It’s Your Thing
Writers need to have that serendipitous thing. But what is it? We know that thing when we see it, hear it, and read it. This thing is different from how we choose to write (longhand, Goodnotes, desktop, laptop, Apple, PC). It’s not what edition of thesaurus or dictionary we have. It’s not the font or color of the text or pen. It is not the size of your house. It is not who you know. It is not your educational level. It is not how expensive our desks and chairs are. It’s not how fancy our website is. This thing that readers notice can’t be bought, but it does take courage to use.
Writers who are selling and seem to be living the lives of golden gooses have that thing. Here’s the scary part, though. They can lose it. The upside is that a writer who doesn’t have it can find it in a breakout book. A hint of what that thing is can be found in the writing, but you cannot necessarily see the source there. The thing that pulls the reader in is the passion they feel when the words cascade over them, the authenticity and sincerity of the writer as revealed through the authenticity and sincerity of the characters, and the complete transparency of communication, no fluff, no posturing, just deep, insightful storytelling. But this is still all surface.
I think that lucky thing is our individual voice, one that transcends our conscious brain, transcends the page, and becomes a part of the subconscious reader. All sorts of writing programs want to make our writing more correct. Don’t fall for it. They are making us into a homogeneous mess. Sure, correct where the comma should go (or take it out where it shouldn’t), but don’t let the program entice you into changing the way you turn a phrase. Grand writing is not for those who want to author boring research papers. Grand writing is for those who want to comment in such a fresh and unique way that no one else has ever done it before, even something that stands out because it is so unique. (Like right now, my writing program tells me to remove the word “so” in the earlier sentence. Yes, it makes writing more succinct, but that’s not the point of our writing, is it? I want you to know that I’m telling you that what you write and how you write is not only unique—AI approved or not—but your writing is so unique—the point I want to make and the voice I speak in.)
Listen to your voice. Have faith in your voice. Know the rules to break the rules. Tell the real story. Get the reader’s attention by uniquely writing things your way. Trust how your subconscious thinks, not always how your conscious thinks. This is the way to discover that thing…in yourself. Find it in yourself, and your readers will find it, too.
Like this blog? Sign up for Clay’s newsletter, which offers encouragement, skills, resources, and knowledge relating to a balanced life while writing, marketing, promoting, and living. https://claystafford.com/newsletter
