When this topic came up top write about, I jumped on it. Why? Because I struggle with this very topic all the time. Finding your voice in writing, for some, is not easy.
There are tons of books and websites dedicated to this very topic. The reason being that not everyone writes how they speak and some of the time, writers don?t want to write the way they speak. Some are looking for a particular writing style. If you are trying to achieve a certain style, practice makes perfect.
Whether you are trying to make money off your blog or just writing to get more followers, your voice needs to speak to your readers. Your voice needs to draw them in to read more and keep coming back. Here are some tips to help you along the way (tips I myself have been using).
Read everything. Everyone who writes will tell you this. Everything you read will help you become a better writer. Read blogs, fiction, non-fiction, poetry, and magazines. Reading is essential to making you a better writer and to helping you find your voice and your style.
Write everything. This seems obvious, but it?s true. Even though your goal is to find your voice in blog writing, it doesn?t hurt to write in other genres. You might be surprised at what you find. You might find your voice in a different genre and be able to apply it in your blog. For example, I write grants. I tend to find this is my strongest writing because of structure. So I have taken to trying to write more structured posts, or following a similar structure in my posts. Just keep writing!
Copy a writing style you like. And by that I mean, do not plagiarize. For example, I was really obsessed with the writing style of Francesca Lia Block. Her writing is so lyrical and descriptive so I tried to mimic her writing. I tried to use like words and wrote some found poems from her books. It helped me be more descriptive in my writing. Try it. It?s actually fun.
Write from passion. Be passionate. If you write about something you are not passionate about, your readers will be able to tell. Sometimes I feel that if I haven?t updated my blog in a while I need to and I will just write a blog about well, nothing. I will just write filler. And it?s boring. I know it?s boring and my readers know it?s boring. I have things I could write about it. I have passions I can write about. Which leads me to my next tip:
Fear is good. It?s okay to be afraid. And it?s okay to test your voice and your style. Be honest, be yourself and just write. Sometimes I get discouraged by fear to write about my passions and to be honest about them. But then I realize, these passions mean something to me and shape my thoughts and therefore should be shared. Don?t be afraid to share your passions, thoughts and feelings. And with that, don?t be afraid to take risks and write about topics that perhaps you wouldn?t have in the past.
Lastly, put yourself in your reader?s shoes. Before you hit publish, step away from your writing for a little while. Watch a movie or read a few chapters in a book and then come back and read it again. If you stumbled upon this blog post, would you read it the whole way through? Would you come back to read more posts? If the answer is no, consider a re-write. But don?t get down on yourself. You are growing as a writer and working to find your voice. Never give up. Keep reading and keep writing.
Christina is a 27 years old and resides in Michigan with her best friend Mathew and two cats, Zoe and Pluto. She graduated in May of 2012 with a Bachelors in Professional and Technical Writing. She volunteers with several non-profits in the area, creating documents and researching and writing grant proposals. She has a passion for photography, reading and collecting miniature tea sets.
Source: http://blog.betterbloggernetwork.com/2013/07/08/finding-your-voice/
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