There are slews of articles and classes about voice. What is it? How to hone it? And how important it is to readers, editors, and agents.  As a newbie writer, I struggled with plotting and characterization, but voice was something that came naturally to me. Imagine my shock when, at a writing conference, an agent who’d read some of my pages looked at me and said, “Oh, my God. I’m so sorry, Mary Frances. I hate to tell you this, but you’ve lost your voice.” She spoke about how my writing lacked interiority and said my protagonist was void of agency and wasn’t present on the page. As she gave me more notes, I nodded and let her comments settle in.

I’d been feeling as if something about my novel was off. But I hadn’t been able to put my finger on it. But the more this agent explained, the more I knew she was correct. The pages I’d submitted to her were voiceless. As I rose from my chair, thanking her for her insights, she touched my arm and said, “I’ve seen this happen before, you know.”

“You have?” The question lingered on my lips.

A bell rang. My allotted time with her was over.

I didn’t have a chance to ask her how or if I could get my voice back. But my gut told me that what had happened to me wasn’t so much a craft thing. I probably couldn’t take Voice 101 and solve the issue. That a writer losing her voice was more like a golfer having the chip yips or a gymnast like Simone Biles becoming disorientated while in the air and getting the twisties. My problem was psychological.

So, how did I get so out of whack from a writerly perspective? I decided to take stock, and when I did, I came to several conclusions.

First off, I wasn’t doing a lot of actual writing at the time. I’d been editing and tweaking a novel I’d written years back. This made me think that losing my voice had something to do with the fact that I hadn’t been using it. It seems the old adage that doctors spew to get you to stay active and keep moving, if you don’t use it, you lose it, applies to writing voices, too.  So, even if you are in the thick of editing, consider writing something new daily to keep your voice from growing stale or feeling foreign.

A second observation was this…Admittedly so, I was in an odd place mentally prior to the conference. My agent had passed away, and though I’d self-published the book she represented and was happy with the experience, deep down, I considered this a career setback. I was vulnerable. Because of this, I was too swayed by critique group feedback that leaned toward brevity. My advice is this. If you feel unsure about your writing skills, keeping your work to yourself until you are emotionally stronger and you can distinguish between helpful and unhelpful advice, might not be a bad thing.

Also, during this time, I began using Grammarly to help with spelling and punctuation. While I believe Grammarly and other AI checkers can be super helpful, they can also strip writing of voice if not used properly. Just something to think about.

So, I was voiceless. What could I do to find my voice again? Was this like being a singer? Did I need to rest and take a break from my writing? Or should I treat the situation like athletes do? Go back to basics, put in reps, and rebuild my skills and confidence. I chose to do a combination of both. Below are strategies I used to reclaim my voice.

1. Write regularly, not just edit.
2. Read novels with great voices that inspire you, such as Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold, The House of Seven Gables by Nathanial Hawthorne, and Atonement by Ian McEwan.
3. Listen to confidence podcasts such as Trish Blackwell’s, The Confidence Podcast or Erica Cramer’s The Confidence Chronicles.
4. Get emotional support from fellow writers.  One factor that could have played a part in my struggles pertained to the Zoom format of my writing group. We no longer met in person at the bookstore or at one another’s homes. Because of the time restrictions of our Zoom meetings, we didn’t have time to talk freely about the writing process and our feelings about our projects. Consider setting aside time during critique group meetings to discuss members’ writing struggles. Make this a priority. It’s just as vital as talking about craft.
5. Take writing classes that deal specifically with getting unstuck and healing through writing. There are many of them out there, and they are impactful. The conference I attended offered several. The two I attended were packed. Laura Lentz of the Literati Academy focuses on writing and community and offers workshops that help writers break through their blocks. Check her out.
6. Read your positive Goodreads, Amazon, and critique group reviews. Everyone needs a pat on the back from time to time.
7. Change up your writing routine. Write in a different place, or if you are writing a novel, try your hand at a short story.

The bottom line is this…writing isn’t a linear journey, and setbacks are expected. Runners get plantar fasciitis and have to make adjustments. They shorten their workouts, wear different shoes, and roll balls under their foot to promote healing. A writer losing her voice is similar to this. Don’t panic, and give yourself grace. You’re not failing. You’re pivoting. Learning to pivot is a key to success in writing and life.

At present, I am in the process of revising my novel. I am completely rewriting it from start to finish, not using any previous drafts, just my memory. I plan to send it to the agent from the conference… the one who said I’d lost my voice. But I don’t need her to tell me my voice is back because I know it is. How do I know this? Writing for me is joyful again.

Have you ever lost your writing voice? If so, how did you find it again? I’d love to know.