All Freelance Writing - Topic: Writing Voice

Samanta on Writing Voice

Wed, 20 Feb 2013 16:07:10 +0000

I guess that practice is essential for your development. You make mistakes, and on their basis learn how to avoid them, how to improve what you have.

Jennifer Mattern on Writing Voice

Tue, 30 Oct 2012 20:09:09 +0000

No problem Michael. I hope you'll come back and share your new blog with us when you launch it.

Michael Wilts on Writing Voice

Mon, 29 Oct 2012 15:49:54 +0000

Thanks Jennifer,

Once again I think I'm asking the questions I already know the answers to. I kind of figured I had to take the approach you mentioned.

The writing seems like more work than it should because I'm not writing about what I'm passionate about and my writing is a reflection of it too. Writing the square peg into the round hole would be my analogy.

I mentioned in my intro thread about me starting a second blog but now I think my proposed number two may become top dog. That's where passion truly lies.

Thanks again Jennifer for the great advice.

Jennifer Mattern on Writing Voice

Mon, 29 Oct 2012 11:09:38 +0000

I started out in a similar way. I was overly cautious in my writing because I didn't want to offend anyone and piss off clients. Then I remembered how much I hated working in the nonprofit / corporate world for similar reasons. You feel too constrained by often-stupid rules. So I figured to hell with that. I was going to write what I wanted to write.

I opened up much more. I did piss people off with some of my opinions. But do you know what? Clients loved it. Orders increased. Occasional clients became regulars. They liked knowing I would tell them what I really thought instead of playing the "yes man" role (I was also doing PR consulting at the time, so advice was more important). They liked that I could stir up conversations on their blogs by talking about controversial things. Basically I was afraid of a problem that didn't exist.

One way you can open yourself up is to write your own blog. Do it under a pen name at first if you're more comfortable experimenting that way. Let loose. If you already have a blog and readers are used to you doing things a certain way, consider starting a fresh one about a topic you're passionate about. When you're passionate about what you're writing about, it's much easier for your voice to come through. You just need to figure out what's holding you back and decide to kick those thoughts to the curb.

Just my $.02.

Jenn

Michael Wilts on Writing Voice

Mon, 29 Oct 2012 09:48:36 +0000

Hey all,

I thought I would start a new thread because I'm having issues.

I'm having issues finding my "writing voice". I know it's there but I'm having difficulty trusting it and allowing it to develop on it's own.

Does anyone else have this problem? How can you find it, nurture it, trust it and let it grow organically?

I find most of what I am writing lacks personality. It lacks creativity. It lacks opinion. It lacks soul. My writing is reading a tad stale for my liking and seems to be a little too "formal".

Do I "just write" and not think so much about what I'm writing about and let it come or is there something I can do to harvest it?

" Help me Obi-Wan Kenobi, you're my only hope" - Princess Leia

Seriously though, is there anything I can do to help me find my writing voice?

Cheers,

Michael