I Have Many Voices

A common piece of advice I've seen for writers is to "find your voice."

It's good advice, to be fair, but there is also some nuance to the advice I feel gets overlooked frequently.

When I'm writing advice on the art and craft of writing, I tend to be more technical with my voice. I want to get to the point and supply good information to my reader. No fluffing it up.

When I'm writing out my thoughts, more of my day to day personality shines through. I make quips and jokes. I don't think that works well with my writing advice. I feel like it detracts from the message, but for personal anecdotes and thoughts? It fits me like a glove.

When I write fiction, it's a whole different story altogether. The voice is influenced by the plot, tone, theme, characters, genre, etc.

I believe that you can, and should, develop different voices depending on the style of writing you're doing.

You can't force that voice change, though.

It should be as natural as flipping a light switch. Don't try to do it. Just let it happen.