The article Freedom of Voice by Maura Stetson discusses different strategies for teaching voice. Voice in writing is powerful— it is what makes a work memorable. However, it is a hard concept to teach because “it is something that students must develop over time through discovering and gaining confidence in what they have to say (Stetson. 74).” Voice appears in a work when the writer has a certain freedom and flexibility. Students as early as 3rd grade begin to show a lack of voice in their writing, and the older they get, the more their voice is lost.
Stetson attributes lack of voice in writing largely to the concept of institutional voice. Institutional voice can be recognized by the bland word choice, robotic tone, and overall “stiffness” students often times use in their writing. Students are taught that writing is a series of steps, that if followed correctly, will earn them a good grade. This discourages risk taking and abstract thinking. According to Stetson, students can also learn to implement voice in writing through audience awareness. This creates a sense of communication, giving their writing purpose. Students so often lose their writing voice because they are not given a chance to make any individual choices or interpretations, causing them to fail at making connections to outside sources and their personal lives. When students use voice in their writing, they are able to implement critical thinking, self-expression, and produce engaging pieces of writing.
Genre For a Younger Audience: Online Article
The essay or personal statement is an essential component to most college applications. Though they may take a substantial amount of time and effort, they hold a lot of weight. Admissions officers look at your grades, letters of recommendation, and extracurricular activities—but it’s the essay that gives them a glimpse of who your are. It can be difficult to incorporate voice into your essay, especially since you probably weren't asked to do so in high school. Don’t stress, with our help, you’ll be sure to find your voice in no time!
The Basics
The format, complexity, and requirements of a college application vary depending on the university. Most will use the Common App, but others— such as the UC system and specific private schools— have their own separate application and essay prompts. Be sure to check what each college requires before you begin. Here are some links that you may find helpful during the application process.
- List of U.S Universities by State and Their Websites: http://university.graduateshotline.com/ubystate.html#.VtajM7RSQ20
- University of California (UC) Application Requirements: http://admission.universityofcalifornia.edu/how-to-apply/personal-statement/
Tell Your Story
What sets you apart from the rest?
You are unique. You have your own background, personality, and interests. The college application essay gives you the chance to tell your story. The best way to do that is to write a personal essay about an achievement or experience that is meaningful to you. If you are honest, engaging, and genuine, your voice will be sure to shine through.
Admissions officers have read an insane number of essays, most of which are easily forgettable. Many students try to sound intelligent and professional, rather than sounding like themselves. This is something we like to call the institutional voice— easily recognizable by its bland, robotic tone. You’ve been taught that the writing process is a series of steps, and the goal of writing is to get a good grade. But that’s not how voice works. Voice is discovered through individuality and confidence in what you have to say.
Let’s look at an example of what it means to write with an institutional voice vs. an authentic voice.
Institutional: The day I got my dog was amazing. I had wanted one for so long, and was finally able to get one. When I saw her at the pet store, I knew she was the dog for me. Having a dog taught me about responsibility. It is a lot of work to take care of a dog because they rely on you for everything. It was hard at first to keep up with all of the responsibility, but eventually I got the hang of it.
Authentic: The day I picked out my dog, Lulu, at the pet store was one of the most memorable and important days of my life. I had begged my parents for a dog for years before they finally felt I was ready to take on the responsibility. Lulu and I bonded immediately, and she became my best friend. I learned what it meant to care for someone other than myself. Lulu not only taught me about responsibility, but more importantly about unconditional love.
It is easy to see the differences between these two narratives. The institutional example is generic and bland— it could have come from anyone. The authentic example on the other hand, feels personal. The author uses specific details to provide readers with clear images and feelings.
Helpful Tips
Keep these in mind as you brainstorm and write your essay!
- Look at the Prompt! Be sure you understand what it’s asking of you. Most application essay prompts give guidelines for you to follow, but leave room for some interpretation and individual choice. Refer back to the prompt throughout the writing process to make sure you stay on track.
- Don’t simply tell a story— reflect. It is easy to recount the details of your volunteer work in Costa Rica or the time you won 1st place in the science fair. College admissions officers are looking for more. Discuss what you learned from the experience and how it shaped you into the person you are today.
