Almost every author starts their writing career by trying to sound like their favorite author. One day you’re channeling Jane Austen, the next you’re sure you’re Dean Koontz in disguise. And before you know it, your manuscript sounds like a Regency thriller-romance narrated by a caffeinated philosopher.

Welcome to the awkward teenage years of your writing voice.

The reality is that finding your author voice isn’t about forcing it into existence; it’s about stopping the mimicry long...