Being Okay to Write As You Uniquely Are
Be bold, be real, write what’s truly yours
Ready for a memoir where the writer’s barely contained on the page?
About a life packed, ablaze, raw.
Adventure, tragedy, nature love.
Then check out “We Are the Stars” by Gina Chick. She's an Australian bush survivor, rewilding facilitator, singer/songwriter, writer, and speaker.
And, as she writes, “I am a storm wrapped in skin.”
Her language and stories say it all.
Deeply engaged in life, love, the wild.
Tempestuous feelings. Unquenched curiosity. Magic catalysing.
Soulful, beautiful, piercing writing.
You don’t want the book to end.
Because her words carry you into the ecstasy (and abyss) of her life.
They’re an antidote to the soul-busting, generic writing that fails to move or hold us.
And you wish you could write with an iota of her talent.
But let’s be real.
We didn’t live that same wild childhood, feel the deep earthing, or write with the irrepressible life force that flows through Gina.
So, while honouring our own lives, how do we add that kind of authenticity to our writing?
Write As You Speak
We start with being present when we write.
Drop into our own hearts.
And let the words flow. Without editing.
Without succumbing to second-guessing.
Without fear.
As writer Natalie Goldberg said,
It is important to separate the creator and the editor or internal censor when you practice writing, so that the creator has space to breathe, explore, and express.
Being the person we are when we sit with a friend at a cafe.
Relaxed, real, natural.
Open to going deeper.
Or going wide.
We write with the same words we use at the cafe. We don’t sanitize our vocab.
As long as the words feel true, that’s the spot we write from.
Because we feel slightly off if we deviate from who we are and what matters to us.
And our readers feel it.
Write What You Care About
And don’t bother writing about something you could care less about.
Because the boredom will bleed into your work.
Remember when you were assigned a school essay?
Except when with the rare creative teacher, the topic didn’t light you up. So your sentences felt forced. The process felt like a chore.
The result lacked life.
Compare that to how you sound when you describe something you love.
You can barely shut up. And the words sing.
You lose track of time. The words appear effortlessly.
And you lean toward superlatives and words laced with power.
When you re-read them, you’re right back there feeling it all again.
That’s the power of writing in alignment with your values. About what matters to you.
Is making money important? Or showing compassion? Or straight-talking truth?
Write what you care about because readers are listening to see if your values match theirs.
They need to know you’re worth reading and the kind of person they want to get to know.
Consider Brené Brown.
Her research into shame, vulnerability, and connection revolutionized how people understand courage,
Vulnerability sounds like truth and feels like courage.
Her voice—equal parts scientific and big-sky-Texan personal—is unmistakable.
It’s magnetic because no one else has her stories or tells them so hilariously.
And guess what?
Writing with fierce honesty like this transforms you, the writer, too.
When you write from a true presence, you end up more grounded, confident, and feel seen.
Write About Your Life
Your readers aren’t looking for perfection.
They’re looking for connection.
They’re eager to get to know you.
So bring in the small details of daily life to show us some human.
Anne Lamott, in Bird by Bird, is a master of this. Her willingness to write from her raw, messy truth is exactly what endears her to readers.
Plus, her incisive wit.
You own everything that happened to you. Tell your stories. If people wanted you to write warmly about them, they should have behaved better.
So, as when talking to a trusted friend, don’t hold back about your mistakes and failures, as well as sharing your triumphs.
We’re not perfect. We’re real.
In a world filled with shallow, clickbait content, sincerity is an unfair advantage.
Write To Stand Out Not Blend In
Bring your uniqueness to your work.
You’ve spent a lifetime becoming you. Why hide it?
Your quirks, preferences, and perspective are strengths to embrace.
Writing honestly connects you with your people. Your words are tuning forks that resonate with them.
As Dani Shapiro wrote,
When you write in your true voice, you’re not just creating words—you’re creating trust. Readers crave honesty and originality.
So,
if you’re witty, crack us up.
if you’re reflective, take us in with you.
if you’re bold and direct, don’t dilute it.
No one else is Gina Chick. So her ripper voice is taken.
But no one else is you, either.
It’s what makes your writing yours. It’s the reason your voice stands out in a sea of sameness.
How to Write As You Are
To better align your writing with who you are, ask yourself these questions:
What topics light me up? Write about what makes you curious, passionate, or even a little nervous.
What values guide my life? Identify what matters most to you—integrity, love, growth, or freedom?
What’s my natural voice? If you were explaining this idea to a friend over coffee, how would you sound?
We don’t need another generic article or bland blog post.
We need more unique Gina Chicks.
Write in your voice, shaped by your daily life, your values, and how you stand out.
And the bonus is you’ll not only find your audience—you’ll find yourself.
So, the next time you sit down to write, don’t just ask, “What do people want to read?” Ask, “What can I say that’s mine?”
Thank you, Jeanette. I needed this. Sometimes, there are pieces I read that I wish I wrote— usually in a more poetic style. But that’s not how I sound. Your post assures me it is alright to just be me. Thanks again!
Let’s forget there is any other way to write, hey?