How your backstory affects your brand's writing style
Voicemail #10
Holaaaaaaaa.
I got a *lot* of great feedback from all of you on my previous newsletter about the power of a backstory. Thank you to everyone who left a comment or sent me a message — I didn’t think it would resonate!
This week, I wanted to take a minute and talk about how backstory actually shapes the words your brand uses. It’s called your linguistic ecosystem.
A linguistic ecosystem is a really fascinating concept. I first learned about it from Shaelin Bishop, a writer who makes amazing Youtube videos breaking down the craft.
The idea is pretty simple: just like certain plants and animals exist in one ecosystem, but not others, certain concepts and words will exist in your story's world but not in others.
In other words, it’s the idea that the experiences you’ve had until now shape your perspective.
For example: my linguistic ecosystem is affected by the fact that I'm from the US, but have lived in the Netherlands for 7+ years and have a Dutch partner.
📆 I format dates with DD [name of month] YYYY to avoid confusion
⏰ I use a 24-hour clock to be precise with times
🏋♂️ I use the metric system for all of my fitness activities, but Fahrenheit for thinking about the weather (it makes more sense IMO)
🙅♀️ You're more likely to hear me say "nee" than "no”
Or, as one of my clients from the UK told me, "You use international language, but with an American accent."
👆 My Dutch family-in-law can tell you that's 100% accurate (I have a very thick American accent when I speak Dutch).
If I had never left Colorado, and if I only had clients in the US, things would probably be different.
I probably wouldn't have bothered to learn what body temperature is in Celsius (37 degrees), or what my heigh is in centimeters (164).
Nor would I have planned my marathon pacing strategy in kilometers (there's 42 of them to account for per race), or learned how to say “refrigerator” in Dutch (the literal translation is “cold closet”).
Instead, I would have just done what was "normal" in my world and used the system I grew up with. I’d never spend time flip-flopping between my “American” worldview and my more international one.
Now though, the flip-flopping is just part of my everyday experience. The backstory gives me stories to write about, but it also means I tend to use more internationally-friendly words, even if my tones reflect my Colorado roots.
See where I'm going here?
When you have a defined linguistic ecosystem, you're able to create a stronger brand personality. It gives you a more distinct lens through which to view the world.
When you have that lens, you instantly have a way of thinking about and shaping your copy in a way that feels on-brand, always.
And when you have a strong brand personality and point of view, you can create more immersive stories that stand out from the crowd. 🔎
That’s the power of a strong brand. It makes you un-copyable.
Weekly writing tip: alliteration
Let’s talk about one of my all-time favorite writing techniques: alliteration.
Alliteration is a pretty foundational writing technique. The simple definition is when you use the same sound at the start of a string of words. Buuuuuut the more poetic definition is to use the same sound in the strongest, stressed syllable of a word.
Sure, alliteration is probably something you learned when you were 10 years old. But there’s a reason: it’s a massively powerful way to add texture and atmosphere to your writing. It’s a technique I use aaaaallllllllllll the time in my work. It matters.
So, how do you actually use it?
Some ideas:
Add rhythm: Alliteration almost creates a “beat” that runs through your sentence, which makes it interesting to read.
Make something memorable: Know how you can recite a radio jingle but sometimes forget your kid’s birth year? Musicality makes things more memorable.
Draw attention to key ideas: Alliteration can heighten the drama of a sentence and make certain parts of your writing seem more significant.
Add playfulness: Alliteration — especially of the first letter of every sentence — can make your writing feel more lighthearted.
Create a mood: It doesn’t have to be all fun and games though. Some sounds might feel more sinister, and if you aren’t careful you can send shivers down someone’s spine. Alliteration helps you create atmosphere.
One of the cool things about alliteration is it forces you to get more creative with your vocabulary. By default, it means you create more interesting writing.
Give it a try with these sentences. Share your results in the comments so I can see them!
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Stuff I’m digging from other people this week.
I just discovered the How I Write podcast and have been a little obsessed. If you’re at all interested in language, it’s worth a listen.
Stuff I’ve been writing this week.
I was in Vienna last week and have been slammed with work this week, SO I haven’t got a lot to share. Here’s two links that I think you’ll like though.
If you like these ^ I’d massively appreciate a like and a comment. It’s the easiest way to get my work in front of more eyeballs.
Thanks for being here.
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See you next week.
Love your story :-)
First time reading your newsletter and I loved it. So helpful! Immediately subscribed. 😀