Laverne H. Bardy Clarify's Writers' Biggest Dilemma: Voice

I find that the concept of voice is one of the hardest things to teach. I shall forever use this little essay from Syndicated Humor Columnist Laverne H. Bardy to introduce the topic! Enjoy!

FINDING YOUR VOICE

By Laverne H. Bardy

Writers are repeatedly told how important it is to find their voice. For me, this was the most difficult part of writing. It took many years of stumbling, guessing, and emulating before that finally happened. I had difficulty understanding what, exactly, it meant. Now that I get it, I’ve devised a simple way to explain it:

You have a room with a couch, a piano, a coffee table, two arm chairs, an end table with a lamp, and an area rug. Other than knowing you have a room filled with furniture, it says nothing about who you are.

 On one side of the piano top, position several colorful ceramic pieces, and a group of family photos on the other side. Place long stemmed roses in a tall crystal vase on the end table. Arrange three pillows that pick up the rug colors, on the couch, and a large floral centerpiece on the coffee table. Create a unique window treatment. Set a tall green plant in a corner behind one arm chair, an arranged stack of books on one corner of the coffee table and a large, unique focal piece in the center. Drape green vines over one side of the entrance way and hang a large floral painting over the piano.

Now, I know who you are.

Finding your voice in writing is much like decorating a room. The room is your chosen genre. How you express yourself in that genre is your voice. Countless writers will start out with the exact genre, but each will end up with entirely different stories because each has its own unique voice.

MORE ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Learn more about Laverne H. Bardy on her website: www.lavernebardy.com. Read some of her Huffington Post blogs at http://www.HuffingtonPost.com/laverne-h-bardy .  She is syndicated with: www.SeniorWire.net, the author of How the (Bleep) Did I Get This Old?
and a freelance writer. Read her fun book:  How the (Bleep) Did I Get This Old .

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 Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of This Is the Place; Harkening: A Collection of Stories Remembered; Tracings, a chapbook of poetry; and how to books for writers including the award-winning second edition of, The Frugal Book Promoter: How to get nearly free publicity on your own or by partnering with your publisher; The multi award-winning second edition of The Frugal Editor; and Great Little Last Minute Editing Tips for Writers . The Great First Impression Book Proposal is her newest booklet for writers. She has three FRUGAL books for retailers including A Retailer’s Guide to Frugal In-Store Promotions: How To Increase Profits and Spit in the Eyes of Economic Downturns with Thrifty Events and Sales Techniques. Some of her other blogs are TheNewBookReview.blogspot.com, a blog where authors can recycle their favorite reviews. She also blogs at all things editing, grammar, formatting and more at The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor .

Author of Purple Pencil Adventures Shares Writing Prompts

Yes, I did it! I conned Debra Eckerling,  the author of the new book of writing prompts and inspiration called Purple Pencil Adventures, to share some brand new writing prompts not seen in her book with my SharingwithWriters blog readers!  You know, a kind of bonus. A little taste of what's to come when you buy her book--for yourself or your own students.  Here it is direct from Debra:

 

Writing Adventures from Debra Eckerling's Purple Pencil

By Debra Eckerling

Purple Pencil Adventures: Writing Prompts for Kids of All Ages is filled with writing exercises, designed to inspire joy, creativity, and a love of the written word. Want to get writing? Here are some bonus prompts to get you started.

New Person Adventure – Since it’s the beginning of the school year, chances are you’ve met someone new recently. What did you think about him or her before you spoke? What did you think after having a conversation? Were you right on target or way off-base? Write about the differences and similarities of your views on this person. It’s amazing how first impressions are usually totally right or wildly wrong.

Food Adventure – What is your favorite food? Why? Do you like sweet treats or meals? Snacks or desserts? All of the above. Pick a food and use all of your senses to describe it: taste, smell, touch. And if it makes noise when you eat it, include that too. Bonus points if, after you describe that food, you can’t resist and have to eat it immediately!

Writing Adventure – Everyone has their own method of how they create. Take a few moments, think about yours, and write about it. What is your favorite way to write? Via computer or with pen and paper? Where’s your favorite place to write? Inside at a desk or on the couch? Or outside at a bench or under a tree? Describe your favorite place and method in a way that those who are reading your story want to try writing that way too!

Purple Pencil Adventures is aimed at kids, but all ages will enjoy it. They’re even more fun when families work on them at the same time and share their stories.

For more writing exercises, check out Purple Pencil Adventures: Writing Prompts for Kids of All Ages. Like Purple Pencil Adventures on Facebook, follow @PurplePencilAdv on Twitter, and explore the website.

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Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of This Is the Place; Harkening: A Collection of Stories Remembered; Tracings, a chapbook of poetry; and how to books for writers including the award-winning second edition of, The Frugal Book Promoter: How to get nearly free publicity on your own or by partnering with your publisher; The Frugal Editor: Put Your Best Book Forward to Avoid Humiliation and Ensure Success; and Great Little Last Minute Editing Tips for Writers . The Great First Impression Book Proposal is her newest booklet for writers. She has three FRUGAL books for retailers including A Retailer’s Guide to Frugal In-Store Promotions: How To Increase Profits and Spit in the Eyes of Economic Downturns with Thrifty Events and Sales Techniques. Some of her other blogs are TheNewBookReview.blogspot.com, a blog where authors can recycle their favorite reviews. She also blogs at all things editing, grammar, formatting and more at The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor .