Find your voice in 5 minutes

One of the things I hear the most from people who want to improve their writing is that they want to figure out how to find their voice. I won't go with the obvious cliche here...that, "Oh my friend, you never LOST your voice..."

Sounds good. Doesn't help.

What does help? Writing with voice includes a number of variables--personality, tone, character, the parts of your life that come through in the choices you make with your words...So, when you think you're TRYING to find your voice, you might be "looking" right past it.

Want to know what I tell people who want to find their voice?

Record yourself. Then listen.

Don't look at the screen like that. I'm serious. Finding your voice requires that you get on the other side of your Self. You need to LISTEN to yourself. You need to analyze the language you use, the cadence and rhythm you employ, the attitude that you shape into words.

I'm going to give you some steps here to help. But you have to promise that you'll do the exercise IN ORDER. If you jump ahead of yourself, it just won't work as well because, if you're like me, you'll start thinking about it too much. Don't do that. Remember, you've had a voice your whole life. You're just trying to re-connect with it. Don't make it weird.

Ready? Are you in a comfortable position and location? Do you have 5 minutes to give yourself? Good. Turn off your ringer on your phone. Just FYI: After you get these instructions, you're going to stop looking at your computer screen for 5 minutes. Yes, you can set a timer if you need to. It's 5 minutes. You can afford 5 minutes.

First things first: Make sure that you are ready to record; you can download a recording app, or use the record function that's probably already on your phone. Open that app and get the red button ready.

Next, think of something that happened recently that you remember vividly. Think about how the experience you're remembering made you feel and why it's important to tell it. You could talk about something funny that happened. Or you could talk about something that just happened at work that wasn't so funny. It doesn't matter what it's about. It just matters that you remember it and that you can talk about it.

Now, visualize a very specific person that you're really comfortable talking to. If you're not sure who to visualize, think of someone who might be interested in the story. Got someone in mind? Okay.

Now, press that red record button, and put the phone down. It's important that you don't think about it until you're ready to stop recording. Don't get self-conscious about recording yourself; no one else gets to hear it and you can delete it after you finish this exercise. If you do start feeling self-conscious, stop the recording, and try again when you're more relaxed.

If you're relaxed and comfortable, it's time to press record and then stop looking at your computer screen (right after this paragraph!). You are going to start telling the story of what happened. Whatever you do, don't think about it too much. Just TALK. The more natural you allow yourself to be, the more clear your voice will become to you. When you're finished, stop the recording, and come back for next steps.

Byeeeeee!! See you in a bit.

_____________________________________________________________________________

Welcome back.

It's time to unpack your story and start connecting to your unique voice. This is very exciting!

Here are your Next Steps:

1. Listen to the recording. Just listen. Don't roll your eyes in judgment. Don't think about what you left out. Just listen.
2. Now, transcribe the recording. DON'T fix it and DON'T correct anything about it. (There's nothing wrong with it.) Just capture the words on paper.
3. Now, take some notes to capture your thinking about what you heard: What do you notice? Did you include dialogue? Did you use words to create a pause, as in like, well, so, and, or but? Did you speed up or slow down at certain parts? Is there any repetition in there? How did you express emotion or emphasis? Did you interact with your listener by saying things like, "Listen..." or "Come on, now..."?
4. What descriptive or sensory (sight, sound, smell, touch, taste) words did you use? Highlight or list these.
5. What action words did you use? (eg., staring, mocking, pushing) Highlight or list these too.
6. What slang phrases, regionalisms, or colloquialisms did you notice? Highlight or list those.
7. What metaphors (this is that), or similes (this is like that) did you use? Definitely identify those.

Let's call what you just created a Voice File. Your Voice File is going to have the relevant data you can use to connect your writing...to YOU. These are elements that make up YOUR voice. These are fingerprints you leave in your words.

This is your starting point. You're going to keep recording and listening to gather more intel on your voice. You're going to find out that you have a pattern, a way of talking about what you know. You have favorite words, a particular rhythm that you prefer, and phrases you like. You're going to find out that you have a distinct VOICE that you start to recognize when you SEE it in writing, just like others do when they hear it from you directly.

So, repeat the exercise with other stories you're comfortable telling. Make sure the stories you tell get at different purposes and emotions. Tell one about something scary. Tell another about a boring experience. Tell another one about when you were angry about something.

Each time you record, transcribe it and find the elements that go in your Voice File. The patterns you find will help you see your authentic voice. Now, you can do what you want with that voice. You can tone it down, or hype it up.

Because what you know for sure...is that it's yours.

If you enjoyed this post, or you tried this exercise, please let me know in the comments! And if you could use tools like this to free up your flow on your own projects, consider a complimentary consultation. You can do that AND find more from me at https://linktr.ee/drhelanewrites.