Did you ever pretend to be someone else while you were on vacation?
You know, just ditch your normal limits and attitudes for a couple of days and try on some new personalities?
That’s what my latest trip to L.A. was like.
I went to burlesque clubs in Hollywood, where women dressed as sexy kittens hung in nets suspended over crowded bottle-service-only tables.
I went to a surf-and-skate competitions in Huntington Beach, where tattooed men and women with long tousled hair paddled deftly into the surf.
And I walked through family-friendly bonfires along the sands of El Segundo, where children ran in screaming circles around folding chairs and smoking grills in the parking lot.
With every different lifestyle, set of values, and social norms, I dressed and spoke to fit the scene. Heels and chunky gold earrings by night and bare feet and cotton shorts by day. Dished about celebrity Botox gossip and the ephemeral nature of reality.
Once upon a time, I thought of my chameleon tendencies as a betrayal of my true self, a fear-based way to weasel out of self-expression. Now, however, reinvention sharpens who I really am.
I test out different looks and conversations and find out what I enjoy. What feels right to me at the end of the day. And I take the best stuff home to incorporate into my life. (The rainbow-reflecting sunglasses, yes. The plantar fasciitis-inducing heels, no.)
Writing is a lot like that. You start off mimicking other writers’ voices, whether you know it or not.
You read a lot of other people’s work and implant their habits in your brain. You unconsciously echo conversations instigated by those around you.
But the longer you keep it up, the more you see the patterns in your writing.
You notice similar sentence structures, default topic choices, and which themes you genuinely enjoy talking about.
It’s like Philip Pullman, the author of the The Golden Compass series, said in a Q&A.
In other words, be choosy about the voices that you allow you to fill your brain. Satisfy your craving for literary inspiration from finer flowers. But when it comes to the writing, work your ass off. Don’t be precious about doing the work.
That, in a nutshell, is how you cultivate your voice.
This week, you’re going to try on some new styles and see what suits you best.
Here’s how to play dress-up in your writing:
- Choose three writers whose voices, styles, or general vibes you like.
These folks might be bloggers, novelists, journalists, Twitter comedians, etc. Whoever floats your boat. Just make sure YOU like them—that you feel inspired and engaged by writing.
- Pick your writing topic and medium for the week.
Whether you’re thinking about a timely (cough) newsletter, on-the-fly Periscope, or length Facebook post (my favorite) this applies.
- Before you sit down to write, BINGE READ one of your chosen authors.
If you’re a book nerd like me, then YES, I’m giving you the assignment to read as much as you want. You can even plug it into your calendar. Jackpot!
- Put away the inspo and let your words flow.
Don’t be surprised if you find yourself writing with a new sort of rhythm, or tone, or general use of language. You’ve been inspo’d.
- Take a break, re-read your work, edit as necessary.
Sometimes, we get so inspo’d that our writing has a lot of…fluff. I recommend taking a break between drafts to think about something else, then reread your inspo’d post and decide how much jives with who you are now. You may find that the first 2 paragraphs of something were totally unnecessary—that’s a common issue for writers.
Bonus!
Tackle the same topic in a different format (like repurposing your blog post content for FB posts) or continue where you left off. But this time, binge read a different author before you write.
Afterward, just make a note between the two experiences. What felt more natural to you? What topics or tones did you return to regardless of inspiration?
This is indicative of your authentic style. Make a mental note of what you see!
Remember, your voice is as unique as your fingerprint.
You can’t lose it, not even if you get inspired by others. 🙂
