From Silent to Audible Voice: Adjusting Register, Stance & Engagement in Your Writing

Achieving a distinct and recognizable voice can be a challenge for any writer, but particularly for those working in scientific genres that expect impersonal writing. Unless we sometimes break away from these expectations, however, we risk failing to reach and move our desired audiences. In this chapter, we describe three dimensions of language that writers can use to find their voice: register, stance, and engagement. Register refers to level of formality we use, stance relates to how we situate ourselves, and engagement addresses how we involve our readers. We present strategies for modulating each of these dimensions to achieve a voice that is both compelling and convincing.