Voice Lessons: Uncovering and Claiming Your Unique, Creative Voice
You're a writer, artist, singer, choreographer. Think Lady Gaga, Judy Garland, Prince. Hemingway, JK Rowling, JRR Tolkien. Picasso, Van Gogh. You're tired of trying to uncover your voice by imitating other artists. If you've peeled back the layers of your voice and think you finally recognize it as yours, do you have the courage to claim it? These are the questions we aim to answer during my biweekly podcast, Voice Lessons: Covering and Claiming Your Unique, Creative Voice.
Voice Lessons: Uncovering and Claiming Your Unique, Creative Voice
“I’m Just Done” — How Letting Go and Embracing Authenticity Can Unlock Your Voice with Fawn Germer
I had the pleasure of speaking with prolific writer Fawn Germer, who has written 10 books (plus one workbook) over her impressive 25-year career. We began by discussing Fawn’s early days as an investigative journalist and how she transitioned into becoming a bestselling author who has also been a keynote speaker for nearly 100 Fortune 500 companies.
Her first book, which was initially rejected by every major publisher, eventually became a number-one nonfiction bestseller, thanks to Oprah's endorsement. This victory set the stage for a career full of books that empower readers to embrace risk and change while maximizing their personal power.
During our discussion, we explored the complexities of the publishing industry, focusing on Fawn's insights regarding self-publishing versus traditional publishing. Fawn candidly shared her experiences with different publishers and agents, and the strategic decisions she made to get each of her books published.
We also explored the evolution of Fawn’s writing topics, from leadership and women’s issues to more recent themes of personal happiness and intentional living. Fawn stressed the importance of authenticity in writing and how her voice has naturally changed with time and experience. She also shared personal anecdotes about the challenges and rewards of her writing process, emphasizing the need for multiple revisions to truly refine one's voice.
Fawn offered valuable advice to listeners: be courageous, authentic, and willing to shake things up to find your true creative voice.
Key Topics:
- “You’ll never be more than just a reporter” — words from Fawn’s boss in her first career
- Do you need to keep loyalty to the same publisher for every work you publish?
- Discovering the power of self-publishing
- Awakening to aging and living life to the fullest
- Why you should never do a hybrid arrangement with a publisher
- Critical questions to ask a publisher before hiring them
- How your voice can change over time and still be authentic
- Writing about women’s leadership as a survival mechanism in a male-dominated workforce
- What are you “done” with?
- Sensibility vs. voice
- Talking about taboo topics will give younger generations the courage to take risks earlier in life
- Do it now, don’t wait, be who you are, and Fawn’s other tips for finding your voice
Connect with Fawn online:
Website: https://www.fawngermer.com/
Books: https://www.fawngermer.com/books-2/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/fawngermer/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FawnGermerAuthor
Find more from Jill:
Email: jill@thewritersrefuge.com
Website: https://www.thewritersrefuge.com/
Writing Coaching Programs: https://www.thewritersrefuge.com/coaching
Sign up for my free 3x weekly writing session: write to jill@thewritersrefuge.com for ZOOM info
Special thanks to LVDY for allowing us to use their song, Saltwater, in the intro and outro of the podcast!
