Writer's Voice

​Writer's Voice

A writer's voice is what makes their writing recognizable & unique to them.
For example...

Open Ended

Read the text and try to guess who wrote it.

That passage is from Dr. Seuss's "On Beyond Zebra"

Open Ended

What about the passage could help a reader recognize that it is by Dr. Seuss?

Dr. Seuss and many other famous writers have very identifiable voices.

What is a writer's voice?

Imagery + Diction + Syntax + Tone = Writer's Voice

Imagery- Creates an image

Dr. Seuss creates the image of a young child writing a new, made-up letter on a chalkboard.

Example:

Descriptive language that appeals to the 5 senses and lets the reader imagine the scene in their head

Diction- Specific Word Choice

Dr. Seuss often uses made up words like "Yuzz" and hyphenated words like "Yuzz-a-ma-Tuzz" which makes his writing more whimsical.

Example:

Specific types of words the author chose to use can reveal traits, biases, & personalities of the author

Formal words vs Casual words
Complex words vs Simple words
Flowery words vs Sharp words

Syntax- Patterns in Sentence Structure

Dr. Seuss often includes rhyming words at the end of each line which makes his writing seem more lyrical & flowy.

Example:

What patterns do you notice in the way the author lays out or formats their text?
Includes:
- short/long sentences
- repetition - questions
- listing items - lyricalness
- punctuation - rhyming

Tone- Author's attitude towards subject

Dr. Seuss' tone is very positive and playful as he suggests whimsical ideas like creating a made-up alphabet

Example:

How does the author feel and how does that come across in their writing?

Remember your masterlist of words to describe tone are on Canvas for you to access anytime you want/need.

Then we can analyze the writer's voice to "figure out" why they made certain choices.

Ex.

Dr Seuss' use of made-up words, rhyming lines, and a playful tone could be because he wants to appeal to an audience of young children since that is the target demographic for his stories. The cute & cartoony illustrations with the passage also support this conclusion.

Sometimes there can be other elements to analyze as well.

Now let's try some activities to practice.

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