Finding Your Voice

I am amazed at how often people become caught up in being what they are not. I don't mean to say that they deliberately put on an act. What I mean is that they become enamored with what others are doing and seek to emulate them on some level.

Writing is one area where I think this is common. Writers want to be read. They want to be popular. They want to be accepted into the realm of recognizable personalities. So, they write about things that they perceive will be popular.

It is a great exercise in learning the art of writing. Typically, though, by emulating someone else, the writer never finds his own voice. He never truly expresses himself. He writes for someone else.

I think great writers are like great artists and musicians. The best are unique. They express themselves through their work in their own unique style. Their work stands out from the crowd because it isn't "cookie-cutter" work; it is apart from the crowd. It stands out. It is the single red shirt in a sea of blue. It is the cowboy hat at the opera.

Writers should write about what they enjoy. If you like history, write history. If you like music, write about music. If you like television, write about television. You get the picture.

The blog world is an area where I think there are lots of pretenders. I believe this is especially prevalent among political blogs. Many political blogs were started because the writer saw that political blogs received lots of attention. The writers really don't have their heart in their work. They struggle with every post. It shows.

I am learning to recognize my own writing voice. It is something that I've struggled with just as do many others. I don't know yet exactly what it is. I believe that it is an evolving thing. I hope that when I find it, it will be recognizable by others.