Write In Your Unique Voice
There are readers and listeners who are anxious to hear your words!
Happy World Writer’s Day to writers everywhere, whatever language, whatever medium. Your words matter!
I used to wonder why so many people would write about a topic that had been well covered by other authors who had written excellent books.
I finally realized that, just like each of us is unique, so is our individual voice. I realized that although a particular author may have received awards for their writing in a particular area, their writing may not appeal to all readers.
Just as we all have a unique voice, we also have a unique ear.
How any individual reads and understands an author’s words can vary immensely. What sounds fascinating to me may sound dull to another person. That’s okay. There are enough readers in the world to go around.
Every story is interesting to someone. So write it. One of the wonderful things about the internet, and Medium in particular, is that there is always somewhere that your words will be read and appreciated.
There was a time when I was fascinated by Mayan culture. In particular, by Mayan hieroglyphs. And by the scribes that wrote the Mayan stories.
When I first got interested in Mayan glyphs researchers were starting to make progress in translating writings that had resisted such efforts for a century or more. I even took a class in translating such glyphs as much of the work that was being done in translating was by amateurs such as myself.
In the years since, almost all available Mayan writing has been translated. Unfortunately, there is not a lot of it. While the Mayans had books, all but four of them were destroyed by the Spanish conquistadors and the priests that travelled with them.
Aside from those four books, there is writing on stones in the ruins of Mayan buildings, such as in the photo above. In addition, many of the Mayan artifacts, particularly pots, had hieroglyphs.
Images and translations of these writings have been gathered and shared and tell an interesting story of the Mayans. As a result, the history of the Mayan civilization is becoming clearer many centuries after the scribes that wrote their stories have passed on.
With the internet, words you write today will persist for as long as human civilization exists. So, if in doubt, write. Who knows who you will affect with your writing centuries or millenniums from now?
Thank you for reading!
I am frequently inspired by other writers on Medium. Here are some I’ve particularly enjoyed reading recently:
My article was prompted by Sahil Patel’s thoughful piece reminding us that today is World Writer’s Day:
Aunty Jean reminds us just how important libraries are to our communities. This is especially true for us that are called to write. Where else would we be exposed to the wonderful words of the writers that came before us?
Casey Stanley discusses some of the misconceptions many of us have about mental health issues, particularly as they relate to depression. I encourage you to read her piece and increase your awareness of the issues that people in your life may be dealing with.
I wish to thank new people who recently chose to follow me and my writing. Your interest encourages me to continue writing.
John Whye, James Julian, Kunal Mehra, Edith Gallagher Boyd, Blogs by J, Rachael Bao, Emily Forman, Jane Grismer, Leonard Tillerman, Lorna Dolan, Nazrul islam borbhiyan Nazrul islam borbhiyan, The Accidental Monster, Ger Moniker, Maria S, Nina Daring, kasey sparks, JoAnne Wallis
Thank you for following me.
Additionally I would like to thank people who recently engaged with my writing. Given the changes going on at Medium it is unclear when and how individual articles are distributed, hence this list of tags. If any of you would like to be excluded from my tags in future, please, please let me know!
GB Rogut, Robin Christine Honigsberg, David Perlmutter, Christyl Rivers, Phd., Colleen Wieghorst, Zuzanna Żak, Charlotte Kingsbury- Fink, Plum Street Chili, Habib Rehman, Hussan Ara, Joyce Nielsen, Teresa Roberts, Elizabeth Kaldeck Smith, Mia Verita, Jackie Schuld, DL Nemeril, Rebecca Romanelli, Duncan Klein, Saba Haider, William J Spirdione, Barbara Mac, Kimberly Carlson Aesara, Gauri Sirur, Patrick OConnell, Mukundarajan V N, Amanda Laughtland, Dr Victoria Powell, Paul Neelon, Michele Maize, Krystal Morgan, Mawde Olssen, Vidya Sury, Collecting Smiles, ✏️Pencil + Ashes (Ash), Margie Willis, Michelle Marie Warner, Dan J, Bobi Ombui Aguilera, Debika Kumari, kasey sparks, Szonja Hollos, Tita and Keg, The Autlaw, John Rollason, Joyce Nielsen, Mette Harrison, Judi Schwartz, Dr. Fatima Imam, John Baxter Weekes, Martin von Mars, Caroline de Braganza, Iva Ursano, Debra Groves Harman, MEd, Crystal Abrahams, Sofia A. Koutlaki, Josephine Crispin, Hemanth, Kiera(n) Jaegar, Mark
And finally, I want to thank Dr. Preeti Singh, Yana Bostongirl, and Sahil Patel as the editors of Reciprocal for the incredible support they provide to writers.
I wish you well!
