Developing a Scholarly and Professional Voice

When you read about writing and "voice," it can mean many different things: most commonly, it's discussed in the context of fiction writing. However, broadly defined, "voice" simply refers to the sound of the writing. How would you write a text to a friend compared to an email to a colleague? You likely use a different "voice" for each one.

Scholars strive for an impersonal voice that focuses on conveying thoughts and ideas. Professional writing strives to be accessible for a wide audience. Both types of writing avoid personal reference (e.g., "I think" or "I read"). Colloquial phrases ("I've got time today" or "That was woke") are avoided. For both scholarly and professional writing, you must write in a different way from how you talk. Given that, answer one of the following questions:

1. What is it like for you to develop a scholarly and professional writing voice?
2. What's one thing you want your colleagues' advice on?
3. What's one piece of advice about this specialized writing that you would offer a colleague