Advice and feedback are vital, but your story must sound like you. There have been times when my literary agent asked me to include this or that in my book ideas. Perhaps more food (not a problem, I love writing about food), or please follow this brief when submitting, or sharpen your hook. Even my publishers asked me for a different ending to DEATH IN THE MOUNTAINS after submission. So I did what I was asked. I changed things. The requests were sometimes valuable in helping me grow as a writer, sometimes they wasted a lot of time for everyone. In the end, Pan Macmillan used my originally submitted ending for DEATH IN THE MOUNTAINS. I suppose it was an interesting process imagining another kind of ending. Still…
When you are writing, you will receive advice from editors, peers, agents, beta readers, publishers and teachers. Feedback is essential for growth, but it is easy to lose your unique perspective if you try to please everyone. Your voice is important. The word choices, tone and perspective make your story unmistakably yours.
Learning to filter feedback comes with writing experience. But if you are worried that your work no longer sounds like you, step back.
Quick and super helpful exercise:
Pick a paragraph you have revised after feedback.
Read it aloud once, then put it aside.
In your notebook, answer these questions:
What do I want the reader to feel in this moment?
What does this paragraph reveal about my character or theme that is essential to the whole book?
If an agent only read this paragraph, would they understand why my story matters and why only I could tell it?
Now ask yourself the voice-protection questions:
Does this still sound like me, or more like the person who gave me feedback?
Did I strip away words or phrases that felt natural to me, just because someone suggested it?
If I compare the rhythm of the original to the revision, which one feels more like my natural storytelling voice?
Am I hiding behind safe writing instead of the way I would actually speak or write?
Have another look, but this time consciously balance clarity, flow, stakes, and your natural rhythm, diction and perspective.
A quick heads-up about AI. One of the easiest ways to lose your voice is by letting artificial intelligence do the writing for you. If you lean on it too heavily, the edges of you, your quirks, your way of seeing the world, can get smoothed out until your piece sounds like anyone could have written it. That said, AI is not the enemy. Used thoughtfully, it can be a real help: clarifying messy ideas, sorting through complicated themes, even showing you options you had not considered. The trick is to keep it as a tool, not a replacement. Let it spark ideas, but always come back to your own words.
Now, onto the really important stuff.
Authentic dialogue is the spark that makes characters jump off the page and into the room with you. Whether they are dreamed up or based on real-life culprits, the right conversation can show personality, stir up trouble and push your story forward faster than any block of description ever will.
So, join our 2-hour Zoom designed to help you with your writing NOW, not later. On November 11, The Art of Writing launches a series of live Zoom workshops designed to make a difference to your writing straight away.
Tip: Subtext is everything. Real people rarely say exactly what they mean. Learning to write what is unsaid is where good dialogue becomes great.
Workshop Details
Date: Tuesday, 11 November 2025
Time:
Sydney: 7:00 PM (AEDT)
London: 8:00 AM (GMT)
Central Europe: 9:00 AM (CET)
Location: Live on Zoom (link provided after booking)
Cost: $120 AUD per participant
Early Bird: $99 AUD if booked two weeks in advance
Bonus: Downloadable checklist “10 Dialogue Traps to Avoid” (sent 24 hours before our session)
Workshops are capped at 20 participants to ensure maximum interaction and personal attention.
Register here!
A little bit extra:
If you’d like to read more by me, you can buy the e-book of The Promise here
Or Death in the Mountains here.
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And something else:
Calling all Art of Writing writers — Art of Writing Showcase
Do you have a piece of writing you are excited about? A scene or a passage that captures you and your voice? We would love to share your words in our upcoming Art of Writing blogs. Send me a few paragraphs of your work. Your excerpt can be anything you are working on. We celebrate all genres:
Memoir and/or creative non-fiction
Fiction or short story excerpts
Personal reflections on your writing journey
This is your chance to showcase your voice, inspire fellow writers, feel heard and published, as well as celebrate your story. Your excerpts are going out with all your spelling and grammatical mistakes and repetitions. I am not editing. It is your reputation on the line, not mine. So make sure you edit well yourself before publication. We cannot wait to read your words.
And thank you to those writers who have already submitted.
AND TO FINISH:
Florence Literary Society's Publishing Day is on October 25, 2025, is a great opportunity to meet peeps in the European literary world. I have facilitated the panel on publishing in the past and loved the day. Check out more here. Am disappointed I won’t be in Florence for this Publishing Day but know those who live in Italy will have a fab time!
Warmly,
Lisa Clifford
The Art of Writing