Finding Your Unique Voice in a Forest of Voices on Medium — Part 2
If it’s your goal to create your own following on Medium, it can feel like a daunting task.
There are already so many wonderful personalities on the platform, how is a new writer to breakthrough? Is there need for another voice? Is there even room for another one?
I think the answer is yes. There is plenty of room for numerous writers to rise to the top… but you absolutely have to be unique. You have to be you.
How do you find your unique voice?
Yesterday I wrote about looking back through your past to extract the top moments you’ve experienced so far— the highest and lowest moments of your life — and what has helped you craft your unique story.
If you didn’t read part 1, you can check it out here.
The highlights and “lowlights” of your life are your top moments, and those top moments are the stepping stones that can put you on the path to becoming a top writer on Medium.
Just like the path that runs through a dark forest, you need something to lead you through all the confusing twists and turns. Without it, it’s much more likely you’ll find yourself lost and overwhelmed along the way. But you can avoid that.
Once you’ve uncovered the top moments from your life, it’s time to dig a little deeper.
Look through them and see if there are any themes that immediately jump out at you. Also, spend time thinking about those moments but also think about how they shaped you into who you are today. Those additional themes are where the real value is revealed.
The items that deal directly with shaping who you’ve become are the ones that you need to closely examine. Those are the ones you can use to develop your unique voice… and that is what you will use to set yourself apart from the crowd.
Three things to keep in mind
These are like the lanterns lighting your path. Ignore even one of them and you’ll stray off the main path.
- Be you, be authentic
- Don’t worry about the timeline
- Enjoy the journey
I am new to Medium so the advice that I’m writing about is coming from my past writing experiences. But they apply here as well.
The most important thing you can do for yourself is be authentic.
That’s nothing new. You’ve probably heard or read the same thing several times now. Don’t try to fake it. Everyone can see right through that.
When people say fake it until you make it, that does not apply to this. You have to be the real you. Don’t ever try to be someone you’re not.
If you’re really authentic, it won’t matter if it takes you ten weeks or ten years to build your audience (although 10 weeks would be way more fun)!
You shouldn’t be writing to become rich or famous. The real reason you should be writing is because you love writing, and because you want to use your talents for others. Anything above and beyond that is just a terrific byproduct.
So be sure to keep yourself authentic and write for the love of writing.
And that leaves one thing — enjoy your journey. I’ve said it before but I really believe it… the journey is the most rewarding thing!
