I have been in choirs since the beginning of fourth grade. Music and singing are as much a part of me as writing and both have required that I find my voice and my range. I’ve also been encouraged to extend them, but first I had to know what they were. While I don’t have all these voices, they may help you find your own.
Article Writing: If you have information other people need and a way to explain it so they can understand it, this may be your voice. It helps if you know your subject matter intimately, but be prepared to back it up with others who have studied. That’s good journalism.
Editorial Writing: Everyone has an opinion, but not everyone can express it in such a way that it makes sense. I’ve read some really great articles by people I absolutely don’t agree with. I kept reading because they were well written, and because it’s always good to know the other side of the story.
This is different from other nonfiction writing because you don’t always have to back up what you say. However, if you are going to quote someone, it’s a good idea to give credit where it’s due. Otherwise, you could be plagiarizing.
News Writing: This is a very concise format. Who, what, when, where, why and how are the questions that need answered. You can get quotes, but be careful. It’s very easy to let a particular slant appear in what you write, and if it’s strict news, that’s bad journalism.
Novel Writing: This is diametrically opposed to the above formats. Where the above is telling, novel writing needs you to show what’s going on. The characters need to use dialogue to explain events and move the story along. It is very difficult to switch to novel writing if you’ve spent a lot of time with the other type.
Poetry: Anybody who can understand and implement rhythm and rhyme can write poetry. However, if you want it to be good, it requires feeling. It may make you laugh or cry, but good poetry stirs at least one emotion.
Short Story Writing: This can be a difficult voice. You don’t have as much time to develop your characters and plots the way you do in a novel. It’s still necessary to have the characters show what’s going on instead of you (the writer) tell it. It may take a bit of practice to develop this voice.
To a certain degree, the above is my own opinion. When it comes to news, however, it’s not. That’s what I was taught in journalism class and what I try to practice.