Please see other Alabaster writings on our readings section for examples of voice and style. In general, you can see characters of the Alabaster voice below.
Characteristics of Alabaster’s voice and style:
- Essay writing around a single topic, weaving in broad philosophical reflections, spiritual teaching, and creative ideas in a poetic but formal style.
- Focused on humanity and the human experience: what humanity is like, how humanity thinks about, generalizes, and experiences a given topic or theme—and amidst all this, how God offers/invites us into new/better ways of living.
- Beautiful, reflective, exploratory, illustrative and thoughtful writing. Intended to invoke contemplative study, reflection, and appreciation from the reader.
- Writing functions as a helpful, wise guide to the reader for how to live—slowly and reflectively moving them through a topic.
- Content should be light and understandable, but meaningful and useful.
- Copy feels timeless—writings will feel relevant and approachable to someone in decades to come.
- Use positive, encouraging language; avoid negative language.
- Avoid writing from a singular voice — "I" statements, like "I think this" or "this was my experience". Alabaster's tone is almost always "we". Find ways to blend personal stories/experiences into something communal, and relatable. Use "we" or generalities, like "Human beings are..."