For today’s NaBloPoMo challenge, we are supposed to take a look at our writing voice and its reflection of ourselves. My initial reaction was “no way”. Giving this some thought, I’ve realized that my writing style is very much a reflection of how I feel personally when I am out trying to make conversation with other people.
I am an extremely shy individual. For me, going up and talking to people (immediate family not included) is very hard for me and my attempts seem very awkward. Once I get started, or if we are talking about something with which I am very familiar or have a lot of interest, then the awkwardness decreases. But sometimes, my attempts just go nowhere and everything about the whole situation just seems awkward and stiff to me.
That’s how I often feel about my blog posts. If I’m not writing about technology or digital scrapbooking, everything just seems very stiff and awkward. Of course, this leads to very boring reading. My posts usually end up nothing like I had imagined. (Cause I always imagine these really amazing posts.) The words just don’t seem to flow well. But I keep going, hoping that the more I write, the better I will sound.
Before today, I would never have given any thought to the relationship between my writing style and my own self. However, having given this some thought, I can see that they are totally related. When I am speaking with others, I rarely show even a bit of the quirkiness I show to my family. Rather, I am very scared to death, worried about what everyone is thinking. My blog post writing tends to be the same.
I go in to the post, imagining this really well written, entertaining post. (Kind of how conversations go in my head before I actually try to start one up.) The end result is almost never what I hoped it would be. (Same with my actual conversations.) I finally end up disappointed, but not sure where to go from there.
One of my commenters mentioned that we would be learning a lot this month. I wondered if that was true. But I can see this is going to be an enlightening month, because we are only on the fourth of March and I have already learned something about myself and my writing.
Have you learned anything about yourself lately? Leave me a comment and let me know what you have learned about yourself of late (or what you would like to learn). I look forward to seeing what journey we are all on.
Until next time, don’t forget to document your memories.
I haven’t done this prompt yet, but I too imagine amazing posts, like unspoken conversations, in my head that never translate well to the monitor. I’m brilliant in my own mind. You are too, aren’t you?
It’s turning off the self-editing, I’m afraid, that leads to that brilliance shining through in our posts. I’m not sure I’m brave enough to let go and be.
Dropping by from UBC and NaBloPoMo.
Carrie Ann, you are right. I am brilliant in my own mind. And I also a self editor. Not sure I could give it up. I think too much time writing papers in college may make it impossible.