Creative Writing Part 4: Voice & Word Choice

In this lesson, author Michelle Stimson discusses voice and word choice. Your "voice" in writing is the way that your words sound when they are read and can be the biggest factor in distinguishing your writing from someone else. Michelle discusses ways that you can practice writing in your own voice, but also in the different voices of the characters you may choose to write. Word choice is critical to achieving the proper voice. Ms. Stimson provides examples of authors and their word choice and voices, and how she had picked phrases she liked and made them her own.

This is lesson 4 of 6 in the Creative Writing series of lessons. See the others:
Part 1, Ideas: http://www.mindbites.com/lesson/2031
Part 2, Plot & Organization: http://www.mindbites.com/lesson/2034
Part 3, Character & Viewpoint: http://www.mindbites.com/lesson/2040
Part 5, Dialogue & Description: http://www.mindbites.com/lesson/2042
Part 6, Getting Published: http://www.mindbites.com/lesson/2043

Do you have the next great American novel sitting in your desk drawer – or in your head? Ever read a book and thought to yourself, “Why didn’t I write this?” If you answered “yes” to either of these questions, you owe it to yourself to join national bestselling author and reading/writing instructor Michelle Stimpson, M.Ed., for this intense workshop, preparing you to take your writing to the next level! Who knows? Maybe YOU are sitting on the next bestseller! This session covers voice & word choice and includes a handout. It was recorded at a face-to-face workshop session.

• Once you purchase this lesson you will have access to these files:
• Session Four Classroom Instruction Handout.pdf

Michelle Stimpson is an author, a speaker, and an educator who received her Bachelor of Science degree from Jarvis Christian College in 1994. She earned a Master’s in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Texas at Arlington in 2002. She has had the pleasure of teaching elementary, middle, and high school as well as training adults.

In addition to her work in the field of education, Michelle ministers through writing and public speaking. Her works include Boaz Brown, Divas of Damascus Road (National Bestseller), Breaking Bondage to Biscuits, The Good Stuff and Trouble In My Way. She has published several short stories for high school students through her educational...

Concrete, Useful Tools

04/07/2009

~ alexjurek

Michelle offers great suggestions on how to improve your writing. I especially love this section on voice, and the suggestions about using your journal are perfect (the story she tells about journaling the fight with her boyfriend is hilarious!). I am excited to start trying them in my own writing. I also love to hear Michelle provide examples from writers she enjoys and also how she uses the world around her (and the books she reads) as inspiration. I appreciate that she provides concrete examples of how to improve your writing, and not just theory.

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