The Power of Influence: Becoming the Voice in Someone Else's Head

When you read a book, do you hear your voice, your version of the author's voice, or the voices of the characters? For me, it's a blend. I become both the narrator and the characters. They are uniquely themselves, but as I read along, the words become mine as well. They translate into my thinking process.

The Power of Words

I was considering this a few weeks ago, and my brain has been swirling ever since. As writers, are we, in a sense, telepathic? Are we mind controllers? When a piece goes viral, it can become akin to "group think," a collective consciousness processing the same ideas simultaneously.

Bear with me; I promise I haven't been mainlining electrolytes. We will embark on a voyage but will end back in reality, armed with insights for making the most of this powerful skill.

A Journey Through Writing

One of my early zines, Motion Sickness, was reviewed favorably by HeartattaCk (IYKYK) as a "poetry collection for people who don't like poetry." In an interview, I explained that my goal with writing was "to bring people to a collective understanding of a way of being in the world." As a travel zine, I wanted to show the world I was experiencing to a broader audience to increase compassion and curiosity. My writing was poetic but accessible. If the point of writing is to communicate, then intangible and overly complicated writing only communicates to a narrow and esoteric audience. That review was one of the highest praises I could have received for that project.

But writing is a funny way to show the world to people. We enter into our readers' psyche. We use our words and experiences (or, for fiction writers, the words and experiences of our narrator and characters) to reveal a new way of existing. We introduce new things to notice and consider, along with possibilities of how to react. But what if a new possibility suddenly became the de facto response? What if our mental positioning changed in an instant, if only for a moment? Isn't that the case when we read?

As writers, that's an incredible power.

Controlling Minds

If you are controlling minds, even for four minutes while they read your essay, where do you want to take them, and what do you want them to see?

I know this sounds a little "woo-woo," but let's run with this thought experiment for a moment. In my early drafts, I can get sucked into my memories of what I experienced. Yes, it is all part of painting the scene of why a trip was so compelling. But in reality, if you have two minutes to take your readers on an adventure where they find themselves transported to a truck stop in Brussels, do you really want to spend too much time exploring the fragrant interiors of Portuguese lorries or decoding the Morse code of streetlights flickering in the dark?

For a workshop I hosted on this idea, check out this link.

The Bigger Question

There's a bigger question behind these decisions. How much time you take focusing on the "wrong" things is crucial because the intended message can easily get buried. It also focuses your "why": why are you telling this story? Who is the target audience? What are you hoping they get out of it? With this precious power to infiltrate our readers' thoughts, we better make it good.

We have the power to make people's lives better. We can make them more compassionate and curious. We can help them deeply understand something that had previously been elusive. We can unlock kindness for themselves and others through our storytelling.

Understanding the Craft

But first, we have to understand how to wield this power effectively. Writing is not just about putting words on a page. It's about crafting an experience. Each sentence should serve a purpose. Each paragraph should build upon the last.

The Art of Storytelling

Storytelling is an art. It requires practice and dedication. You must learn to engage your readers from the very first sentence. Consider how you can draw them into your world. What emotions do you want to evoke? What thoughts do you want to provoke?

The Importance of Clarity

Clarity is key in writing. Avoid jargon and overly complex sentences. Instead, aim for simplicity and directness. Your readers should easily grasp your message. If they have to work too hard to understand, they may lose interest.

Final Thoughts

If you're a writer with an epic tale you're looking to share with the world and need help sculpting it — or even finding the meaning you hope to impart on others that you learned through your adventures — click a button below to get started. I offer free half-hour discovery calls to help you come up with a game plan for moving forward. I also provide one-time, pressure-free consultations that include a review of your work, constructive feedback, and input on possible next steps.

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