An Oxymoron: Embracing Imitation to Find Your Unique Writing Voice

I recently finished reading On Writing Well, one of my favorite books on craft. It's geared toward nonfiction, but it covers the fundamentals of good writing and is well worth a read no matter what you write.

One quote that stuck out to me this time came from S.J. Perelman, a 20th-century American humorist:

You must learn by imitation...I could have been arrested for imitating Lardner in my pieces in the late 1920s—not the content, but the manner. These influences gradually fall away. S.J. Perelman

Maybe you're reading this and you're struggling to find your voice. There is no shame in imitating others until you do. My style did not spring fully formed from my forehead. When I was a teenager, I aspired to write like Douglas Adams; I admired that dry British humor and tried my best to capture it.

Of course, once I stopped trying to sound like Douglas Adams and started sounding like me, my writing became stronger. But like Perelman says, "These influences gradually fall away."

Don't stress if you're still figuring out your unique style. These things take time to develop. Meanwhile, if it helps you to imitate the greats—whoever that may be in your eyes—go for it!