I’ve been publishing stories and articles like crazy so I am definitely here. Life has been awesome.
Actually, I did a podcast once quite a few years ago. And I simply read pre-scripted text. So I was just reading my own writing. Before releasing it to the public I shared it with about twenty online friends (only one of which had ever heard me speaking). All but 2 of those 20 online friends messaged me to say that they MUCH preferred the original text rather than the audio version of me reading it. And they urged me not to release the podcast to the public and strongly urged me to give up any notions of podcasting forever. I took their advice.
Every rule has exceptions and therefore they are not rules but merely suggestions. That stuttering singer found his ‘voice’ not in talking with buddies but rather through the ART-FORM of singing. I’m sure he spent many, many years working on that ART-FORM and practicing diligently and then performing as he perfected it and solidified it into his ‘voice.’ He had to perfect his craft before he could develop a distinctive ‘voice.’ He had to work hard at it.
To suggest that aspiring writers don’t need to work hard to perfect their craft; that they merely need to write like they talk to some buddy can be a little misleading. That is not to say that it can’t be done but I feel that it is better to work hard to learn one’s craft, to actually learn something about writing, instead of talking to everyone like they happen to talk to one particular friend. Not everyone is going to be just like that one friend.
For someone to become a proficient speaker it’s a good idea to practice by speaking in an empty room with no one but that speaker. That way you’re not speaking to just one person. You’re not speaking to anyone. You’re just speaking. That way your ‘voice’ can develop from who you are rather than from to whom you are speaking.
By the way, speaking of hypocrisy, I once wrote an article as though I was speaking directly ‘TO’ one particular person I knew. The article actually proved to be mildly successful. But I never felt good about it. I never felt that was my true voice. It felt like a ‘voice’ I was using expressly for that one person. I’d rather use my real ‘voice’ which speaks to everyone and no one — that voice I hear in the empty room, which I can then release to the world in disregard to how it is heard. Speak to everyone with the same voice. One of the best ways to do that is to speak in an empty room rather than ‘AT’ people.
Seriously though, your article was very well-written and I’m sure it will be helpful to many aspiring writers because, after all, writing is putting forth a non-auditory voice. Sometimes it can take years to develop one’s voice and we all have to begin somewhere. When someone expresses from their true voice, whether by speaking or writing, we can all FEEL it. It all comes down to vibrations.
