Successful Writing Tips: Using Your Voice

One of my favorite children's books is The Relatives Came, by Cynthia Rylant (1985). It is written like a personal narrative. It tells the story about the fun a whole family has when the relatives come for a visit. I like this story because it reminds me of one summer when my relatives came for a couple of weeks. We had lots of fun, many adventures, and it remains as one of the better memories of my childhood. Using personal narratives in my own writing has helped me find my voice. I think that writing about something I know, gives me more interest in it and I also feel that I have a something invested. I want to make it the best quality I can.

In her article, Toward a Writing and Healing Approach in the Basic Writing Classroom: One Professor's Personal Odyssey, by Molly Hurley Moran. It chronicles an investigation by the author about the effects of using personal narrative writing in a greater capacity in introductory collegiate composition classes. The author concludes that allowing her students to write more "disclosure writing (96)" by framing experiences into narratives, the students overall increased their writing abilities. Using her own experience she writes, "I have long noticed that the only way I can get into and sustain a writing project is to connect to it personally or to see its relevance to my own experience" (102). Readers are able to make a connection to our voice. This hooks the reader and we are able to fulfill our need to produce content that others find not only useful but, enjoy.

Often each piece of our writing has its own voice. We need to continually reflect on our writing voice and allow experience to create a perpetual development. Mimi Schwartz gives some steps to find the right voice (pg. 28-31):

• Decide who you are in the story.
• Find your place in the story.
• Write a first draft quickly.
• Let your writing sit for awhile.
• Read your work out loud.

We are much more involved when we are writing about topics of great interest to us. Our voice flourishes. We connect with our readers and most importantly, we connect with ourselves. We find our voice along with ourselves. This helps us fulfill our writing commitments and equally learn more about who we are. When writing, think of each piece like a personal narrative, make connection to it, your writing will be much more interesting.

References

Moran, Molly Hurley. (2004). Toward a writing and healing approach in the basic writing

classroom: one professor's personal journey. Journal of Basic Writing. 23 (2) 93-115.

Schwartz, Mimi (2006). Voice lessons. Writer. 119 (6), pg. 28-31.

Tompkins, Gail E., (2008). Teaching writing: balancing process and product. (5^th. Ed.).

Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall.