Fiction writers talk a lot about "voice."
If you check Amazon’s best-seller lists, you’ll see that most of them are filled with fiction books.
There’s a reason for that. Several, in fact, and they are relevant for you as an email writer and/or product creator.
In this week’s newsletter, you’ll find out if you need voice, what voice is, and how to get your own, unique voice.
What Is "Voice"?
Voice is the way you express yourself. In writing, too.
It’s your word choices, your sentence length, your opinions…
In another word: personality.
In fiction, we talk about the voice of the characters, who should all have different voices, just like real people.
And we talk about the voice of the author.
Over here, in the money-online world, you only need to deal with the voice of the author (you). Unless you’re using dialogue, in which case you need to make that personal, too.
But before this all sounds scary and hard, let’s get into why you need a voice.
Why Is Having a Voice Important?
Remember The Little Mermaid?
When she wants to go to the surface and become a human, the seawitch will help her get legs but as a payment, she wants the little mermaid’s voice.
In Disney’s version, Ariel goes through a lot of problems but win love and the prince in the end.
In the original story by Hans Christian Andersen, the mermaid has no name, she goes through a lot of problems, but because she lost her voice, the prince doesn’t see her as a love interest.
So she ends up as foam on the water.
We all need a voice, written or vocal, to be heard and listened to.
Without voice we cannot express ourselves.
Can You Imitate Your Way to a Voice?
Painters learn to paint by copying the masters.
Writers can learn to write by copying the masters.
Just don’t pretend it to be your work.
One way to find your voice is by using others’ voices first.
Copy, hand write is best, emails with personality.
Absorb yourself in the words. Find the rhythm, the melody, the word choices.
What do you like about it?
What makes this voice unique?
Your next step is to avoid the thing that makes that voice unique.
Use it, and you’ll sound like a copycat. A weak image of someone else.
If I see you write, "boys and ghouls" or talking about "goo-roo fanboys," I know you’re copying Ben Settle.
If I see you breaking the fourth wall, turning actual events into mad hat comedy, using me (with my name) in your emails, I know you’re trying to become Daniel Throssell.
Don’t.
Find the way you love to write, become you.
Try Role Playing
It helped me to play World of Warcraft and "become" some of my characters, who each had different voices and personalities.
I’ll tell you a little story that always breaks my heart.
Meet Klukk.
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The mere picture of her makes my throat hurt.
You may think I’m crazy, and yes, you wold probably be right, but…
I created Klukk with one purpose: so I could exploit her.
She’s alone on an island where you can only go during your first levels. You can never go back.
She’s stranded there. Alone. Just so she can buy clothes that can only be bought there.
I sent her 1 gold, and she was so happy. She had gold. She was the richest young goblin in the world.
I felt bad. My guilty conscience hurt. So I gave her a special hat.
She wears it now, proud, with a huge smile, and I can’t look at her without shame. Without getting tears in my eyes.
I’m so cruel towards her, and she’s just happy and smiling.
Oh no!
I tell myself that she’s not real. She’s just pixels on my computer.
It doesn’t work.
Klukk got her own voice now. Her unique personality.
Part of me is Klukk, the betrayed, the lonely, the silly-happy.
Crazy shit, I know.
Don’t Copy Voice, Create It
My final words to you about voice are these:
Don’t become a lame copy of Ben Settle or anyone else.
Invent your own style.
Use your own quirks.
Be your own weird. And own it.
And watch my short video about finding your own voice: https://youtu.be/cX1c2fRLGqQ
While you’re there, remember to subscribe and like. 😄