Whether you’re writing a college essay, an announcement for your club, or even just an email, don’t just get the words onto the paper. Put a little voice into it.
I’m all for being professional and polite when you should be. But that doesn’t mean you have to leave your voice out of your writing.
If you wouldn’t say, “Reaching my goal was extremely satisfying,” don’t write it in your college essay. Put some voice into it and say, “Running a mile in six minutes isn’t going to win any track meets. Still, it was a pretty big deal for me.”
Which club announcement would make you want to attend?
“The Red Cross Club meeting will be held today at lunch. Open to new members.”
Or
“If you’re looking for a club where you hang out with great people and do work you’re proud of, come by the Red Cross Club’s meeting today at lunch. We’ve got football players, drama folks, mathletes, vegans, computer programmers, poets, and musicians here. You’re bound to fit right in.”
Adding voice doesn’t mean you have to be funny. You just have to be you. If you were speaking these words instead of writing them, how would you say it? What would your tone be? Excited? Worried? Encouraging? Maybe even funny? You wouldn't hide those emotions when speaking this message. So don't hide them when you write it, either.
Words alone will get the basic message across. But the voice is what makes it real.