The trick to distance yourself from generic AI content
Hello to all you writers, freelancers and digital nomads,
Welcome to the very first edition of the Writer’s Juice newsletter. I’m super happy to have you on board. I respect your time so I’ll keep this short.
Each week I’ll cover a freelance writing focused topic. This could be anything from content marketing, to copywriting tricks, freelancing best practices or even a deep dive on Web3 writing.
For this very first edition, I thought I’d explore the concept of writer’s voice:
- what it is,
- why new writers struggle, and
- what you can do to find yours.
Enough chit chat. Let’s go.
?? Writer’s Voice ??
As a new writer, trying to find your voice on paper can feel awkward. I’ve been there myself! And let’s face it, the online writing space is getting harder and harder to crack. It’s saturated. Not to mention all the AI content flooding the web these days.
I can usually sense when content has been written by AI, or at least I think I do. It just has that blatant generic feel about it, especially the posts that are 100% copy pasted. I’ve seen respectable writers lose their voice this way and it’s such a shame.
Now, more than ever, honing in on your writer’s voice is crucial. This is what sets you apart from the crowds of wannabees and low-effort ChatGPT copypasta online. Finding your voice is a phase we all need to go through. It removes so much friction from the process and unleashes your creativity.
So where is your voice? Have you found it yet?
Or are you still searching?
Oftentimes, it’s helpful to look to successful people when dealing with our own struggles. Let’s take a leaf from Ernest Hemingway’s book.
Ernest Hemingway, public domain.
Hemingway started his career as a journalist, a great way to develop his writing skills and experiment with various styles. But his life changed drastically with the advent of World War I. Working as an ambulance driver, Hemingway witnessed horrors no man should ever see. This affected him deeply, so much so that it shaped the style of his writing.
What emerged was a distinct voice. Powerful but emotional, deep yet minimalistic. Hemingway’s voice conveyed the essence of what he felt needed to be said, while skipping out on all the fluff.
Hemingway’s writing voice helped him land the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1953 followed by the Nobel Prize in Literature the year after. He achieved worldwide success and recognition while writing short, concise prose; a style he referred to as iceberg theory
“All you have to do is write one true sentence. Write the truest sentence that you know.”
Ernest Hemingway
The key takeaway is that you don’t need to wow your reader with flowery descriptions or bombard them with details.
New writers lack experience and overcompensate this by adding adjectives and long-winded explanations. They think that writing is all about description.
If you want to wow your reader then speak from experience and tell your true story. But leave a bit of space in between for the reader to discover the rest.
The best journeys are full of self-discovery.
?? Take Action ??
Here are 3 action points to track down your writer’s voice.
- . This is imperative to becoming a writer. No matter what your niche is, whether it’s fantasy fiction or social media copy, study the most successful writers and see how they voice their ideas. Notice how they sound unique?
- . It’s really that simple. Start by writing what you know. Try explaining a concept to a friend. Write how you felt yesterday. Keep a journal of your frustrations. If you’re not writing, you’re not a writer.
- Now try writing from your vulnerable side. Be BRAVE and show your weaknesses. Stand out from all the polished, generic AI content and gather heartfelt interest from your fellow human readers. The more you write, the more these readers will turn to fans and friends.
If this topic sparks your interest, here’s some further reading for you to enjoy:
- Ernest Hemingway’s Iceberg Theory, Wikipedia
- Dealing With Impostor Syndrome, Writer’s Juice
?? What’s Buzzing? ??
Here’s what caught my attention in the world of freelance writing over the past few days:
- Framer partners up with Contra to launch Framer Experts, a new way to match website owners with freelancers, studios and agencies.
- Notion redesigns their Template Gallery. Notion templates are a great way to organise your thoughts and writing objectives.
- Proton introduces Proton Pass, a free open-source end-to-end encrypted password manager.
- adds 2 new features focusing on safety and personalisation. PRESEARCH is a decentralised search engine that pays users PRE tokens to search via their platform.
?? Show Some Love ??
Are you getting value from this newsletter? I hope so!
My goal is to help unlock your potential as a freelance writer. I’ve poured countless hours into researching and crafting these juicy tips for you.
If you’d like to show your support, you can collect my sketches over on . I’ll be posting exclusive 1-of-1 pieces to complement the newsletter topics. As they’re 1-of-1s, it’s first come, first served!
Here’s today’s sketch: . I drew this one in Krita using my trusty wireless mouse.
You can grab this digital collectible
?? Win-Win-Win ??
I created this newsletter to guide writers along their freelance journey. But it doesn’t stop there.
Whether you’re an aspiring writer, project founder or business owner, here are 3 more ways I can help out.
Everybody wins!
- Join the free Writer’s Juice community where you’ll find a ton of useful resources, writing-themed discussion channels and a friendly group of likeminded writers.
- Need support with your project’s online content? Why not pass by my portfolio site and let’s work together.
- Want to share your product or service with an audience of passionate writers, digital nomads and fast-rising freelancers? Send an email and let’s discuss sponsorship details.
Thanks for reading.
Talk to you next time,
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