Are you afraid that your writing isn’t unique enough?
Or perhaps worried that you won’t have anything meaningful to say?
Discover your writing voice is a big obstacle for a lot of people.
I’m both sad and excited about this, because the solution is simple, but not easy to act on.
The fact that you’re afraid of sharing your message with the world just means that you truly care what you put out there, and that caring is what will make a big difference in your writing.
When I started, I was paralyzed by the thought of sharing my internal world with the outside world, and still am from time to time, but I write anyway, and I’m still alive.
Every writer cares about what others think, which means you will be afraid, stuck, and miserable from time to time.
It’s a part of doing what you love. When you realize that, you also discover that it’s not about eliminating the fear, it’s about dancing with it.
What is Your Writing Voice?
Your writing voice is not something that’s fixed and something great writers keep in their back pocket. Your voice is constantly evolving, growing, and wanting to express itself.
All you can do right now is to express the voice you have. Do not wait for a-ha moments and big discoveries, because they may never come.
Your voice is like an unpolished diamond. The potential is always there, but it takes hard work to uncover what’s inside.
Nothing will happen unless you act. There is no magic incantation you can use to bring forth the brilliance within you, except the magic of hard work.
Your voice doesn’t have to be perfect, you just have to be willing to express it.
Why You’re Wrong About Your “Writing Voice”
If you’re like most people, then you see your writing voice as something mysterious, out of your reach, and something you need to discover.
But just like in real life, you don’t have to discover your speaking voice, because you already have one.
You are who you are, and you write the way you write.
As you keep writing, eliminating blocks, and moving forward, your writing will evolve.
And believe it or not, so will your “writing voice.”
I cannot guarantee that people will listen to you, but so what?
If at first no one reads your writing, you keep writing and improving.
If at first no one finds you unique enough, you keep writing, and you uncover your uniqueness.
You have to be willing to fail until you can succeed.
The Solution to Your “Writing Voice” Problem
You may think that you have to discover your voice before you can blog, write, or whatever you want to do, but it doesn’t work like that.
Most people have it backwards.
Your voice isn’t found, it’s honed.
You already have a writing voice, just like you have a speaking voice.
To become a great writer, you have to practice diligently.
When you say you cannot start because you haven’t found your voice, you’re making an excuse.
And do you realize that the only way to really get the writing voice you want is to do exactly what you fear—to write and put yourself out there?
That’s the beauty of it all.
Image by Daniel
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I’ve been writing for a living for years, but when I began blogging, I had a VERY difficult time finding my voice.
Took quite some time & a ton of practice. I think I started getting comfortable with my blogging voice around my 50th post. =)
Like you said, it’s HONED.
Thanks for the post!
Jennifer
I think that’s very normal, at least it was for me.
If you want to get good at something, you have to do it!
Hi Jennifer/Henri, 50th post? That is some fair amount of writing! I have a long way to go but appreciate the inspiration to keep plugging away.
Hi Henri, inspiring post as always. I like the advice just to write and write and hone your skills as you go. If you wait for perfection you’ll never get started. In that vein, I’m reading “Ready, Fire, Aim” by Michael Masterson and agree with this principal whole-heartedly.
One piece of advice I read elsewhere, which I’m conscious of, is to write in your own personal, chatty, style (you are good at that!). Otherwise you can come across as a bit text-booky or preachy which won’t inspire anyone to read your blog. Having an authority site doesn’t mean you have to be stuffy!
I’m always asking myself “how can I add more value to my readers?”. I hope by continually putting that question out to the universe I’ll get inspiration for when and how to write in a way that will drive more traffic to my site and inspire my readers.
Thanks for your advice and great blog.
Yep, all it takes it just getting out of your comfort zone and just taking action on your goal every single day.
Sure you may suck at first, but who doesn’t?
But eventually you’ll get the hang of it. 🙂
I still am not sure if I’ve “found” my writing voice and the truth is, I probably have lost it long ago as I haven’t written on my site for quite sometime. But, that’s ok. I’m starting my brand new life, posted how I feel about it and I’m sure if I write more often, it’ll come back.
