If You Truly Care What You Write

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The Best Way to Find Your Writing Voice? Stop Looking

Are you afraid that your writing isn’t unique enough?
Or perhaps worried that you won’t have anything meaningful to say?
Discover your writing voice is a big obstacle for a lot of people.
I’m both sad and excited about this, because the solution is simple, but not easy to act on.
The fact that you’re afraid of sharing your message with the world just means that you truly care what you put out there, and that caring is what will make a big difference in your writing.
When I started, I was paralyzed by the thought of sharing my internal world with the outside world, and still am from time to time, but I write anyway, and I’m still alive.
Every writer cares about what others think, which means you will be afraid, stuck, and miserable from time to time.
It’s a part of doing what you love. When you realize that, you also discover that it’s not about eliminating the fear, it’s about dancing with it.

What is Your Writing Voice?

Your writing voice is not something that’s fixed and something great writers keep in their back pocket. Your voice is constantly evolving, growing, and wanting to express itself.
All you can do right now is to express the voice you have. Do not wait for a-ha moments and big discoveries, because they may never come.
Your voice is like an unpolished diamond. The potential is always there, but it takes hard work to uncover what’s inside.
Nothing will happen unless you act. There is no magic incantation you can use to bring forth the brilliance within you, except the magic of hard work.
Your voice doesn’t have to be perfect, you just have to be willing to express it.

Why You’re Wrong About Your “Writing Voice”

If you’re like most people, then you see your writing voice as something mysterious, out of your reach, and something you need to discover.
But just like in real life, you don’t have to discover your speaking voice, because you already have one.
You are who you are, and you write the way you write.
As you keep writing, eliminating blocks, and moving forward, your writing will evolve.
And believe it or not, so will your “writing voice.”
I cannot guarantee that people will listen to you, but so what?
If at first no one reads your writing, you keep writing and improving.
If at first no one finds you unique enough, you keep writing, and you uncover your uniqueness.
You have to be willing to fail until you can succeed.

The Solution to Your “Writing Voice” Problem

You may think that you have to discover your voice before you can blog, write, or whatever you want to do, but it doesn’t work like that.
Most people have it backwards.
Your voice isn’t found, it’s honed.
You already have a writing voice, just like you have a speaking voice.
To become a great writer, you have to practice diligently.
When you say you cannot start because you haven’t found your voice, you’re making an excuse.
And do you realize that the only way to really get the writing voice you want is to do exactly what you fear—to write and put yourself out there?
That’s the beauty of it all.

The Art Of Narrating

Have I not mentioned already on this blog, that my dream is to write a book? May be not. I am a true Sagittarius...secretive :D. Anyways, I have been reading so many books since my 5th grade??? Yet I did not concentrate on the narrating style of any of the authors I read. I was impressed by their choice of words or the way they could make the reader identify themselves with one of the characters. Narration is an art in itself.

I could write pages about myself or about someone or something. But I don't think I can narrate a story. I don't think I can write how a conversation between two people would be. This needs thinking like two different people. All am good at is thinking like a person...to be more honest, thinking like me or someone like me. That makes me a bad author I guess.

Case 1 - Narrating as I: In first person

Well I might be good at this. But then again, the character will have close resemblance to me. I am so self-centered and self-absorbed which is the worst quality of a writer I believe. I should start writing short fictional stories. Seriously. May be a good idea is to pick someone from the life around me, observe that person, think like that person and talk like that person. Do writers really do all this? Would not they loose their own identity over a period of time if they start thinking like others? Anyway, this must be the easiest form of narration if the character does not divulge too much from your own character?!!

Case 2 - Narrating as Her/ Him: In Second person

As long as you can understand someone, this should be easy. I really should try. Try telling a story as the other person does. From her/ his view.

Case 3 - Narrating as Multiple characters: Other form of case 1, but as different characters

This is the most difficult. To be in different minds. I like Jodi Picoult's novels in this regard. Her novels are split into chapters, each chapter narrated by different characters in the book. And its amazing how she describes those characters and their worlds. Each having tangential views. How does she do that?

Case 4 - Narrating as non-human beings...say dogs:

Well I read few novels where the narrators are non-humans. For eg., a dog. This is way too fictional and is far from reality. And I must suck at it. I have trouble accepting other human beings, forget about accepting a non-human and try to talk like it.

So well, there is my Problem Definition :D. Project Narration. Starting tomorrow, I should make efforts to talk, think and write like someone else. Let me see who that first character is going to be!