Finding Your Voice as a Writer
Big Idea
“Voice is how your writing sounds when no one else could have written it.”
Base Sentence
“The dog sits.”
1. William Shakespeare
Version:
“The hound doth sit upon the earth, as if in patient watch.”
Real excerpt (for tone):
“The lady doth protest too much, methinks.” — Hamlet
Note:
“doth,” “thee,” “thou” style language
Elevated, poetic phrasing
Slight dramatic tone even for simple things
2. Ernest Hemingway
Version:
“The dog sits. He waits.”
Real excerpt (for tone):
“He was comfortable but suffering, although he did not admit the suffering.” — A Farewell to Arms
Note:
Short, blunt sentences
No extra words
Understated emotion
3. Dr. Seuss
Version:
“The dog sat still.
He sat on a hill.
He sat very quiet.
He would not be still!”
Real excerpt (for tone):
“I do not like green eggs and ham. I do not like them, Sam-I-Am.”
Note:
Rhyme and rhythm
Playful repetition
Musical feel
4. Jane Austen
Version:
“The dog, having chosen his place with quiet determination, sat as though entirely satisfied with the arrangement.”
Real excerpt (for tone):
“It is a truth universally acknowledged…” — Pride and Prejudice
Note:
Formal and precise
Slightly ironic or observant tone
Focus on behavior and social nuance
5. Edgar Allan Poe
Version:
“The dog sat—motionless, watchful—as though some unseen presence held him in dreadful attention.”
Real excerpt (for tone):
“Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary…”
Note:
Dark, eerie mood
Dramatic wording
Builds tension from nothing
6. Mark Twain
Version:
“The dog sat there like he had all the time in the world and no intention of using it.”
Real excerpt (for tone):
“The secret of getting ahead is getting started.”
Note:
Conversational
Slight humor or sarcasm
Feels like someone telling a story
PART 1: MINI-GAMES
1. “Voice Switch”
Start with: “The dog sits.”
Stylize:
Dramatic
Funny
Scary
2. “Bad Writing Glow-Up”
Intentionally boring sentence: “I walked into a room and it was messy.”
Round 1: Make it interesting
Round 2: Make it extreme (over-the-top dramatic or hilarious)
Lesson: Voice comes alive when you make choices
3. “Emotion Dial”
“She opened the door.”
Rewrite it at:
Level 1: Calm
Level 5: Nervous
Level 10: Terrified
Lesson: Same action, different voice = different feeling
4. “Word Ban”
Prompt: Describe a dog
Do not use:
dog
big
small
cute
Lesson: Voice grows when you're specific
5. “Steal the Style”
Read a short story excerpt
Challenge:
Rewrite “Someone is at the door” in the style of the short story.
Lesson: Voice can be practiced by imitation, Voice = perspective + personality
PART 2: DISCOVERING VOICE
Now shift from playing to finding
6. “What Feels Most Like You?”
Which version you wrote today felt easiest?
Which was the most fun?
Which sounded most like how you think?
Voice isn’t invented—it’s noticed and developed
8. “Voice Ingredients”
Your voice =
What you notice
What you exaggerate
Your sense of humor (or seriousness)
Your sentence style (short? long? dramatic?)
Write:
“I think my writing voice is…” (1–2 sentences)
Write: “The dog sits” in your own voice.
FINAL WRITING ASSIGNMENT
“Write It Your Way”
Prompt options:
A strange day
Someone knocks at your door at midnight
You find something you weren’t supposed to find
RULES:
No trying to sound like a “fancy author”
Write how you would tell the story
Include:
At least one strong emotion
At least one vivid detail
At least one sentence that sounds like you talking
Optional:
Write the first paragraph twice:
Version 1: Neutral
Version 2: Real voice
Then compare.