"The itch is what keeps coming to mind; what you think about when you are not thinking; when you are walking, jogging, driving, shopping, waiting for someone; what comes to mind as you go to bed or when you wake in the night what you find yourself talking about, worrying about, scratching in your memory or your imagination."
This quote to me stood out simply because I think it exemplifies why people write in the first place. You are not going to write something powerful unless powerful feelings drive the process. Too often I feel assignments are very limited to where a writer can go. Open ended topics, I feel, can place a lot of personality and voice into a work. When a writer feels strongly about something every aspect of the process is going to be done with more effort and determination. Writing about yourself, and for yourself strengthens the voice you have as a writer, and therefore, impacts the reader as well.
"The trick is to accept your own voice, not to imitate a 'literary' voice, the voice of a writer you admire, but to accept the individual qualities of your natural voice - the voice that marks you as different, the voice that reveals your character, your vision of the world - and to strengthen it so that you can write with increased effectiveness."
This quote goes along with the first I chose, but it deals more with the confidence to write for yourself. I have often felt when writing for a school assignment I am trying to write they way I feel I should be writing, rather than just writing. While there are rules and guidelines to follow, and I do feel I place some personal opinion or analysis in my work, the assignment begins as restrictive to a personal voice. Students can develop this voice greatly if they are allowed to write about topics they are passionate towards. Individuals should write as themselves because it leads to a true, emotional voice within their writing, opposed to attempting to sound like a writer 'should.'
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4 comments:
I can relate to your second quote about writing assignments from the classroom. I agree with the fact that students can write more passionately when they can write about their own topics, and not one that is given with many guidelines. When a writer is free of such restrictions, I feel the work is more true and passionate.
This part of the book really reminded me of another book I read that you may want to check out called "Let your Life Speak: Listening for the Voice of Vocation" by Parker J. Palmer. In this case, the "voice" being listened for is that of a vocational calling, rather than a calling of what to write, or what demands to be written. In both cases, it's a compelling voice that must be answered. I found it really fascinating, counterintuitive and liberating when I read that vocation is something you listen for, rather than something that you choose and pursue. Vocation pursues you. When reading this book by Murray I was surprised again. Like you said, I always write what I'm supposed to, trying to perform for the instructor or whoever my audience is. It sounds so liberating to listen for your own voice AS you are writing, and to figure out what you think while you write, to write what wants to be written.
I couldn't agree more with your discussion on voice. I have written numerous papers with specific consideration of what the prof wanted to hear. It is understood that this isn't the optimal writing atmosphere, but it seems that writing to express yourself is seldom used in institutions these days. Even a few of my self-reflection papers carried the prof as a consideration. It is almost like once you have been trained to pick up the clues of what the prof wants, you lose all sense of self as a writer.
It's wonderful to hear your thoughts on this subject and hopeful to know that future teachers are thinking about ways to incorporate the students' voices in their writing.
You hit the nail on the head in your last paragraph. If the kids aren't passionate, invested, their writing (anyone's for that matter) will frankly suck; not to mention be an unremitting migraine to grade. It might be banal to say, but teachers need to plan their lessons with the most exquisite care, building in choice, both in content and assessment (or genre). It's easier said than done.
Nice observations throughout.
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