Archive for the 'The King’s Speech' Category

One of the greatest challenges of being a writer is finding one’s voice. I was reminded of this phenomenon while watching the Oscar’s last week. I was delighted that “The King’s Speech,” won best picture as I thought the movie was phenomenal. It conveyed numerous poignant messages, but for me, the most important one was that discovering our voice is difficult and takes a great deal of courage, whether it means finding it verbally or on the page.

For those who are unfamiliar with the movie’s storyline—the future king of England had a speech impediment which he had to overcome to assume his position. He was ridiculed and mocked and it seemed as if he would never succeed, until he finally sought the assistance of a guide to help him with his stuttering problem.

It’s a writer’s voice, style, pattern or beat that draws us to certain writers who we read over and over again. Many of my students ask, “So how do you know when you find your voice?” I tell them that you know you have found your voice, when you speak authentically, sincerely and from the heart with both elegance and grace. It also feels natural and the writing simply pours onto the page. This, however, is not always an easy task.

The most effective way to discover your voice, is to write, write, and write some more. It’s a good idea to write about subjects which you are passionate about. This is when your true writing style emerges. A recent article in the New York Times by Dani Shapiro entitled, “How to Find Your Voice,” (January 7, 2011) interviewed a few authors who offered suggestions on this endeavor.

Christopher R. Beha, for example, suggested that writing is all about discovery and therefore you should write about what puzzles you. “If you begin with what you know, where do you go next? If you begin with uncertainty, possibilities will present themselves. You might even find that you know more than you thought you did,” he says.

Many books have been written on discovering your voice and they offer all sorts of suggestions. Here are some of my favorites:

1) Write a letter to a friend or loved one. Your true voice will emerge in letters. You will soon see how natural it feels to do this type of writing. Many writers actually begin their writing day by writing a letter, as a way to get their creative juices flowing.
2) Write like you speak. For example, imagine that you are sitting across the table from a friend and telling a story.
3) Think about different possible moods. Make a list of 50 words associated with different moods, from happy to sad to lethargic. You will know which mood best reflects you and your voice because the words will flow.
4) Think about your personality and make a list of 50 words which describe your personality. Write a few pages about an activity and infuse your prose with those words.
5) Finally, read your work out loud and see how natural (or unnatural) it feels.

The more persistent and regular you are with your writing, the more quickly your true voice will emerge. In “The King’s Speech,” the king’s courage enabled him to persist and grow into someone who could speak to a troubled nation and inspire others despite great challenges.

I wish you joy in finding and holding onto your voice. I hope you can sing out and share your voice with others—loved ones, friends and colleagues!