I think that finding your voice as a writer can be a difficult process. I’ve spent many hours trying to figure out the best ways for me to get stronger as writer. Through my experience, I’ve learned that practice can be extremely beneficial. However, one of the most daunting tasks is to narrow one’s focus and write specifically to reach desired audiences.
I believe it’s also true that the greatest of writers cannot have a positive impact on society without reaching people. As I’m writing, I am visualizing myself speaking the words to others. If I have a lot of time to devote to whatever I’m writing, I will even say the words out loud like I am giving a speech. I enjoy this part of the creative process, it’s a lot of fun to discover what words will resonate with audiences and which one can use a revision.
Freewriting Exercises
I believe that freewriting exercises are a great way to discover what words to use for a story. Sometimes the creative process requires one to simply get words on paper or word processor and then go through the editing process at a later stage. It is important to remember that during freewriting the words do not have to be perfect. It is simply a way to get your ideas out into the world so that you can see what you’d like to keep or revise. You may not be aware, but I am writing this article as a freewriting exercise. I am not overly thinking about the words; I am just letting the language appear as it arrives in my mind. I find this process to be very effective.
Roger Ebert
I am a fan of the works created by American film critic, Roger Ebert. When reruns of his television shows were still on air about 25 years ago, I used to watch them frequently. I was born in the Midwest and Ebert spent the majority of his career working in the Midwest even though he would create content on projects developed in other areas like Hollywood and New York. I appreciate the way he writes and speaks about film. What I try to do is develop my voice so that I can write about all mediums within the Arts and hopefully have the same impact Ebert had in his career.
The Human Experience
It may sound like a no-brainer, but it is important for writers to write for humans. In today’s digital landscape, there is so much information and emphasis on how to use keywords and other technical components in order to get your copy read on the internet. This makes finding your voice challenging because you are trying to reach the widest possible audience, but you have to keep in mind not to sacrifice the human experience. I often think about the emotional connection people have when reading content. As I am writing articles, I often think about how I would like the reader to feel. What are the ideas I would like to share? How can my word choices influence this emotional connection? I ask myself these questions and many others. The goal is always to find exactly how you would ideally like people to experience and use language in such a way that it connects with readers.
Being Consistent
Once you find your voice, repetition and consistency are the two most important things. As you continue to write, you will discover ways to improve your use of language over time. Also, being consistent is the best possible way to gain an audience. I have written thousands of articles at this point, and I would like to say that I feel best during the time periods where I am productive, creating an article or so a day on topics I think readers will find useful. I have also noticed that when I check productivity on website Analytics, it indicates that I get more repeat readers during times of frequent productivity as opposed to making articles once every few days. When a writer’s voice is used consistently it can be a great benefit for both writers and readers.