Bonus Library – Writing Voices

Use writing voice to shape how your words feel. Voice is your style and point of view. It is the “who” behind the words. Is the writer a caring grandmother, a calm reporter, or a nostalgic storyteller?

You have many choices for voice, and trying different ones can make writing with AI more fun. Below are 25 examples of writing voices you can borrow or adapt. If you do not see what you want, ask ChatGPT to suggest more voices based on content you enjoy, the feeling you want to share, or a few ideas you want it to brainstorm.

Authorial & Literary Styles

Civil War Letter Writer

Formal but heartfelt. “My dearest…” open, dignified even in hardship.
“My dearest Margaret, though the cannon roar in the distance, my heart is with you in the quiet of our home.”

Factual Biographer

Straightforward, timeline-driven, with polished detail and objectivity.
“Born in 1927, she spent her early years in Chicago before beginning a lifelong career in nursing.”

Hardboiled Detective Author

Short, clipped sentences. World-weary tone. Everything feels like it happens under a flickering streetlamp.
“The rain hit the pavement like it had a grudge, and I lit another cigarette.”

Mystery Book Author

Suspenseful. Hints at what’s coming but never reveals too much.
“The door creaked open, but no one could have guessed what waited on the other side.”

Nature Essayist (Thoreau Style)

Reflective, lyrical, noticing small details of the natural world.
“The pond, still as glass, reflected the birch trees as if holding a mirror to the sky.”

Romance Novelist

Warm, emotional, and descriptive, with a focus on feelings and relationships.
“Their hands touched at the picnic table, and in that moment the world softened into warmth.”

Community & Family Voices

Family Historian

Personal but formal, weaving together family memories with gentle commentary.
“Uncle Joe was known for his tall tales, and his laughter could be heard clear across the barnyard.”

Local Small-Town Reporter

Plainspoken, neighborly, and rooted in community. Names names, mentions local flavor.
“The church bake sale brought in $432, with Mrs. Johnson’s peach cobbler taking the blue ribbon.”

Newspaper Editorialist (1950s Style)

Opinionated but polished. A steady voice of authority, often starting with ‘Let us consider…’
“Let us consider the duty of every citizen to vote, for democracy is no idle spectator sport.”

Radio News Announcer (Walter Cronkite Style)

Calm, steady, authoritative. Sounds like ‘the voice of truth.’
“And that’s the way it is, Tuesday, September 10th, 1963.”

Self-Help Author (1980s Style)

Confident, instructional, and filled with ‘you can do this’ affirmations.
“You have the power within you to make today the day you take charge of your happiness.”

Sunday Preacher

Moral, rhythmic, and uplifting. Speaks with conviction and gentle urgency.
“Brothers and sisters, when we walk in the light, no shadow can overtake us.”

Cooking & Homemaking Voices

Cookbook Author (Julia Child Style)

Practical but warm. Explains steps clearly, with little flourishes of encouragement.
“Now don’t be shy with the butter, dear, it makes the whole dish sing.”

Polka-Dot Apron Homemaker (1950s Ad Voice)

Cheerful, chirpy, selling the perfect solution for every household problem.
“With just one scoop of Miracle Mix, supper’s ready in minutes and smiles are guaranteed!”

Entertaining & Humorous Voices

Game Show Host

Over-the-top enthusiasm, dramatic pauses, and big reveals.
“And behind door number two, we have a brand-new toaster oven!”

Grumpy Old Man (Front Porch Rocker)

Complains about ‘kids these days,’ but with charm and humor.
“Back in my day, phones had cords and nobody complained about it!”

I Love Lucy Narrator

Chaotic, playful, laughing at the missteps as much as the successes.
“Lucy’s scheme was simple enough, until she wound up juggling three pies and a runaway chicken.”

Mark Twain Storyteller

Folksy, ironic, always with a sly wink at human foolishness.
“Now, I ain’t saying he was the laziest man alive, but if there’d been a contest, he’d have come in second, just so he didn’t have to climb the stage.”

Old-Time Radio Sidekick

Silly, enthusiastic, always reacting with ‘golly gee’ or ‘holy smokes.’
“Gee whiz, boss! Do you really mean we’re going after the bandits tonight?”

Sitcom Dad (1970s Style)

Wisecracking, slightly bumbling, always with a groan-worthy pun at the ready.
“I told the kids we’d go fishing… then they reminded me I don’t own a pole. Guess I’ll just be the bait.”

Tall-Tale Cowboy

Big exaggerations, dust and tumbleweeds, everything ten times larger than life.
“That fish I caught was so big, when it flopped its tail the whole lake went dry.”

Vaudeville Comedian

Punchy, jokey, always looking for the rimshot. Lots of wordplay.
“I asked the waiter for soup, and he gave me water. Said it was dehydrated, just add flavor!”

Yiddish Humorist (Borscht Belt)

Warm, funny, a little self-deprecating. ‘So nu? You call this a story?’
“So, my neighbor buys a Cadillac. Does he need it? No. But now my wife says we need one too. Oy vey!”

Formal & Reference Voices

Classic Encyclopedia Voice

Just the facts. Crisp, efficient, and impersonal.
“The bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) is native to North America and serves as the national bird of the United States.”

Presidential Speechwriter

Lofty, inspiring, patriotic. Words chosen for gravity and cadence.
“Together, we will face the challenges of our time and leave a brighter tomorrow for our children.”

Next steps: Try these voices on for size

Now it is your turn to play. Pick one or two voices from the list that caught your eye and try rewriting a short piece of your own writing in that style. It could be a paragraph from a blog post, an email, or even a social media caption. Pay attention to how word choice, sentence length, and attitude change the feel of the message.

Next, ask ChatGPT to help you explore. Paste a sample of your writing and say which voice you want to try, such as “Rewrite this as a grumpy old man on a front porch” or “Give me three versions in the style of a small town reporter.” Compare the versions, then keep what feels natural and adjust what feels too strong.

Finally, start building your own small menu of favorite voices. You might discover you like one style for how you teach, another for personal stories, and a third for humor. Save a few example paragraphs in a document so you can return to them whenever you write. The more you experiment, the easier it becomes to pick the right voice on purpose instead of by accident.

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