Voice
IT’S NOT JUST WHAT PEOPLE HEAR WHEN
YOU SPEAK.
Mrs. Donohue
English 8
What is Voice?
 Voice is:
 Your
writing style
 Your personality
 What makes the
writing come alive
for a reader
 A form of creative
expression
Let’s Practice
 By using our physical
 Partner B says to Partner
voice
 Find a partner and sit
across from them.
 Partner A says to Partner
B: “I want to go.” Say it
while trying to
communicate the
emotion that you’ve
drawn from the
envelope.
A: “I want to go” using
the emotion they have
pulled.
 Think not just about how
you use your voice and
inflection, but also how
you use your body
language.
As humans. . .
 We have a lot of experience using our physical selves
to express what we mean and what we want to say,
and we practice constantly with how to engage our
audience.
 It is harder to do that in writing. It just is. However,
it is essential if we ever want to be considered good
writers (and we all do).
Let’s look at a written example.
On July 18, 1998, the best thing to ever happen to
humanity occurred. John Jacob Jingleheimer was born.
It all began in Pensacola Naval Hospital, where John
was brought into this world. Despite the fact that some
(namely his older sister) said he looked like a “fat, egg
shaped, rotisserie chicken”, he was destined for greatness.
However, this great individual’s life was paved with
hardships. At the early age of 1, John moved from the
beauty of Pensacola, to the drab landscape of Beale AFB.
Here’s the “opposite.”
Mary Elizabeth Howard was born on May 2,
1998. Her parents were excited to have her. She had a
cute face. People said.
She had a brother and a sister. They were older.
She liked cereal the most. When she was growing up.
She also liked fruit. Her favorite was pears.
She once fell down off a slide and broke her arm.
Her parents were scared. She cried a lot. She had to
wear a cast for 6 weeks.
What is the difference between the two?
 One should reach out and grab you and make you
want to keep reading.
 The other isn’t necessarily boring, but it’s writing you
won’t remember. We want to create writing that
others will remember. Otherwise, what is the point?
Prompt: Who is better at survival? Guys or
girls?
Men and women have some extremely strong qualities . . . And
some pretty weak ones, as well. However, if they were each dumped on
an uncharted island in the middle of the ocean, who would survive? In
my opinion, a male would be more likely to survive, even though there
are tough females out there. (sentences cut)
It is a known fact that ON AVERAGE, males have more upper
body strength. If a man were stranded on an island, they could use this
advantage to hunt better. Also, they may be able to cut through
branches or pick up colossal rocks to construct a shelter. A man would
be more likely to climb up a tree to reach a stubborn coconut, or
perhaps reach a better view of their location. Strength is one quality
that would prove most useful in a situation such as this.
Continued . . .
Not only are men scientifically stronger in the body, but, to me,
they would be better in the mind in a deserted-island scenario, as well.
Men wouldn’t grieve for what they have lost as much as women. They
would spend more time diligently working, and less time fretting about
loved ones, bugs, etc. Having a more robust mindset also comes in
handy when you must eat anything – ANYTHING- to survive. From my
experience and previous knowledge, a man handles blood and gore and
hunting animals better than a woman. If your survival situation calls
for killing an animal, you must obey if you truly want to continue on.
What would it sound like without voice?
 Using a partner, take that same idea (a man can
survive better than a woman) and create a piece
WITHOUT voice.
 The one that sounds the most wooden or mechanical
wins!
 What did you use to make it sound that way?
 Was it harder or easier than you might have
thought?
So, what can we do to create voice?
 We have already discussed a lot of strategies. What
are they?





Sentence variety
Sentence beginnings
Good opening
Details (using all 5 senses)
Giving reactions and emotions
There’s more!
 Wait, wait, there’s more (especially in creative
writing):

Adding dialogue that:
Adds to the characters
 Adds to the plot
 Moves the story along





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Direct / indirect characterization
Flashbacks
Developing real characters
Try modeling after a writer that you like / enjoy
But in the end, remember that YOUR voice is YOUR voice and
it needs to feel real to you.
Now, let’s try it in your writing!
 Flip in your notebook to your writing workshop




section.
Divide it into 3 sections.
Draw a slip that will tell you a scenario, or something
that is going on.
Draw a slip with an emotion. Start writing with that
emotion until time is up.
Draw another emotion and start writing the same
scenario, reflecting that other emotion, until time is
up.