tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5023252417439353998.post367858739151863077..comments2023-09-22T04:26:36.946-06:00Comments on Turning the Pages: Voice meets ContentAngela Fristoehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03531822797278035352noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5023252417439353998.post-44066779955846232262010-03-17T02:50:56.000-06:002010-03-17T02:50:56.000-06:00Hi Ang, I personally think that the voice an autho...Hi Ang, I personally think that the voice an author uses to create their character is as important as the story. I never really understood what a 'voice' in a book meant until i too began reading the vast and varied books on the NBW. There is a writer on there called Maxwell, who i have become good friends with, and his work is probably something i wouldn't ordinarily read. But once i started reading, the voice of Cole Sage totally mezmorized me and i was hooked on him more than the story. (but the story was also excellent) His voice felt so real and compelling that it was easy for me to visualise this person and his life and adventures. If the voice would have been flat and lifeless i wouldn't have got passed the first page.<br>V x x xverityfarrell1http://verityfarrell1.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5023252417439353998.post-14847177012385429452010-03-17T08:24:13.000-06:002010-03-17T08:24:13.000-06:00As to whether or not voice can be taught, I have n...As to whether or not voice can be taught, I have no idea. As a writer, I'm still trying to perfect my voice. I think voice will come. Voice is what it is. I think everyone's born with it but to write properly using that voice, that needs to be taught.<br><br>Only my opinion.<br><br>annANN ELLE ALTMANhttp://annellealtman.blogspot.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5023252417439353998.post-8797811661545226492010-03-17T12:26:16.000-06:002010-03-17T12:26:16.000-06:00I thought the writer was being sarcastic...as in &...I thought the writer was being sarcastic...as in "Yippee! (this old thing again, must I? does anyone care where and if I go on vacation because I know the farthest I'll get is bus stop two streets over)...etc.<br><br>I didn't take it as a gleeful interjection. Do they really teach people to do that? Weird. I did learn the that a basic one page academic paper has at least five paragraphs and each paragraph must have a topic sentence and supporting setences. Each fact must be supported by proof or reference. <br><br>However when I got to fiction, I threw all the rules out. It never occured to me that I should the same rules on my stories. Why? To me there was school writing and there was writing, two differnt things.<br><br>But the box format of writing rarely brings out anything good. The challenge is to do something creative within the box you are given and to throw the box away when writing for yourself.<br><br>TirzTirzahhttp://acleverwhatever.blogspot.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5023252417439353998.post-23912291824741320262010-03-17T12:45:43.000-06:002010-03-17T12:45:43.000-06:00Hey Tirz! I wish I could say that this child was u...Hey Tirz! I wish I could say that this child was using sarcasm, but sadly this child wouldn't have a clue how! He's in 3rd grade, and while there are a lot of kids at that age that can use sarcasm he's just not one of them :/ I do think that there should be some rules taught, especially at younger grades and with organization and supporting details but this child has just had the idea that interjection shows voice drilled into him to the point that he doesn't understand that it still has to make sense. <br><br>:) Angangelafristoehttp://angelafristoe.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5023252417439353998.post-55162126383550821632010-03-17T12:48:38.000-06:002010-03-17T12:48:38.000-06:00I think that's really my struggle. How do you...I think that's really my struggle. How do you teach it? I think there are plenty of people capable of finding their voice without help or moderate assistance, but then there are some who will just never be able to. We can't all be Picasso, but we all need to know how to draw a straight line, or in the case of writing, create an interesting sentence.angelafristoehttp://angelafristoe.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5023252417439353998.post-49162649142610279962010-03-17T12:50:40.000-06:002010-03-17T12:50:40.000-06:00I definitely agree - Voice is sometimes more impor...I definitely agree - Voice is sometimes more important than anything else. Although there are times a strong voice gets lost in the clutter of poor concept, organization or grammar.angelafristoehttp://angelafristoe.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5023252417439353998.post-22531962580733499772010-03-17T19:34:15.000-06:002010-03-17T19:34:15.000-06:00Wow, Ang, you hit the nail on the head! Voice in ...Wow, Ang, you hit the nail on the head! Voice in writing is like talent in painting. It can be developed, but I don't think it can be created if it's not there. My students are a few years older than yours, and I am completely familiar with the boring structure we teach them. Most of them need the structure, but I find many teachers can't take them past the structure to really good writing that includes passionate voice. I have given my students roles and tried to have them write from the point of view of a witch in a scary house, or a spoiled little girl, or a bully. These get close to the idea of voice in that it stretches their vocabulary, but the only way I can really show voice is to read them books with great voice and say, "See? That's voice."Linda Ulleseithttp://www.ulleseit.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5023252417439353998.post-51345955118643599312010-03-21T12:18:08.000-06:002010-03-21T12:18:08.000-06:00Ang, this is such a well written post- I don't...Ang, this is such a well written post- I don't think anyone can doubt you have mastered your own personal voice! As far as teaching voice is concerned, I don't think it can be TAUGHT, but I think it can be LEARNED. I don't think anyone can teach another person how to find their own voice, because any teacher is going to bring their own voice to the lesson. But anyone who continually writes and reads will be able to LEARN how to develop their own voice through practice. It's really something you can only develop through practice.rachelhammhttp://rachelhamm.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.com