This post, as so many of mine have, owes quite a bit to the wonderful Ivan Levison.
In a June newsletter, he detailed his struggle to find his voice while toiling as an advertising copywriter in San Francisco. “ … I struggled mightily to simplify my style and develop a voice of my own.”
I believe all writers go through the same struggle. As a copywriter, I have my own style—some days executed better than others. Of course, there are always client preferences to pay mind to. Generally, clients don’t lean too hard, and that’s helped me develop a voice that works. It’s a daily process that never stops.
An aside: Years ago, I read an interview with Judith Krantz, author of Scruples and Princess Daisy. (And yes, I confess to reading at least one of these pulpy delights.) Ms. Krantz described how she wrote in long hand on yellow legal pad, racking up numerous drafts before calling her efforts final. When confronted by the interviewer about the schlockiness of her work, she essentially told him to back off. She was, she said, putting out maximum effort, was at the top of her game, and really couldn’t do any better. We should all have such courage.
Mr. Levison’s newsletter article is not just about voice. It’s about how hard it can be to develop one. At bottom, I feel, it’s a heartfelt plea to accord writers the respect they deserve. In his words: “It is not easy to write well. Like a plumber, a carpenter, or a mason, a copywriter has to serve an apprenticeship to learn his/her craft. Like so many things in life, you have to work very hard to make it all look easy.”
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