Learning to accept my voice has been a struggle, especially amongst the volumes of others.
When I talk to people, my wit comes out and it’s terribly wicked, however when I write the sass never comes out. I have a great vocabulary but my writing tends to lack big words. I could win a round or two in Jeopardy, but I leave out lots of facts when I write.
Compared to all the writing I’ve read, I began to think I was in trouble for having the kind of style that I did. I started to think that I needed to put in some hip, sassy sayings and mix it with a big word or two that described some interesting fact. If I didn’t do that, I thought, my writing just might not cut it.
So I tried, and I tried. And the more I tried, the more I realised my writing sounded like I was trying. It also sounded a lot like other people.
I’ve come to realise that the world is full of sassy, hip, witty writers and writers filled with facts and figures and bigger words than skyscrapers. And that’s perfectly fine.
My voice is smaller, simpler and a little closer to the ground. I write so that anyone will understand it, and get any meaning they can and sometimes, just enjoy what I’ve written.
Sometimes it’s scary to be comfortable with my voice when I hear others’, but it’s mine and it’s the only one I have. So I might as well learn to shout.
The Chronicles of Girl at Play began in April 2001 as a way for me to chronicle my leaving a successful corporate position to become a self-employed writer.
