Poets & Writers

Beginning writers often worry about how to “find their voices,” but what if I told you that you already have one, and you use it every day? You don’t need to go out and discover your voice; it’s something you inherently possess, and once you embrace it your stories will become more vivid, dynamic, and unique to you. This two-session course will show you how to develop and wield your natural voice and teach you strategies for rendering it on the page.  

In the writing world, voice is one of those vexing terms often thrown around by agents and editors. We're told they want stories that are “voicey,” but they often struggle to define what that means for us. At its core, voice is a combination of who you are, what your intention is, and who you are trying to reach. Are you a twenty-something-year-old from Florida writing a funny story about spring break, someone who has lost a loved one and is hoping to pass along valuable insights on grief, or an adventurer with an epic tale about how you survived a fight with a wild bear? Do you want to make readers laugh, cry, sigh, or all at the same time?

Through a combination of close readings, mini-lectures, and in-class generative exercises, we will explore different approaches writers have taken to make their voices sing on the page. Sessions will begin with discussions of voice-driven stories that will be sent in advance, followed by lectures on subjects including world-building, audience, “universality,” and bringing your full self into your stories. There will be group exercises and generative prompts.

This class is geared for nonfiction writers of all levels, whether you are already mid-project or looking to get started. We will be reading excerpts and stories by writers such as Samantha Irby, T Kira Madden, Joan Didion, and more.