Finding Your Blogging Voice
I am still a toddler when it comes to blogging, with this baby only being 1-year-old this past July. It has been a labor of love complete with contractions, pushing and lots of screaming. But, just like in real labor, I’ve forgotten some of the pain as I’ve fallen in love with the infant laying in my arms.
When my babies were infants, I was mesmerized by the oooing and gurgling sounds they made even during the wee hours of feeding time. And then as they grew and started forming words…well, you know! That first word was magic and you never forget it. My son’s was kit-kit-kat. Yes, not momma or daddy, but kit-kit-kat. And my daughter’s first word was her brother’s name, pronounced a-ene. I guess she heard it more than ours! 😉 Regardless, we will never forget their first words.
I hope you’ve forgotten some of my first words, as some of them make little sense due to long, drawn-out articles that might make some wish I was mute. But, I am finding my voice and thought I might share a few things I’ve learned for new bloggers.
One mistake that I’ve made along the way, is wanting to write like other bloggers. I fall in love with a particular style or personality and think my content will be better if it sounds a bit like SuzyQ’s. More times than not, it is those posts that I’m least satisfied with. The voice or tone of your blog needs to be none other than your own. I am no expert, but I’m constantly reading and learning, and enjoy sharing what I learn. A few examples of voices used in writing fiction are:
If you are a drama queen or king, then this is your voice. You will have the gift of taking everyday rituals and turning them into riveting posts.
If you are a take-charge, ready to take-on-the-day, courageous person who wants to write commentary – political or religious in nature, then this is your voice. You may be able to increase your readership with a variety of strategies to create controversy or perhaps reach a consensus with your readers.
Beckie Nash
01/04/2015 at 10:05 pmKim, you definitely have the gift of writing. I love your blogs and they are always witty, intelligent, informative and interesting. Just continue to be yourself and keep all of us inspired with your fun blogs for 2015.
Alan
01/01/2015 at 11:29 amKim, You’ve had a great year! You do so much for the Southern Bloggers Jubilee that you have my sincere thank you. For me, and many of your adoring fans, you found your voice with “Keep in Touch.”
Kim @ CoziNest
01/01/2015 at 3:51 pmAlan, I can’t thank you enough for this compliment. I hadn’t thought of that post in that way, but I think you are right. Sometimes grief and anger can bring out something good. Silver linings just need to be turned inside out sometimes.
Judy Pimperl
12/31/2014 at 1:27 pmWell, I can certainly relate to this post! I, like you, worried that my “style” wouldn’t be popular with the masses…but, I just decided to go with it. It’s who I am, and I’m sure there are some other crazy, old, artsy and funky people out there who can relate to me, and maybe a few others that will just enjoy reading about my crazy life! I love the fact that God created us all to be different and unique individuals, and we should celebrate it! I can’t wait to see what 2015 brings for us!
judypimperl.blogspot.com
Charlotte
12/31/2014 at 10:01 amWhatever your voice, I enjoy your blogs. You have the gift of expression and that, to me, makes a great writer. I read or heard somewhere, “Be yourself — everybody else is taken.” Makes sense.
Kim @ CoziNest
12/31/2014 at 10:08 amI love that! “Everybody else is taken!” It does make perfect sense. Hugs to you, MILove!
Lorraine
12/31/2014 at 5:01 amI really like this post, but I’m not sure what category I fit into! Meanwhile, I just got the nicest compliment that a blogger can get. Lisa B at Vintage Stuff and Such wrote. “I really enjoy reading other people’s blogs about thrifting and reselling.” (she mentioned mine among others) “It helps me feel part of a community. Sure I belong to several thrifting groups that offer all kinds of help, but other bloggers offer more than their help; they share their lives.”
That really made my day!! Happy New Year Kim!
Kim @ CoziNest
12/31/2014 at 7:57 amLorraine, what a nice compliment! I’m sure it did make your day, just like you’ve made mine. This list isn’t all-encompassing, I’m sure. I just found it interesting to compare the “fiction voice” used by novelists with the voice of bloggers. I agree wholeheartedly that bloggers share their lives. That’s what I love about it, too. Happy New Year to you and and yours, too!