Mary: Reading your blog is an eye-opener, Danielle. Most self-development blogs are a bit dour, or at least very, very serious. Whereas your website and blog is anything but dowdy or dour! I’m keen to find out how you developed your distinctive style. Here are some questions for you.
When you first started a blog, what challenges did you face?
Danielle: Oh, just the usual flailing ’round of creativity and ambition. I started with a dozen or so different categories and soon realized that I was only truly interested in teaching about two things: consciousness and entrepreneurship. So, out with fashion and style, out with parenting, out with health. Back then I drove myself to post almost daily and it damn near killed me. I post twice a week now and that allows me to invest more in each piece and give each article its time to shine.
When I launched WhiteHotTruth, I was clear that I was in it for the long haul, that my “blog” was the cornerstone of an empire I was envisioning. So I wasn’t looking to make money in the first year. The function of the site was to act as a brochure for my 1-on-1 Fire Starter Sessions, and to be a platform for deepening and sharing my creativity. I committed to myself that I would not dummy down, I would not hide my spirit, and I would be as useful as possible. It’s proved to be a good ‘n’ wholesome formula.
Your style is quite distinctive. What was your journey of developing your ‘voice’?
Danielle: From the beginning of this venture, I was crystal clear that my soul’s fulfillment depended on me being fully, unapologetically and sincerely…moi. Yep, it was that dramatic. I’d just left a big lifestyle site that I co-founded and I was done with the restraints of writing copy that fit with a brand and appeased advertisers.
The questions I ask myself before I hit “publish” are: Is this useful? Is this elegant (meaning simple and clear)? Is this as transparent and loving as possible? I walk a fine line of being hard-ass opinionated and compassionately encouraging. There is always a way to point out shortcomings in a system or ideology without being nasty about it, and a way to be a raving cheerleader without being schmaltzy about it. I hang out on the edge of practical astral. I’m as interested in money as in meditation.
What are three tips for bloggers about finding their distinctive writing voice?
Danielle:
1. Give yourself at least six months to find your voice. Have a spirit of experimentation about…and never lose that approach. I think your content should be 80% tried ‘n’ true subject matter of your own, and 20% “let’s see if this works” edgy stuff. That keeps you fresh for yourself and your audience.
2. The old adage “write about what you know” is powerfully true. Carve out your place as a teacher, an expert, a seeker.
3. Tell the truth. Of course, there are boundaries of appropriate transparency, but mostly, people want to connect with who you genuinely are. Be real in all that you put out there. It feels good, and it’s magnetic.
You often use short sentences, like this: “Typically, letting go is painful – in varying degrees, from wince to damn near crippling, it’s gonna hurt. Fact.” How do you see the benefit of a conversational style?
Danielle: It’s a benefit to me, for starters. I do what comes naturally, easily, and that makes the difference between joyful creating and writers’ block. Also, I happen to think that word economy is both poetic and respectful. If I can say volumes in a sentence, then I feel like I’ve done someone a damn fine service.
What’s your experience of integrating Twitter and Facebook with your blog? Tips?
Danielle: I use Twitter mostly for reader interaction, and Facebook is a close second. Twitter is an ideal outlet for me: quick impact. Love it. I feel a true sense of community in both places and I love the immediacy of it. Tweetmeme has been a great little app that has facilitated a lot of re-tweet action for me. And I find that the Facebook audience is less about frequency, but more chatty, so I update less there, but say more when I do.
You’re obviously a white-hot entrepreneur. Please tell us about your book, The Fire Starter Sessions
Danielle: I see the The Fire Starter Sessions as a whole lotta acumen and love, wrapped in good design. It’s a digital book-meets-video seminar to help you rock your business — your way, right away. It’s about authenticity and velocity — two of my favorite themes in one place. So I talk a lot about identifying your true strengths (not your fake-it-til-you-make kind of strengths) and prioritizing aspect of your vision, as well as cash flow and branding. It’s epic, baby. But more than that, it’s effective.
Author: Mary Jaksch