Develop Your Writer’s Voice So Readers Listen
By: Kim Mckinney
Tags: Writing, Nonfiction, Creativity, Language, Writing Tips

Develop Your Writer’s Voice So Readers Listen

Stop with the impressions

Photo by Prince Abid on Unsplash

I was a Broadcast Journalism major in college. When I first started at the university, I laughed at the number of upper-class broadcast majors that walked around with a bottle of Chloraseptic spray.

For those of you who don’t know, this spray is used mostly to numb where it hits and relieve the pain of sore throats. As brilliant college students, we thought it helped us not only with sore throats but laryngitis and anything of the sort.

By the end of school, I found myself carrying a bottle around myself on occasion.

Having my voice in top form mattered. I worked on a local cable news show for several classes I took, and at two radio stations to earn extra money. I also waitressed to make the money that actually supported me.

If my voice was not in its best shape, I would not be able to work. If I couldn’t work, my finances and my grades suffered.

It also couldn’t be distorted. In my radio jobs, my voice needed to sound like me or it didn’t resonate familiarity with the audience. Laryngitis was a constant fear. Even when waitressing — who wants to wonder just how sick the waitstaff is?

What if, for example, Samuel L. Jackson voices a commercial with his register up a few levels? He loses some of what makes him unique. You wouldn’t necessarily recognize him. He is not delivering that booming authoritative recognizable voice for which he is known.

In the same way, as we use our physical voices, our writing voice should be just as distinctive. When our voice is weak or not our norm, it confuses people. It’s like Samuel L. Jackson doing impressions of others instead of delivering that for which he is known.

The Toastmasters have taught people how to be better public speakers since 1905. One of the things they teach is to pay attention to your speaking voice. These concepts they use to change your speaking voice can also apply to your writing voice.

Voice Relaxation

Are your words stilted or natural? As you write, think about whether you are writing more to show off your great vocabulary, or so the reader connects with what you have to say. You know those great conversations you have with a friend as you just sit around and relax? Those where you share your passion for a topic and you are both totally engaged with what you have to say? That’s where you want to go. Relaxed, but not lazy.

Breathing Exercises

Sometimes you get to a place where you find yourself constantly writing. You’ll be a better writer if you take deep breaths to enjoy life and take it all in. A constant writing frenzy may produce a lot of words, and possibly even a lot of money, but it also takes you away from the real world. Take time to breathe. Writing coach Daphne Gray-Grant, who works with writers who have writer’s block, calls it “writing apnea”. She says “Breathing for writers is a habit worth focusing on. If you’re not breathing effectively, you’re more likely to feel anxious and stressed — two qualities that are not going to help your writing one iota!”

Controlling Your Pitch

Does your tone match your subject? Sometimes raising our voice register or lowering it is necessary to convey our message. Do you need your reader to feel a bit more passion or a bit of sadness? You set the mood as you pitch your writing. The Grammarly blog suggests to watch your word choice, personal pronouns, punctuation, consistency, honesty, and empathy to get just the right tone.

Projection

Sometimes our voices need to boom loudly and sometimes we need to whisper. Both can get the attention of people. Other times we just need to speak as if in normal conversation. Think this through. How are your thoughts best conveyed? Voice coach Jay Miller says “Projecting your voice is an act of relaxed confidence rather than forceful exertion. It requires you to be fully engaged and fully available. The moment you tense up or pull back, the moment you become self-conscious or unsure voice projection will suffer. As you get comfortable in your body, engage your whole voice, and connect to your message, you’ll communicate with natural authority and strength. Voice projection will be effortless, and you’ll speak with clarity, confidence and credibility.” As it works for your speaking voice, this same technique can project confidence in your writing.

Articulation

Strong writing is crisp writing. Be alert for extra words that take away from what you’re trying to say. Say it, and speak it clearly.

Watch Your Time

Attention spans are short. If you believe the old Microsoft Canada study, you have about eight seconds to hook a reader. Grab them early and keep their focus. Say what you need to say in the least number of words possible. That doesn’t mean you can’t write long pieces. Of course, you can. But think on the occasion of that torturous public speaker you heard who spoke 30 minutes longer than necessary. You still wonder why you wasted precious minutes of your life listening to them ramble on and on. They didn’t notice the whole audience was yawning and some were leaving. Don’t force people to bail before the end.

Make It Interesting

This goes without saying, doesn’t it? But how often do you read something and say, “So what?” Make sure you have a point.