We ask writing coach Jessica Page Morrell about cultivating a strong, authentic writing voice

iVillage: How do you do develop your voice? Is it just writing like you speak?

Writing coach: Yes. Your voice is natural - like how you speak and think. But it changes as you change and depending on the tone of the piece you're working on. A writer's voice should be real, authentic, honest.

iVillage: Honesty is hard for many people.

Writing coach: I think honesty is easy if you believe in the subject. Believe in yourself. But we all know that our feelings about ourselves fluctuate. Finding your voice requires going inward, discovering ourselves and writing about who we are, how we see things.

iVillage: Unless you're writing in the first person, do you still have to keep authorial distance so the narrator doesn't turn out to be unreliable?

Writing coach: I'm talking more about voice than point of view. Voice in fiction is how the character thinks and talks. An unreliable narrator is tricky, and yes, there can be some distance. Voice tells us who is speaking. The best voice is substantive, not gimmicky.

iVillage: What do you mean by 'substantive, not gimmicky'?

Writing coach: I mean that we don't copy other writers, that we try to sound like ourselves, using words, grammar and punctuation that we're comfortable with.

iVillage: But doesn't a writer use the narrator as a way of delivering the voice?

Writing coach: Yes, in fiction the narrator delivers the voice/is the voice. I strive for a voice that is authentic, natural, not stiff. We've all been subject to academic writing where it feels like a robot wrote it. I suggest that writers learn their craft from paying attention to how other writers put words together, what works, what doesn't work and why. It's not about plagiarism or copying though. Most beginning fiction starts (and should) start with what we know. But it's also a chance to re-invent ourselves, have an alter ego, etc...someone who is braver, thinner and doesn't have to face the consequences that we do in real life.

iVillage: In the Fiction Writer's Workshop book, the writer says you can 'rob' (not plagiarise) from three main places: the cradle (childhood, personal life), the grave (ancestors, family stories) and other writers.

Writing coach: I agree with him. I also want to bring up voice again because I notice some writers have problems with consistency and unity - their style slips and then the reader loses trust. Consistency in grammar, tone, word choice, etc, is so key to a voice that has clout. I also want to remind you that some of the best writers write the way they think and speak. Janet Evanovitch, the mystery writer, comes to mind.

I think in fiction trust also comes when the writer grounds it in the real world so that the reader believes in the setting and circumstances. Fiction readers trust you when you write about a world they can believe in, experience through the senses, filled with furniture and brand names, etc. By unity - keeping it all together.

iVillage: Isn't consistency in grammar, usage, etc, almost a given? Are you arguing against the thesaurus?

Writing coach: No, a lot of people are inconsistent - then their writing kind of thumps, flounders and they don't realise it. It's a common problem with beginning writing.

iVillage: What is your opinion on writers like Kafka and Marquez and Poe (and even sci-fi and fantasy writers)?

Writing coach: It's been so long since I read them - obviously they're masters, but I'm on to other kinds of authors these days. You'd probably say they are easier to read. Right now, I'm reading the new Wally Lamb.

iVillage: Do you write all of your thoughts out first, then proceed to the actual book?

Writing coach: I make a few notes as I go through my days. But I think you should try to get your main ideas and first draft down as quickly as possible with as little editing as possible. Don't let it simmer too long or it loses its power. This brings us back to finding voice - it comes from lots of writing. It's like writing towards a fabulous reward - like an emerald mine. We combine words, find ourselves, go deeper, mix, simmer, cook - it's a good time.

iVillage: Do you talk about your work in progress? Does it lose some power if you discuss it with others?

Writing coach: It works for me because I hang out with other writers and we like to commiserate a bit and help each other over hurdles. I need to know I'm not alone in my projects.

iVillage: Any advice about developing your voice with non-fiction?

Writing coach: Non-fiction can draw from the whole world because it's your reader's world also. Throw in quotes, anecdotes, bits from television, current events, literature, etc. We're striving for an authentic voice because no matter if we write fiction or non-fiction, we want reader identification. Voice is about reader identification: the readers must understand, appreciate, worry about us, agree/disagree with us, etc. Lots of voice is unconscious, instinctive, we develop an ear for writing, like music.

iVillage: Reader identification - is that something that the writer has control over?

Writing coach: Yes. Definitely. We deliberately cultivate our writing voice, our way of looking at the world, the quality and sound of us on the page. And then they'll get it, us. Understand. Come into our thoughts.

iVillage: Is voice where every story begins?

Writing coach: Yes. The personality on the page starts from the first word, thought, inspiration.

iVillage: How do you deal with the pressure to be published? Do you have some projects that you don't intend to have published?

Writing coach: Yes. I have projects that have not, nor will ever be published. I write them anyway, because they make me a better writer. Although the pressure to be published is painful, write what makes you happy whenever you can.