One in a series of writing tips.
Let’s start with a question. Would you rather spend an hour with …
The guy who speaks at warp speed in a pharmaceutical commercial to disclose all that could go wrong …
Or Ernie, Bert’s pal from “Sesame Street”?
Probably Ernie. He’s friendly and likeable. The drug ad voice is impersonal, even scary.
There’s a takeaway here for writers: to avoid that persona we sometimes adopt when writing – of a distant authority figure.
It’s the keyboard voice.
And it’s as appealing as drug ads.
What’s better? Your voice, the one you already know and use daily when talking with family and friends.
Write in that voice and readers usually will find your writing less lofty and more relatable. They may trust you more – and thus trust your text’s message. They might remember more of it.
And, because writing permits revisions, you can eliminate the “ah’s,” “um’s” and verbal stumbles that occur in casual conversations.
The goal isn’t to dumb down your writing. It’s to unshackle your personality to write in the voice of a credible friend.
Write like you talk.
Only better.
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