Hey writers,

Welcome back to the Write of Passage Cohort Countdown. To celebrate the launch of our upcoming cohort (August 26!), we’re sharing a weekly slice of writing advice from our founder, David. Today, you’re going to unlearn a popular piece of misguided writing advice. (Does unlearning qualify as learning? We’ll let you decide.)

Psst... Enrollment for Write of Passage goes live on July 22. If you have questions about our five-week Bootcamp, or just want to learn more about the experience, you can book a free call with a Write of Passage team member below. Students always find these valuable, so we encourage you to come get the clarity you need. 

You Already Have a Voice

Hate to burst your bubble, but “writing voice” isn’t a thing. Your “voice” is just your personality on the page. In life, you are born with certain behavioral patterns. Within a few years, your parents can already see the outlines of who you’ll become. As you get older, you feel the itch to leave the house because you know that those experiences will help you grow into yourself. You fall, get hurt, get back up, and keep going. Just as you don’t wait to leave home until you’ve found your personality, don't wait until you've found your voice to start writing.

Maybe you don’t write because you don’t feel talented enough. Maybe, you got a C in high-school English class and think that just because you can’t write like Joan Didion, you shouldn’t write at all. But that’s like going to the driving range, hitting a bad shot, and never golfing again just because you can’t play like Tiger Woods. ​

Or maybe, you don’t feel unique enough. You say: “All my interesting ideas have already been written about.” I’ve heard that line from some of the most creative and idiosyncratic people I know, and it’s nonsense. In person, they know they’re unique. They’re even proud of their quirks. But once it’s time to write, they develop an existential fear of not being original enough and compensate by writing with the personality of a doorknob and trying too hard to impress everybody.

Your voice won’t reveal itself until you drop the try-hard-speak and listen to the whispers of your intuition. Somehow, it already knows who you want to become. As economist Tyler Cowen​ said,​

"It’s the weird that’s truly normal. It’s how people actually are — what they really care about. In a sense, you’re getting them out of the weird. The weird is the stage presence we put on — all the ‘puffery’ and unwillingness to say what you really think."

I have yet to meet someone who isn’t exceptionally weird once I’ve gotten to know them. Sure, some people are weirder than others, but everybody is strange and one-of-a-kind. The difference between them is that some lean into their quirks, while others run away from them. Once your compass points in the “I want to be less like other people” direction, you’re on your way. ​

Everyone has a voice, just like everyone has a personality. Both are a collection of all the ways you’re different, but you conceal it if you try. Don't hide it. Your readers will be drawn to your voice, so nurture it with unique experiences and a cocktail of obscure influences. You will only discover your voice if you use it. You have to write and publish. When you do, pay attention to the parts that people resonate with and the compliments they give you. They will compliment want makes you distinct, and when you recognize what that is, lean into it.

Happy writing, and chat soon.

– David Perell