Finding Your Voice

1. Finding Your Voice It’s A Matter of Style

2. What is this thing called Voice? How do I find mine? Your voice is a unique blend of… Your life experiences (how you view the world—humor, sarcasm, irony, optimism, negativity) What you choose to draw your audience’s attention to (What do you find important to share?) Your word choice (diction) Your syntax (sentence structure) Do you merely see grass or countless summertime memories?

3. From the Inside Out • Your style and voice come from within (slowdown, still yourself, and listen—“Psst…hey, I’m trying to tell you something over here.”) Don’t ignore your voice: tap into it. • Don’t try to write like someone else. It will sound unnatural, stilted. We want to hear from YOU. • Write as honestly as possible. What do you really think about that song? • Your style will emerge naturally. Trust the process.

4. Filling in the holes • You’ve summarized, paraphrased, and quoted from your sources. Now what? • It’s time to hear from you... *What “big idea” do you think the artist was imparting on the listener? *How do you think the triggering event changed the political culture in our country? *Why do you think the song is still relevant today? Remember—you chose the song for a reason, now tell us why!

5. Writing Tips What can I do to make my writing flow smoothly and come to life?

6. Using the 5 senses • Remember these? Sight, sound, touch, smell, and taste • Why do we need to use the senses in a song analysis? • The back story of the song is filled with intrigue, mystery, horror, suspense, or the unbelievable. Let the reader experience it firsthand. • Drop them into the world that spawned the song. Let them feel Ed Gein’s sofa made of human flesh, see Matthew Shepard tied to the fencepost splayed like a scarecrow, taste the blood in Rodney King’s mouth during his brutal beating by the police.

7. Consider the Difference • Matthew Shepard was tied to the fencepost, and he looked like a scarecrow to passersby. • With life and vitality bludgeoned out of him, Matthew Shepard’s body stood as lifeless as a scarecrow, appearing to passersby as nothing more than a farmer’s attempt to protect his crops against an annoying flock of birds. • Ed Gein made furniture out of the skin of his victims. • “New leather chair, Ed?” one may have asked innocently, stroking the hide’s smooth, cool texture. Little did anyone know that her name was Mary. Which is more visual? Can you feel it?

8. Diction—When any old word won't do… Words are an author’s tools to shape, color, and mold the richness of the text he/she is creating. Choose your words wisely, just as an artist carefully selects his brush and a color from his palette. • Appeal to emotion with connotative language House vs. home, beat vs. torture, scared vs. terrified • Use active verbs to avoid passive writing He was hoping thatno one would smell… vs. He prayed no one smelled… • Paint a picture (use vivid, fresh, original thoughts) • Avoid redundancy (don’t beat the dead horse) • Use natural words. Technical words jolt the reader. • Avoid unnecessary words (that, so, just) which bog down the sentence, stripping away the immediacy.

9. Syntax The words, the order, the flow… • Don’t bore your reader with the same old line… Vary your sentence structure. Look back to the sample “Rain on the Scarecrow” Instead of… Mellencamp grew up in rural Indiana… Mellencamp has used his music to draw… Mellencamp has been involved in Farm Aid. Mrs. Holloway wrote… Growing up in rural Indiana… As a result, Mellencamp has used his music… For several years, this song artist has been involved in Farm Aid.

10. Conjunctions are your friends • also, besides, indeed • likewise, as a result • furthermore, in addition • undoubtedly, now, meanwhile, still, nonetheless • in fact, certainly • nevertheless, instead, • however, then, finally • as long as, so that, since, now that, unless • rather than, as, if, though, provided • until, when, even if • as though, because, whereas, whether • before, once, if only Conjunctive Adverbs Subordinating Conjunctions

11. Changing direction…What about those transitions? Why not try those nifty conjunctions you just reviewed?

12. More on Transitioning… • Today you’re focusing on blending the discussion of the song lyrics, song analysis, poetic devices, and literary devices. • Choose your most powerful points. You need not use all of them. Don’t overwhelm the reader. • Blend them together naturally for maximum impact. For example: In her song titled “Scarecrow,” Melissa Etheridge repetitively uses the word “scarecrow” as a metaphor for Matthew Shepard(“Scarecrow,” line12). While scarecrows are harmless, they are feared by predators. Through the use of this metaphor, Etheridge imparts to the listener that an innocent man was feared by his assailants simply for living a lifestyle different from theirs. In addition, Etheridge’s tone suggests…

13. It’s Your voice & it’s your choice Now, get busy!