So, this is my 162nd post.
And guess what?
I still don’t know how to be myself in the online world, which means I’m yet to find my writing voice.
Along with it, I have a nagging thought:
Even if you find it, will people like the “real” you?
That worries me, but I’ll cross that bridge when the time comes.
For now, I’m more desperate about finding my writing voice because I don’t see my blog rising and flourishing above many other blogs out there otherwise.
I may be wrong, but I’m convinced that without finding my writing voice, I won’t be able to turn the tide.
So, as any desperado would do, I asked our trusty friend Google: “How to find your writing voice?”
Here’s what I got: (So will you, obviously. Ha.)
(The direct link to the article can be found here.)
I read several articles about finding your voice as a writer. But the above article covers most of what others say. So I want to go over each point and share my thoughts on where I fall short in trying to find my writing voice in the online world.
I hope it helps with your creative endeavours too.
How to Find Your Writing Voice in the Online World
“Just Write. It really is that simple.”
Just write is the number-one advice I see everywhere.
If I’m being honest, I’m a tad annoyed by it.
It just frustrates me that no one says exactly how long we’re supposed to “just write.”
Actually, that’s not strictly true.
The above article quotes Malcolm Gladwell in Outliers, where he says it takes 10,000 hours (or ten years) to become an expert.
But that’s just way too long, isn’t it?
Besides, I don’t think bloggers need to be exceptional writers to be successful.
“Show your writing to others”
I see the merit in showing your writing to others.
There’s definitely a good lesson I learned, which is that the engagement of my readers is super low and my writing sucks.
It’s hard and discouraging to face the truth, but it’s better to find out now, tweak, and experiment than blindly write.
Showing your writing to others is an excellent way to measure your performance objectively.
“Read, read, read!”
Another thing that frustrates me.
How much do you need to read until you find your writing voice?
I’m an avid reader. I read anything and everything. Sometimes, I feel like maybe I got into reading too late (in my early 20s).
I guess you’ll be a little better than those who don’t read at all, but I’m yet to experience how much it’ll help you find your writing voice.
“Experiment with different styles”
I wrote lots of listicles, inspirational (I hope) pieces, step-by-step guides, etc.
I’m sure all the experiments will help us in our quest for a unique writing voice.
There’s nothing new under the sun. Everything I talk about in my blogs is written by many bloggers.
You’ll likely write about the same thing as others too.
The only way we can differentiate ourselves from others is not by what we say but by how we say it.
Which is why I am desperate to find my writing voice.
“Decide why you want to write”
I want to make my blog a successful business. No one can say I lack desire.
“Know your audience”
I think I know my audience.
Knowing is one thing, though.
Is my “knowing” correct?
For all I know, they might differ completely from what I think I know!
“Be yourself”
This is the main issue I’m facing because I just don’t know how to be myself in the online world.
When you don’t know how to be, I thought maybe thinking about how not to be could help us.
So, here are a few things: despite not knowing how to be myself, I know how not to be.
Hopefully, this will get me closer to being “me” someday.
How Not to Be in the Online World
1. Don’t Try to Be Someone Else
I don’t try to be a life coach, guru, or psychologist.
I’m just someone like you who struggled her way through life and learned hard life lessons along the way.
Everything I wrote about on my blog is what I learned from my own mistakes. What I could tell another me who might go through the same thing.
How to deal with insecurity, how to start over, why things aren’t as bad as they seem, why paying for yourself first is super important—things like that.
I even read one of my own posts the other day when I felt down and took comfort!
The trouble is, I think, I come across as way too serious, hence boring!
I know in my heart that my intentions are good, but I’m struggling with how to deliver my messages in a way many readers will find relatable or worthwhile to share with others.
More reason to appreciate those who do share my blog (thank you!).
2. Don’t Try to Impress, But Express
I don’t try to sound smarter than I am. But I do worry that I might sound stupid. Ha.
So I’m super cautious.
I feel stifled.
Instead of learning to express myself through writing, perhaps I’m unintentionally trying to impress others by avoiding sounding silly.
I know this tendency inhibits me, which is a big barrier to finding and developing my voice.
3. Stop Caring So Much
In real life, I really don’t care what other people think about me or my life choices. I’ve always done what I wanted to do.
So I don’t know why I become so cautious in the online world when no one really knows me. Not caring doesn’t mean I’m rude, disrespectful, or anything like that.
I just wish I could throw caution to the wind and feel free when expressing myself.
It’ll undoubtedly help me find my writing voice quickly.
Final Thought
I found the Google answer in this post about how to find your writing voice super helpful.
It helped me examine and understand the reasons I’m struggling to find my writing voice.
There’s always the doubt that, if I’m being my true self, people will be repulsed by me or something. Ha.
But without developing and finding your own writing voice, you’re just one of millions of bloggers.
And as I find it, it’s hard to make a leap to the next level.
We need to find the courage to develop and find our writing voice in order to build a successful business. And never give up, no matter how difficult it seems right now (talking to self!).
My Favourite Writing Tools
Grammarly (Free) – a great writing tool. Help you with spelling and grammar errors. It’s SO worth it even if all you do is writing an email or on social media.
BlueHost – get a super easy and reliable hosting plan from BlueHost. They also give you a free domain name for one year. Sign up here and start your blog in a few minutes.
Namecheap – get a dirt-cheap domain name if you change your mind and fancy a new domain name later (like I did).
Tailwind – an absolute must-have for Pinterest to schedule hundreds and thousands of pins and save tons of time. Sign up here and get one month free!
Mailerlite – another must-have to create email marketing campaigns: sign up forms, landing pages, surveys and so on; free up to 1,000 subscribers.
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