By David Joel Miller, Writer.

What will be your blog’s voice or personality?

Writers spend a lot of time trying to develop their “voice.” That may or may not be the same thing as your own voice. Some lessons I learned in writing and publishing my first two books taught me that lesson. In the early stages of writing the books, I ask friends and colleagues to read the books. As an aside here, in the future, I think I will ask strangers to be the first readers and work with an editor next.

So, what did I learn about voice from the first readers of my books?

People who read my nonfiction book told me that it “sounds just like you.” My voice came through in the writing. I’ve done a lot of teaching and running groups and developed an individual style for public speaking. That’s not what happened when I had people read my first novel. Not only did they tell me that my protagonist did not sound like me, but they said the hero had a distinctive personality. One beta reader even told me that something they liked about the book was that each of the main characters sounded differently. I had succeeded, at least in a small way, in giving different characters different voices.

So, what does that have to do with creating a voice for your blog? One thing you will need to decide, plan on, is what will be the voice of your blog be like. It could sound like you, but it could also be a very distinct personality. But that I don’t mean that you should be phony, just think about the style in which the posts will be written.

If you are knowledgeable about a subject, you could write like a professor.

My blog does reflect my personality. At the college, they call me “Professor Miller.” The central theme of my life has been learning new things and teaching others. Writing with a “Professor” voice doesn’t mean lots of large words and long sentences littered with citations. I tend to believe the best teachers take a complicated subject and explain it in a simpler way.

If you decide to write in a “Professor” voice, you need to either be an authority on the subject or be willing to do a lot of research. While I’m licensed as a therapist and counselor, I still read a lot of research trying to learn new things and trying to be sure that I’m explaining things correctly. That’s what a professor does.

Your blog could have a “persuader” voice.

If there is a topic you feel strongly about you may try to convince others to agree with your point of view. That doesn’t mean you should use sleazy tactics or try to get over on anyone. Good persuaders provide people with information but also explain things in ways that overcome objections.

If you feel strongly about global warming, or pollution, or animal overpopulation, you could easily write a blog about any of those topics. The professor would be describing the science behind pollution and possible technologies to minimize its impact. The persuader would be trying to convince people to do something about that pollution, reduce usage, recycle, maybe even buy an electric, nonpolluting vehicle. You can write about any topic, but the voice you choose can result in a unique presentation.

Your blog’s personality might be the “entertainer.”

Some blogs teach some persuade, while others primarily entertain. The entertainer can teach or persuade, but they do it differently. The entertainer blog, rather than presenting hard facts or emotional reasons, will get there point across by telling stories that are enjoyable to listen to. Fiction frequently contains a theme or moral, illustrated by an interesting tale. Entertainer personalities are more likely to use humor or detailed descriptions of people and places than either the professor or the persuader personality.

There are many other voices you could explore for your blog.

There is a branch of psychology called positive psychology. One premise of this branch of psychology is that there has been too much emphasis on what’s wrong with people and not enough emphasis on the positive. It’s possible to create a blog that emphasizes one of those positive characteristics such as creativity, vitality, zest for living, kindness, gratitude, or spirituality. Deciding on your blog’s voice or voices can make it much easier to write your posts.

You’ll find more posts on this topic under – Writing.

Staying connected with David Joel Miller

Seven David Joel Miller Books are available now!

My newest book is now available. It was my opportunity to try on a new genre. I’ve been working on this book for several years, but now seem like the right time to publish it.

Story Bureau.

Story Bureau is a thrilling Dystopian Post-Apocalyptic adventure in the Surviving the Apocalypse series.

Baldwin struggles to survive life in a post-apocalyptic world where the government controls everything.

As society collapses and his family gets plunged into poverty, Baldwin takes a job in the capital city, working for a government agency called the Story Bureau. He discovers the Story Bureau is not a benign news outlet but a sinister government plot to manipulate society.

Bumps on the Road of Life. Whether you struggle with anxiety, depression, low motivation, or addiction, you can recover. Bumps on the Road of Life is the story of how people get off track and how to get your life out of the ditch.

Dark Family Secrets: Doris wants to get her life back, but small-town prejudice could shatter her dreams.

Casino Robbery Arthur Mitchell escapes the trauma of watching his girlfriend die. But the killers know he’s a witness and want him dead.

Planned Accidents  The second Arthur Mitchell and Plutus mystery.

Letters from the Dead: The third in the Arthur Mitchell mystery series.

What would you do if you found a letter to a detective describing a crime and you knew the writer and detective were dead, and you could be next?

Sasquatch. Three things about us, you should know. One, we have seen the past. Two, we’re trapped there. Three, I don’t know if we’ll ever get back to our own time.

For these and my upcoming books; please visit my Author Page – David Joel Miller

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