Great post Henri. I teach an English lit class in various colleges. Without a doubt, each student who enrols in my class eagerly await the long list of do’s and don’ts in the first lesson. Every jaw in the room drops when I announce in my intro that a) I don’t “teach” people to write, I facilitate the “unlearning” process of all the do’s and don’ts, past teacher’s feedback comments, and dismantling the “inner critic” piece by piece, until they allow what is already there to take flight. No rules, no results. It is always the same in the first lesson. The glances to each other, the raised eyebrows, the insecure laughter.
Then I ask just one question. The answer is always the same. Why are you here? ( More shifting in seats in seats, more laughter) and then one at a time students reveal a) not good enough b) the teacher at school reads the “best” writing and they feel they cannot measure up c) revelation of analysis paralysis (when the inner critic has already taken hold..due to the reasons in a) or b).
The amount of stress most senior students feel at this stage is gut wrenching. I tell them they have been jumping through hoops for long enough, now it is time to trust themselves. Real smiles begin to break out (because they know it instinctively but I put into words for them) They begin to bubble, and chat, and allow themselves the freedom to be themselves. I proceed. I do not mark your work. But…?
You will learn to do this yourself. They scratch their heads. Fast forward to the last lesson. They laugh as they enter the room, each student’s personality shines through, they can’t wait to read to the rest of the group (too fearful to do this before) we laugh, we cry (when some stories are that powerful). One student says, I submitted my work at school at the teacher said ..Is this your work, or is it your tutor’s? (in Week 3)
Others say since I did not think about the “results” I came second in the class but I didn’t care, I loved doing it…(ah passion) Formal education stifles creativity by ranking students, telling them in a hundred ways how to conform or how to be future consumers, compete, go for the gold medal and the gold stars. Enough already! Every student has a unique story, and all I do is facilitate the finding. It’s always the same. Always a thrill when you see the “unlearning” taking place, simply, easily and in the “flow”.
Find the metaphor that describes you now … it transforms from first session ” I feel like a desk with lots of paper piled on the top of it” to “I am standing on the desk singing “I can see clearly now the rain has gone…” Out of the mouths of babes…
Love it. Hope this helps freedom writers!!!!
That’s awesome, Christy. You’re doing great work. And I do agree that most schools do more damage than they do good right now.
Keep rocking!
Christy, that sounds so awesome, I wanna take your class! : ) Keep up the good work, that’s life changing stuff you’re doing there, really moved me.
Henri, as usual a well timed, well written, well advised article. And the message is so simple; Just write. Then why on earth is it so hard ‘just to’?
Because of what’s inside the box we call our head 😉
Hi Henri. The subject of voice will never cease to fascinate writers. For most, it is like a holy grail, you never stop looking. I agree, it is indeed polished and perfected, but if you are not writing, how are you going to do it? Like most things, you have to actually do it to make it something that truly represents you and something that you are happy with – most of the time. Great one! 🙂
Part of my blogging problem is my voice, part of it is worrying about having something unique to say, or to say something plain, uniquely. I tend to write in a more academic voice, and I’m a bit of a poet so I’ll also get flowery with my language at times. And even while I’m doing it, I’m saying in my head, “Dude, just write like you talk…” and yet I can’t.
Maybe I just need to tape myself talking for ten minutes a day and transcribe it? File that under ideas that I should implement but will likely never get to.
With content, I think that because I read so much of everyone else’s material that it’s all been “said” already so what’s the point? I’ve literally been sitting on a Meditation manuscript for six months because I can’t figure out how to put “my voice” into it.
I think I’m just on a bit of a downer lately and this article hit me hard. Thanks for the food for thought.
What would happen if you just allowed yourself to write the way you write? Allow yourself to be a poet and see what happens.
To me, the biggest problem was that I was looking for my voice outside of me. It was constantly something I thought I didn’t have. Then one day I got fed up and just accepted that I write the way I write.
I stopped caring too much about how my voice would sound to others, because I can’t possibly know what others will think, but what I can do is enjoy my writing.
Hi Henri,
I’m new to blogging, but the two bits of advice I read and took to heart were: 1. Write like you speak, because it works so well in blogging. 2. If you hesitate to hit “publish” because you think your work is too personal, or you might be revealing a bit too much, you might have your best piece 🙂 That really is getting out of your comfort zone, but I think it’s great advice. It helped me. Most of all, just be you.
This is the third article of you im reading today and there will be lot more to read i think!
The last paragraph really tells it all.
Walking towards your fears is where you’ll discover your true self isnt it?