudonyms, (legal) substances. But a quick and powerful way to start uncovering your voice is to study and imitate your favorite writers. Your taste is a clue towards your voice. After all, if you’re inspired by someone, it means there’s a part of yourself in them. The goal isn’t to plagiarize, or to copy them word for word. The goal is to understand how they express their personality through language.

To start reverse engineering your favorite writers, all you have to do is change how you read. Instead of highlighting interesting ideas, highlight how they use language. Notice their word choices, their sentence structures, their images, rhythms, and tones. Instead of reading whole books, open to a random page and re-read it 3 or 4 times. Really pay attention to how they’re writing. Underline like crazy, and walk away with some things to try next time you write. For example:

• Use short sentences after long ones.
• Break the fourth wall using parenthesis.
• Tell a joke once per paragraph.

Test things out, exaggerate, and see how they feel. Some moves will feel unnatural, but others will ring, as if you’ve unlocked something within you. Double down on whatever feels right. The more you read, analyze, and experiment, the more you’ll start sounding like yourself.
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Writer's Toolbox

The best writing about writing on the Internet.

• One from us: Check out David Perell’s article Imitate, then Innovate. It dives deep into why our culture obsesses over originality, how imitation is natural, and how artists across fields and history have copied others to discover their unique identity.
• One from our students: Write of Passage alum Vicky Zhao’s essay, Confucius say: imitation is art, looks into how tweaking ideas from the past can find resonance in the present day.

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What We're Up To

The latest from our team

We’re hiring! Next Monday, WOP legend Matt Tillotson will join the team as our Director of Customer Success. Matt started as a silent student in our first cohort, and evolved to become our lead mentor. He’s written consistently over the last three years (146 newsletter editions), and now he’ll be steering the culture of our community.

Today, we’re launching four new job postings. We’re looking for ambitious, creative people to help launch new products for high school students and business writing. Check out our job portal.

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Thanks for reading. Who are your favorite writers? Tell us what you love about them, and we can reverse engineer them in future newsletters.

Forwarded this edition? Want to receive the next one? Subscribe here.

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Until next week,
The Write of Passage Team

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PS: Write of Passage Weekly brings you the best writing advice on the Internet. Each edition is 100% devoted to helping you improve your writing, find your people, and build your Personal Monopoly. We’ll answer your questions, curate links, share tools, and give you a behind-the-scenes glimpse into Write of Passage. Thanks for having us in your inbox. Happy writing!​
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