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Stumbling Over Words
Writers who feel like frauds
When you love writing, it would only seem natural to be good with words. This isn’t always the case. The written word and spoken word are often quite different. If you’ve ventured to read any of my other pieces, you may have noticed a passion behind what I choose to write. Writing is both therapeutic for me and insightful. It allows me to open up my mind and share information, passion, and more of myself with others.
However, I have found over the years that writers don’t always make the best public speakers. I’ve seen this prove true with some of my favorite novelists who seem rather uncomfortable in person. This is also true in my own life from time to time. I can put together content in a matter of minutes, but ask me to share an elevator pitch about basic business information for the company I’m representing and I stumble all over myself.
Writing allows my brain time to process and tweak what I want to convey, similar to how practicing a speech allows you to hone your skill, target your audience, and relay key points. However, an unscripted video or phone call with clients can feel intimidating.
People expect writers to have an eloquent tongue. The simple truth is, not all of us do. Transmitting my knowledge through pen and paper, or via web content, seems easy compared to sharing…