10 STEPS TO FINDING YOUR WRITING VOICE an exercise by Jeff Goins
1. Describe yourself in three adjectives. serious,witty,understanding
2. Ask and answer the question, “ Is this how I talk? “ Yes.
3. Imagine your ideal reader. Describe him in detail. Then write to him and only him. My ideal reader is smart, intelligent, fun and caring. He tries to bring out the best in every situation and also tries to bring out the worst, not to discourage, but to encourage others to think and then find a solution.
4. Jot down at least five books or authors or articles or blogs that you’d like to read. Jesus, CEO Nicholas Sparks, Jeff Goins, Brian Gardner I like them because they’ve made it yet they remain true to who they are. They love to share what they know and don’t love. They express without sounding too preachy and their words are true, spot on and relatable. No hard selling, I believe them because they’re true people. They inspire me to aspire because they all seem to love God with a passion.
5. List your favorite artistic or cultural preferences. I’ve always liked the Beatles because of the upbeat melodies. The lyrics may not always be admirable, sometimes even questionable but their music brings me to an era where I think I would have enjoyed living in. I like Adele because I can relate to her, her pains and triumphs. Her words are there, gut and heart.
6. What’s my voice? What do I sound like? According to a friend, Monty – soothing ( dare I question this? )
7. Free write. Go nuts. This is a no-brainer. I almost always go nuts in my writing.
8. “ Is this something I would read? “ I have to believe in what I’m doing so yes, definitely. 🙂
9. Do I enjoy writing it as I’m writing it? Yes. I remember smiling as I’m typing. Even with short sentences. Even with very short sentences.
10. How do I feel before publishing? Nervous as a rock. You can hear my heart vibrate. But excited nonetheless because I am, I will be revealing a part of me, with me having the option to reveal too much or too little and sometimes even hide under the pretense of a fictitious work when it is, everything actually is based on facts, facts of MY life. Whew!
