Archive for August, 2009

Are you comfortable with your writer’s voice? Learning your best writer’s voice can take time, and some practice. Honestly, I think most of us have more than one voice. Here’s why:

When you are in different social settings, you behave differently. This is not bad, or good, but reality. You will slightly alter behavior based on the circumstance (church requires a different type of behavior than a basketball game with your buds).

It makes sense that your writing style will change based on the “setting”. For example, tweeting with friends will be different than a tweet with a potential business contact.  Only slightly, but different. You will share things on Facebook with friends that you may not wish to share with a new business associate.  This is fine…and often preferred by many.

So here’s the rub: You will want to pay attention to how you write in these different settings. At the core of everything you write, or say, will be your prominent voice. It may be kind, enthusiastic, or authoritative. There is no right or wrong here, just reality.

My voice is direct – both in person and in my writing. That’s OK and often desired by people who are ready to make a purchasing decision. They want details and nitty gritty – not a bunch of fluff.  Right up my alley!

When you are writing in these different settings, pay attention to your body. Do you feel stressed or calm? Is it easy to write, or are you struggling? When finished do you feel a sense of accomplishment and pride, or are you just glad it’s over?

I understand that writing to friends and family is often easier, but still pay attention to how you use your voice. It’s what comes naturally to you, and will allow you to expand your writing overall.

For a decent definition of writer’s voice, check out Wikipedia – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Writer’s_voice.

Just be true to yourself, and your natural voice. You’ll find it pays off!

Recently someone mentioned to me she was having trouble finishing a sales page because she was continually editing, thereby not getting all the information on the page. My suggestion – writing while blind (to the tune of ZZ Top’s Driving While Blind). Seriously, if you find you continually edit when trying to get your ideas on the page, then close your eyes.

Now, if you have been typing since before PCs (like I have) you may have a tendency to edit anyway, since the muscle memory in your fingers knows when you are making a mistake. Do your best to keep that to a minimum and just allow the ideas to flow. Don’t worry that they are out of order, or that your grammar is not perfect, just keep the momentum going. Write as much as your want, even if you think it might be more than one idea on the page. Keep going, and going, and going until you have everything out of your head and on the paper.

Once it’s done, walk away. Go for a walk, have some lunch, sleep on it – whatever the amount of time you need to let it percolate and make sure you have completed the idea process. Now, come back and edit. Read the entire piece, then start chunking down. Reorder it if necessary, divide into more than one piece if that makes sense, put in all your punctuation, correct your grammar, then read it out loud.

After several tweaks, again let it sit. If you are in a hurry or under a tight deadline, this process is tough.  You will only have short periods to allow the ideas to meld and the edits to sit. However, do push away from the piece for a period of time (even if it is to tackle another project). You will find you have a stronger, more fluid piece of you can get all your ideas down first, then edit later.