YOUR AUTHENTIC WRITING VOICE IS THE KEY TO YOUR ONLINE SUCCESS
Developing an authentic writing voice is the most crucial part of being a writer in any medium. An unique voice is the final step in a writer’s progression.
Why is voice so important? For one, it’s how writer’s identify themselves. You can identify your favorite fiction writer by reading a paragraph. You can do the same for your favorite digital writer.
Voice is both style and identity. An authentic writing voice takes years to develop. But in a digital world with so much content created on a daily basis, your voice will make you stand out from the rest.
So how do you go about finding your digital writing voice?
MORNING PAGES GIVE YOU FREEDOM
“Morning pages” are a concept developed by writing coach Julia Cameron in her book The Artist’s Way. And even though the practice is aimed towards fiction writers, her tips can go a long way to unlocking your inner writing voice.
The idea of morning pages goes like this: write three pages immediately after waking up. Let your words and content flow onto the page without any filter.
Do not edit or second guess yourself. Keep the pen moving. Write the first thing that pops into your mind. Then do it again the next morning, and the morning after that.
This will get you into the habit of writing and not second guessing yourself. We are our own worst critic, and this is a way of getting around your self belief that’s holding you back from your authentic writing voice.
It’s simple: the first step to discovering your writing voice is to actually write.
HOW DO YOU TALK?
Read your words aloud, then ask yourself if it sounds like something you’d say. If not, then keep editing.
Reading words aloud forces you to get the words out of your head. Some sentences may or may not flow as well as they read on paper.
Some bloggers, like Pat Flynn from Smart Passive Income, record their blog posts then get it transcribed through a service like Rev.
TALK TO ONE SPECIFIC PERSON
A common trap that beginning writers and bloggers fall under is trying to write for too wide of an audience. Writing for 5000 strangers is difficult – they each have their own expectations and goals. A simple way to get around this is to write with one specific person in mind.
Imagine you’re trying to convince your friend or sibling the advantages of a product or brand. This forces you to focus on concrete examples and benefits. A big part of discovering your authentic voice is simplicity and clarity.
REMEMBER THE ONLINE AUDIENCE
The biggest difference between finding a literary voice and an online voice is the openness of the digital medium. Your online content should lead to links to relevant articles, tweets, and comments in the discussions.
This especially highlights the importance of a conversational tone to draw in the audience to interact and engage. The goal is to talk with the reader instead of to the reader.
With the amount of content created in the digital space, not to mention the rise of artificial intelligence creating content, creating an authentic writing voice is the key to not only staring out line – it’s your key to having a future in online content creation.
