I've been listening to Rough Draft on Rainmaker.fm, a short little daily podcast that's writing tips, tricks and other things for digital marketers, and I'm digging it. This episode was pretty good. All about being a plain-spoken writer, and the value of learning to do this sort of thing.
That's how I write. Because I've figure out that trying to 'fancy up' my shit doesn't make it authentic or interesting and no one really cares how many big words I know. Especially with writing content for web. No one has an attention span. People want something direct, to the point, but they also want it to have a voice that they can relate to.
Basically, this podcast is reminding us that we don't write with an instinctual nature, especially for publication. Because once it's out there, it's out there, and we are scared of it. That's why I love having this blog, because I told myself I don't care about how many people are reading this and what they think of me. I am writing to write and get things off my mind and because I enjoy writing. It's a help, allowing me to do that with my work as well.
BUT- we speak, naturally. So write as if you are speaking.
Here's my gripe, okay? We have a good editor. We do. He's great, smart, English major, all that jazz. Totally beyond me. I know my work will always need editing, and that's totally fine. But sometimes my pieces lose my voice in that process. It's not my writing anymore, and it makes me in turns sad, angry, and defiant.
I want to give examples, but I'm not going to. But suffice to say, I don't write/talk that way.
What's a girl to do?
Probably nothing beside complain here, because I need a paycheck.
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