Finding My Voice As A Writer

I remember when it struck me.

That little flame that came alight in a darkened room with people I was worshipping God with.

I remember thinking of the enormity of the situation.

I would write!

I was immediately excited.

And then concerned.

I wasn't an academic.

I was forever controlling a stutter.

I felt like I wasn't made for this [writing].

But yet, deep down inside i knew something would come.

God knows things we do not.

Years passed.

I tried and failed.

And to be honest, it was all pretty poor at the beginning.

It took time.

I want anyone reading this to know it is ok if it doesn't come easy.  That doesn't mean that your talent wont rise to the surface.  That doesn't mean you don't have something to share or will create something that will change a life.

In my story, although the dream was born. it took one night years later before the pieces started to fall into place.

After a devastating turn of events I was left a wash.

I didn't know where to turn to.

I didn't know what to do.

So I asked God what should I do now.

I don't remember dreaming that night.

I just remember waking up with the word, "books" in my mouth and I knew this was the answer to my prayer.

I decided to study.

To immerse myself in the details of writing.

I read.

I listened to podcasts.

I gleaned as much free information as I could, and if you know where to look their is a wealth of information up for grabs.

After I learnt as much as i could to get started.

Then I began to look at what I could write.

I needed a project or genre that could offer a launching pad.  Something where I could put into practice everything I had researched.

And then I remembered the songs.

My child was going through his own journey in speech development.

He too was working on finding his voice.

Being a stutter myself, I remembered the difference that singing made to my life.

It helped me structure sentences.

It helped me use rhythms.

It helped me master what I would call, "hump words" where I would need to get pass a certain  syllable and then I would be able to complete the word and all would be well.

Singing enabled me to control and master my stutter better.

And it was worth giving it a shot.

Therefore my child and I spent time in the garden making up adventures and singing parody songs to go along with it and that helped with his development.

Years later my child's teacher informed us that, when it came to reading, my little one wasn't a phonic learner but a memory based learner and so I was working on writing them down.

I thought that something with a familiarity would help with word recognition.

Hip Hooray and Robot Ray Go Sailing was the first book that  I conceptualised, wrote and finished.

It was the first boost to confidence, to skill and to success that has lead me to do what I do now.

I firmly believe in the wise from Mark Twain, "Write what you know."

Our voices are influenced by what we overcome.

What dust we shake from our clothing after we fall.

What dark places we have roamed.

And the light that we now carry  having came out of it.

Using our pain.

Our anguish.

Our good times and bad.

Can enhance the connectivity in your writing style.

People don't read to follow words on the page.

The read to FEEL the storyline.

To be invested into the character.

To cry when they cry.

To celebrate when they celebrate.

Readers want to connect.

They may even what to see themselves.

So they know they are not alone.

At the beginning I was trying to entertain.

However connection is far more rewarding.

My writing has changed.

My style has developed.

Part of that is because I read when I can.

I pay attention to the first line.

The description of places.

The flow of a paragraph.

And attach the principles to my work.

(Never copy though!)

Another part is because I practice.

I try.

I fail.

I try again.

And I come to a point where I can move through a story and get to the editing process without being in the "forever tweak rut."

But the biggest part is that I have healed little by little.

I recommend that if we are using our pain.

And our heartache.

That we have enough healing to be able to utilise our journey to connect with others without destruction or triggering.

As writers we have the responsibility to avoid causing harm.

Sharing a trauma without a means to support or demonstrate the turnaround that people searching for answers need, can be detrimental.

For us and the reader.

So feel free to shelve some of the things that trigger until  we have moved through the process into healing enough, to share in a safe way.

We can use our past to connect.

We can use our struggles to share where appropriate.

But growth is where the power comes from.

And where your breakthrough will be birthed from.

Don't give up.

I hope that I have encouraged you today.  If you would like to share your story or contact me please feel free to private message me on our Facebook page, or on Instagram.  You can also email me using theencouragerslife@gmail.com address.  Be sure to check out our next article here on ‘The Encouragers Life.’

Article written by J. Bingham

Copyright 2021