Finding Your Unique Voice
It’s a New Year. If writing is on your bucket list, the key to making your wish come true is to begin. You have a unique writing voice. And, just like your unique choice of clothing expresses your style, your unique writing voice is highlighted through your expression with words. Here are a few ‘dos and do nots’ on how to get started.
1 – DO RELAX
The best way to find your writing style and voice is to relax and let it flow. This one tip will take you more than halfway to finding your unique style. The Key is to begin.
When you’re tense, your breathing becomes shallow, your muscles tighten and limit blood flow, and your ability to create diminishes. Try this for yourself. Sit and hold your breath for 10-30 seconds. Feel into your body while you do this. Then release your breath and allow it to flow. See if you feel a difference. When you relax and your breath flows, you give your creative muse a chance to breathe and express itself.
2 – DO NOT COMPARE Yourself to Other Writers. Remember, you are writing your first draft and reading their finished work.
Comparing how you write, or your writer’s voice, to other authors, is self-abuse and debilitating. You can admire other writers’ styles but nurture your own. This takes practice. The more you write, the sooner your voice will naturally develop. When beginning, write what you know, and, as important as it is to relax, DON’T edit until you’ve finished an idea or scene. Editing can ignite your inner critic and make you tense up, stifling your creative muse. There’ll be plenty of time to make changes, but the initial flow is important for the authentic sound of your voice to emerge.
Your writer’s voice can’t be rushed, but it can be freed – so relax. When I began writing my last book, What if the Problem’s Not the Problem???, I wanted it to be perfect because my Buddhist teacher at the time said, “If you write it, I’ll write the preface.” I was so intimidated by the thought, what if he doesn’t like it, that tensed up and could not get my creative juices flowing. When I finally decided to write because I had something to say, my creative muse took off and the fun of writing and refining my message returned.
3. DO WRITE Like You’re Telling Your Story to a Close Friend and Relax.
When you speak, you don’t stop to judge every word you say. Later on, you might think about your conversation and wish you had said what you did differently. Here’s the beauty of writing. When you finish your first draft – whether a complete idea, scene, chapter, or the entire book or short story, you can take back what you wrote and grant yourself a second, third, or however many times you like a chance to refine it.
These three tips will make it easier for you to write in your own, unique, authentic voice. The idea is to get your first draft out. Then, even if you’re not happy with it, you’ll have something to improve upon when it comes time to edit. The key is to relax and enjoy the process. Writing takes dedication, diligence, and discipline. No need to make it more difficult than it is.
Enjoy!
Jasmyne
