3 Secrets to Finding your Voice as a Writer
I remember the time when I was writing my "Work with Me" page and I had a massive block — I didn't know what to write nor how to describe the value I provide for my tribe. I told my friend (who is also my accountability partner) that I was struggling, and that I didn’t know what to do. She told me:
You may not win the pulitzer prize, but you can sure as hell write your 'Work with Me' page.
I was stunned! I thought to myself: You know what, yeah I CAN do this! (You know who you are, thank you!)
My friend's words of wisdom are all it took to help me discover my voice as a writer — even though I have been writing my blog consistently for 2 years. It amazes me that I have been writing for this long as I thought it would just be a "temporary" thing to get started.
But it actually turns out that I enjoy writing (even though I'm not a professional writer) and the fact that I can provide value to those who want to thrive in their business simply excites me.
If you have been thinking about starting a blog but unsure of your voice as a writer, I want you to know this:
Writing is good for your brain. The only way to become better at something is to practice, practice, and practice. It’ll lead to healthier life habits as well, as writing requires time, devotion, commitment, and discipline. The rewards are endless.
Also, if you're just starting out in your business, blogging is a great way to build your reputation and build your portfolio. It's an act of giving and being of service to invest your time, energy, and value to help others in their life (or business). You'll inspire others, and they will remember what you've done for them.
Now that I've given you great reasons to start, I want to share 3 tips to find your voice as a writer (even if you 'think' you can't write):
Write What You Know
There is a reason why we hear this all the time — if you don't enjoy doing something, you'll eventually stop and move onto the next thing. Simple as that.
I write about topics that interest me, such as branding, business, lifestyle, and health. It's what I'm passionate about, care about the most, and more importantly — it's what I want to write about. Plus, it's a bonus to know that it helps people thrive in their business.
Writing about what interests you helps YOU make your job easier, and helps to prevent writer's block. You don't need to be an expert to be a writer — you simply write to be an expert. Start with a topic that interests you, write about it, and you'll eventually be inspired to write about other topics that also interest you.
What Are People Saying?
Finding your voice as a writer also means knowing what people are saying about that particular topic — is there a certain trend? Is there a difficult question that's not being answered? What are people looking for? What is the question that people are asking?
This comes with research — in other words, listening to the market. This is a business strategy that you must introduce (you can apply this to anything, really) because it will help you gain focus, get clear, and understand your role as a writer. The best way to do this is to do tons of research, find the information that you need, and follow groups on Facebook or Twitter—basically, act as if you were an investigator searching for clues.
Write As If You Were Speaking
If I sit down, and tell myself to be conscious of my grammar, I'll lose myself and get writer's block. The best way to write is to be yourself — because there's no other way of doing it better.
Let's take a look at the most well-known authors.
Who DOESN'T love these women? They're both incredibly talented, inspiring, and wonderful women — they truly model what women need to be today: creative, courageous, one that lives on purpose. Now, these ladies may be in the same category departments at Chapters (Canada) or Barnes & Noble (USA) but the WAY they speak about that certain topic is incomparable. They speak from their truth, and that's why everyone loves these ladies equally!
Write as if you were writing in your diary — and don’t care about what others will think. Write from your heart, and speak from your experience, struggles, the things that made you the person that you are today. Write as if you had millions of people waiting for you to say something — even if you have 10 readers per month. The whole point is to do it because you love doing it — it will all come. Trust the universe. Trust the struggles it brings you and that it will help you thrive.
There are more strategies that I can share that will help you step up your blogging game — however, it's important to find your voice before you implement any other strategies. Once you know yourself, what you love to do, and HOW you want to share — you'll know exactly what tools you need to step up your game. You must think in reverse — instead of applying the tools that you think you need, look at your foundation (the purpose of your passion business) and ASK what it needs.