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August 26, 2003A VoiceHave you ever realized how hard it is to change your style of writing? As a rule, I do not normally write about work related items. However, this morning a comment was made that struck me as particularly interesting. On a conference call with our CEO, CFO, and Company Counsel, we were discussing strategy and the current tactics for one of our policy issues. Our current target is a letter from one respected public official to another. This will be the latest in many letters of the same vein. Our company counsel advised that I should take care to craft this letter differently from the others. He made clear it was not a criticism, but that many of the letters appear to have a very similar voice and tone. To wit, he added, “We just want to make sure that it doesn’t look like the same public relations man wrote all of them.” Our CEO and I had discussed the same thing only last week. As I returned to the previous letters to revise for voice, I found it to be true. We finalized a news release yesterday about a new development at the company. I looked through it again this morning to polish and check one last time for any typos or errors. Again, there was that same voice.
An English major could probably tell you exactly what defines my voice and style. I can only recognize the similarities. More importantly, I wonder how often in the news, on television, on the internet, we see the same ghost voice speaking for several people. How many quotes attributed to other people emanate from one person? Over the years, I’ve witnessed candidates, senators, governors, Congressmen, CEOs, agency officials, businessmen and women, and any number of others go on the record with my words, my voice. Do you remember the scene in Clear and Present Danger when Jack Ryan and his wife are watching the morning news and they see the President answer a question about his relationship with a shady associate? Jack turns to his wife and says “I said that!” That same joy of realizing something you said was taken by someone else and used as their own is commonplace in my work. To an extent, it has grown old to me and resentment has built. I don’t know when it went from a joy to hear my words being used by others to this current feeling. It was gradual. However, more and more, I desire for my words to be my words. Perhaps, it is one of the reasons why I continue this blog. For a long time, I’ve used it as an outlet. There is no shortage of bloggers dedicated to punditry and commentary on politics and current events. I stay away from that kind of writing because that’s what I do for a living. Actually, that’s how I first learned of blogs. Like so many other policy wonks, lobbyists, and other folks whose jobs are in various places of the political sphere, I came looking for a pulse of what people were thinking about various issues. When I discovered just how easy it was to have one, I started my own. In doing so, I vowed to avoid the political topics as much as possible. What I wanted was an outlet to write about something else. I needed place to rejuvenate my creative energies from the grind of the news release-letter-speech-in person appeals-calling a contact grind of my job. I earn my paycheck by using words to influence policy and government decisions, so I was comfortable with the notion of being a fair writer in that genre. What I did not know and doubted and still doubt is whether my words, my voice, could cross over into another genre. This site is my attempt to answer that question. It allows my voice to be my voice. When I’m linked and quoted, the words are attributed to me. When there are comments or emails, readers are responding to me. It is a bit narcissistic, but for me it is a reward and a relief from the other words I string together. My deepest gratitude is owed to the many gentle readers who visit here, comment, and email me. You have given my voice a greater affirmation than you ever realized. Thank you. www [dot] margilowry [dot] com linked with My Favorite Posts Vol. 1 Comments
Adam...that was wonderful. The friends that I have that write for a living, but do not write "creatively" for a living often struggle about the exact same issues that you have brought up in this post. To be a good writer is difficult, it takes hard work, you are a good writer and your work, your words should be known to be yours. Posted by: Miss Bliss at August 26, 2003 12:41 PMYes, but on the flip side of this is my 'situation': I've had a number of bloggers e-mail me behind the scenes and ask what it means to run a successful weblog. This is always awkward for me, because everyone defines success in different ways ('...you want hits? you want interaction? what?'). The only piece of advice I dole out is to write conversationally. If you write as if you were speaking the words to someone ('tellin' a stawry'), the flow and content will be genuine. This just seems like common sense to me. BUT, more and more I find people running with things I've said, little catch-phrases or a particular manner of saying something and making them theirs. According to my momma's logic of imitation being the sincerest form of flattery, I should be tickled, but I'm just not. I don't want to be imitated OR flattered. I want people to find their voices, not to use mine to tell their story. Posted by: Jett at August 26, 2003 01:34 PM**Golf Clap** Posted by: ho at August 26, 2003 02:49 PMPost a comment
 
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