Finding Your Writing Voice

Depending on who you ask, the writer’s voice can be:

• A. Your style of writing
• B. Your perspective
• C. Your tone in writing
• D. All of the above that you bring it consistently

Importance of Writing Voice

Why we as writers shall have our own ‘writing voice’? As part of marketing and Branding. It means we develop our followers and community that love our works/crafts.

A writer’s voice is a stamp on your writing that makes your work becomes recognizable. Hoping that your audience can identify a sample of writing as yours without ever seeing your name.

Having a voice of our own is analogous with being a media. As we already know the universal truth saying that every media has its own ‘voice’. So, whenever we create content for a ‘media institution’ we must follow their style or their uniqueness.

What about you? As yourself is a ‘walking media’, do you have any writing voice?

How To Have Writing Voice

As simple (or as complicated) as to keep writing, that’s why I start and continue this blog. It pushes me to write consistently eventhough no one want to read it.

I used to give this blog the tagline ‘authentic marketing’. As I love and always think about marketing. It is such a promise of what I would like to deliver by my writing.

Later on, it turns out that ‘simplify complexity ‘ is more appropriate tagline at this moment. As i continue my life, i found out that things like ‘parenting’ and ‘freelance’ are complex as well. I love to research them further to break it into smaller pieces and rewrite it based on my understanding to becomes more simple to be bite by readers.

See Also: Tiga Jenis Artikel yang Harus Ada di Blog Pribadi Kamu.

9 Steps to Find Writing Voice

1. Describe yourself in three adjectives. Example: snarky, fun, and flirty.
2. Ask (and answer) the question: “Is this how I talk?”
3. Imagine your ideal reader; describe him in detail. Write to him, and only him. Example: My ideal reader is smart. He has a sense of humor, a short attention span, and is pretty savvy when it comes to technology and pop culture. He‘ i’s s sarcastic and fun but doesn’t like to waste time. And he loves pizza.
4. Jot down at least five books, articles, or blogs you like to read. Spend some time examining them. How are they alike? How are they different? What about how they’re written intrigues you? Often what we admire is what we aspire to be. Example: Copyblogger, Seth Godin, and Ernest Hemingway. I like these writers because their writing is intelligent, pithy, and poignant.
5. List your favorite artistic and cultural influences. Would you use the list as references in your writing? For example: I use some of my favorite bands’ music in my writing to teach deeper lessons.
6. Ask other people: “What’s my voice? What do I sound like?” Take notes of the answers you get.
7. Free-write. Just go nuts. Write in a way that’s most comfortable to you, without editing. Go back and read it, asking yourself, “Do I publish stuff that sounds like this?”
8. Read something you’ve recently written, and honestly ask yourself, “Is this something I would read?” If not, you must change your voice.
9. Pay attention to how you’re feeling. How do you feel before publishing? Afraid? Nervous? Worried? Good. You’re on the right track. If you’re completely calm, then you probably aren’t being vulnerable. Try writing something risky, something make you fear. Fear can be good. It motivates you to make your writing matter.

It Just Never Ends

Writing is never-ending learning, I guess. The more you write, the better your writing will be. As your quantity increase, it shall make your qualities getting better.

Honing our writing skills means making perfect of our writing voice as well.

Baca juga:

• Dua Tipe Penulis
• Menulis Naskah Video
• Belajar Copywriting
• dan tulisan lainnya dari BLOGGING categories