[Your Voice - XV]
Not timid. Your voice ought to carry with it an air of confidence. Not because it’s infallible but because it’s yours.
Not lazy. Slang is lazy; cliches are lazy; stereotypes are lazy, too. Your voice, if it’s truly yours and not a regurgitation of another’s voice (or propaganda), will take work. Shortcuts and voice are mutually exclusive.
Not pretentious. Your voice may confuse some, but it can’t have within it a confounding spirit. Simple is almost always better. Reaching for a thesaurus is almost always the wrong step to your best communication.
Not mimicry. Developing your voice begins with mimicry but can’t stay that way. Mimicry becomes plagiarism, punditry, or posturing as soon as it’s used to rationalized content creation.
However, your voice may include fragile words. Not limp or weak. Not soft. But precise enough to do only one job, and do it with excellence and beauty. (On occasion the fine china and skinny-necked wine glasses should be used for dinner.)
