I could not tell you how long I have been blogging on a daily basis. I started a blog in what I think was my second year of university; the site I was using was not terribly user-friendly, so after using it for a few months, I scrapped that platform and then made the move to WordPress, which I do not regret.
Are there things I dislike about WordPress? Absolutely. But, it’s better than the other blogging site I initially tried.
When I first started blogging, I was very much under the impression that in order for readers to take me and my content seriously, I had to write as though I were a Victorian professor, using language and vocabulary I normally would not in my daily life. I figured the fancier it sounded, the better, but this was a poor assumption on my part that I realized years later did not do me any favours.
Once I started writing posts in a narrative that was natural to me, and my personality, I actually had people telling me how much they preferred this writing style over a former forced one. My sister was one of the first people to inform me that while she read my blog post, she did so hearing me speak it, and this was one of the best compliments I’ve ever received as a writer.
After realizing that the way in which I used to write was not true to myself, nor was it very alluring, I started writing in a manner that truly reflects me. I’ve never been someone to give a flying fuck about what other people think of me, and I considered how I should apply this same ideology to my writing. Why would I write in a context that is not a true reflection of who I am?
If you want to improve your writing skills, please do not be afraid to be yourself in your words. There’s only one you, so be authentic.
Photo by Unseen Studio on Unsplash
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