How I found my voice as a writer

It took me two days to press the publish button for the first blog I wrote for The Balance Collective. This confession may surprise you! Whilst it’s been said “I sneeze and a blog appears”, it took me a while to find my voice when it comes to my writing. Whilst you may have come to this site as my work as a career coach, I’ve been working towards finding my voice as a writer for years. Today, I wanted to share further about my journey, so maybe you can take the first step to find your voice!

I’ve been wracked with self-doubt for years with my writing. I adored writing as a child and teenager, then once I entered the world of work my approach, spelling and grammar wasn’t always in the “tone” of the organization. Whilst I’m a ferocious reader, I’d spent time in a role where my written communication was picked apart for not being professional enough.  Whilst I’ve no doubt the critique was given from a place of constructive criticism, it knocked my confidence. This made me a hesitant writer.

In my thirties, I dipped my toes back into writing under a pseudonym.  But when I went out on my own in 2015, I HAD to start getting used to sharing my thoughts online if I wanted to build my personal brand and have a sustainable business. Creating content made me feel exposed; in fact, for the first few months, I wouldn’t press publish until someone else had run their eyes over it. Now, five years later I write without apology, have been featured in magazines and on other sites, have been paid to write for others and self-published a book. You could say I have found my voice.

I assumed at the beginning of this process, that writers have a constant influx of ideas and inspiration; a muse sitting on a shoulder. Now, I’m five years into blogging NEARLY every week, I can tell you that that is far from the truth.

What allows me to write the way I do is, unfortunately, is far less poetic.

I have a creative practice.

It’s simply habit and accountability.

I promise the world (some of which are listening) that I will publish a blog every week. That an email, containing this article, will be sent on a Wednesday, and that the blog will go live on a Thursday.

This declaration means I have to sit down and write every week. I need to provide regular content. My pride won’t let me be a liar.

I think I have missed three weeks since the blog went live; due to a dip in my wellbeing. The red flag is that when I sit down and start writing, nothing substantial is finding its way onto the page. It’s like I’ve lost my voice. Thankfully, it’s temporary.

The rest of the time, I HAVE TO CREATE. I focus on a theme, story or thought and I just start writing. The way I found my voice, is to write without judgement or pressure. The internal critique around my spelling and grammar is quieted through tools (I use Grammarly to support the quality of my writing). I also remind myself that I am a Coach, not a Copywriter!

There is no doubt my personality and outlook on life has an impact on finding my voice when it came to writing. So often, others work to quieten themselves when they write; when actually the best way is to fall back, wholeheartedly, onto who you are!  I am naturally curious, and my interest in my professional sector doesn’t end when my laptop closes.  The things I read, watch, listen to and pay attention to all lead into the topics I write about. Listening to a podcast or reading a book can lead to whole articles, in addition to the monthly book review. 

I think one area that is often undervalued in writing is lived experience. People are naturally nosey, they like to get under the hood of what is happening, what you are thinking and how you approach what you do. So that gets sprinkled into the mix too!

What I want to tell you today is that however it may look on the outside, my writing process is a bit like a swan. It may look smooth on the top, but it comes from practice, perseverance and going outside of my comfort zone. It goes without saying, the effort is worth it. It can also lead to a whole host of benefits that just makes your life a little more interesting! Ultimately take what you need from constructive criticism and then do what feels right.  You never know where your voice may take you.