Aka. Making your writing fun to read…and write! Writing with Voice Aka. Making your writing fun to read…and write!

What is voice? Your voice is how YOU, who you are, is communicated through your writing. According to ttms.org: “Everyone's writing needs to be different from everyone else’s. And the only way that happens is if writers make different choices when they write, choices about the topics they pick, the words they use, the details they include, different beginning and ending strategies, and so on. The set of all the different choices a writer's makes determines, and the collective effect they have on the reader, is what is often called the ‘voice’ in a piece of writing. Voice, sometimes referred to as ‘tone’ or ‘mood’ or even ‘style,’ tells the reader about the writer’s personality in the piece.”

For example, what is the difference between the following For example, what is the difference between the following? What aspects make one stronger than the other? Throughout the novel, The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd, Lily Owens, the main character and narrator, falls victim to an emotional rollercoaster where she must discover the truth about her mother, and in the end, ultimately becomes a better person. In the novel The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd, Lily Owens, the main character, searches for what happened to her mother and learns a lot.

What about these? Coming of age means learning the truth that the world may not be as it appears on the surface. Imagine realizing that everything is not as it has always appeared: suddenly the smiles of passersby do not seem to reach their eyes and there is reason to suspect that even those who have always appeared trustworthy are in fact hiding something. This is what it can feel like to suddenly come of age in an imperfect world.

These? When a person is willing to step beyond the bounds of his formal education, like Huck, and filter his perceptions of the world also through his own unique experiences, he will be better informed as to who he is and what choices are appropriate to maintain his integrity. A person’s identity is ultimately shaped by his experiences as can be seen in Huck’s story.

BRAINSTORM Using your ideas from the previous passages, please compile a list of at least 5 traits of colorful and interesting writing Consider: What can an author do to make a reader want to continue reading but still communicate clearly and effectively? What techniques do authors employ to make a topic vivid and interesting?

Using your brainstorm, convert the following into sentences that showcase your own unique voice. Courage is doing what is right even when the odds of succeeding are poor.

Again! When Morrie dies, Mitch is sad.

One more time! Because he is too good, Phineas is an unrealistic character.

Now go forth and write with your own personal style…it’s okay to be yourself! ENTERTAIN AND AMAZE ME!