Finding Your Voice, Creative Writing Class!

by Mary C. Long

I teach lots of classes to the kids, particularly writing classes. And THIS is turning out to be one of my favorites! They're geared toward ages 10+ typically, and I have anywhere between 10-20 kids who regularly show up. More come during the actual "school year."

About the series:
Exceptional writers all have one thing in common: a distinct voice. 

What is a writer’s voice? It’s something that is unique to each writer mastering it, as described below:

From Writer’s Digest:
“I am looking for authors with a distinctive voice.” I hear that from editors over lunch almost as often as I hear, “I am looking for big, well-written thrillers.”
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What the heck is “voice”? By this, do editors mean “style”? I do not think so. By voice, I think they mean not only a unique way of putting words together, but a unique sensibility, a distinctive way of looking at the world, an outlook that enriches an author’s oeuvre. They want to read an author who is like no other. An original. A standout. A voice.

​How can you develop your voice? To some extent it happens all by itself. Stories come from the subconscious. What drives you to write, to some extent, are your own unresolved inner conflicts. Have you noticed your favorite authors have character types that recur? Plot turns that feel familiar? Descriptive details that you would swear you have read before (a yellow bowl, a slant of light, an inch of cigarette ash)? That is the subconscious at work.

You can facilitate voice by giving yourself the freedom to say things in your own unique way. You do not talk exactly like anyone else, right? Why should you write like everyone else?”

Why, indeed!

For this series, we will explore selections from well-known writers with distinct voices, as participants are guided through the process of reading/analyzing/deconstructing these selections to better understand voice attributes and work to develop his/her OWN distinct voice. This process will include crafting short stories and flash fiction (VERY short stories). We'll examine starkly different writing styles, literary devices employed and overall voice development.

And so far we've covered an intro to flash fiction, how to find hidden characters (those voices that speak up when you allow your mind to be quiet!), and crafting realistic fiction with a sense of place! 

Be sure to pop over to the Homeschool Times to read some of the kids' work as we progress!