- Know your audience! You are writing for a board of admission officers who read essays day in and day out. Establishing an audience gives your writing purpose. Writing without an audience in mind becomes institutional writing and lacks a sense of communication between the writer and the reader.
- Write about something important to you. It could be an experience, an achievement, a person, a place, anything. This is where have freedom and your voice can truly be heard. The more interested you are in a topic, the more it will reflect in your writing.
Genre For an Older Audience: Medical Brochure for Parents
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Alexandra Taleisnik
Writing 2
De Piero
3.5.16
Self-Analysis
“Good communicators “morph” themselves and their writing to fit different subjects or situations (Losh and Alexander. 117).” That is exactly what we were asked to do in WP3. In order to effectively transform the information found in the article Freedom of Voice, I had to think about my intended audience and the conventions that went along with each genre. I also put careful consideration into the way the information was presented, format, tone, language, and visual aids.
For my younger audience, I chose to write an online article directed at high school seniors who are in the process of applying for college. The purpose of the article is to show different ways students can incorporate voice into their college application essays or personal statements. The idea for this transformation came very naturally. Having struggled with my own college application essays, I know firsthand how difficult it can be to write using voice— especially with something so important on the line.
Through this article, I wanted to provide students with a “one-stop-shop” filled with helpful tips regarding the college application process, as well as specific ways they can implement voice into their writing. When writing the article, I decided to split the information up into multiple sections— The Basics, Tell Your Story, and Helpful Tips. This not only organized the information, but also made it easier for students to read through without getting bored. At the start of each section, I would begin by giving a brief introduction before going into more specific information. For example, in The Basics, I provided a general overview of the different types of applications before listing some related website links readers would find helpful. One move that I included multiple times when presenting information was the use of a bulleted list. This was partly used as an organization tactic, but it also fits in as a convention of the genre. In using bullets, I was able to get my point across in a clear and succinct way— something many students value. As far as actual information, I decided to focus on one main idea found in the Freedom of Voice article. Institutional vs. authentic voice stood out to me as one of the key concepts in understanding voice. In my article I made sure to explain what each term meant as well as provide examples. The examples I used were quite simple and somewhat exaggerated. I did this to clearly show the differences in tone, detail, and personality— three aspects that heavily influence the voice of a piece.
In planning how I wanted to approach the genre transformation, I struggled with which perspective to take— the college sophomore who recently went through the application process, or the college admissions expert. In the end, I chose to write as a Senior Publisher and Undergraduate Education Expert from The Princeton Review— an esteemed company that provides test prep, tutoring, and college admission services. In my opinion, establishing the right tone was crucial. According to Losh and Alexander, “your tone should engage your audience in a way that will invite them to feel receptive to your message (129).” I wanted to relate to my audience, but also build credibility at the same time. “Striking a forceful yet measured tone encourages your audience to take you seriously (Losh and Alexander. 129).” The tone I used was friendly, yet authoritative. It conveyed to the readers that I was on their side, and what I had to say was significant.
When it came to the visual aesthetic, I wanted the article to look as if it really belonged in the Princeton Review. To do this, I started by adding a website header and footer I took directly from the Princeton Review website. I also wanted to include a (fake) Youtube video, about the author, and a list of related articles— all of which are commonly found in publications of this sort— to give readers even more information regarding undergraduate education. While writing the article, I strategically bolded specific words or sentences to make them stand out from the otherwise consistent format. By framing certain ideas, “the reader is encouraged to focus on what does change” (McLoud. 20).” The bold type draws their attention and indicates that the information is significant. I also spent an embarrassing amount of time choosing the font I wanted to use. During my research, I noticed that most online articles use a Sans-Serif font, giving the page a sleek look and making it easier to read. It’s a small detail, but it makes a huge difference visually.
When writing towards an older audience, I chose to transform Freedom of Voice into a pamphlet for parents with young children titled, 10 Ways to Prevent Early Onset Voice Loss. The purpose of the pamphlet is to provide parents with different strategies in which they can encourage their children to implement voice into their writing. The process for this genre transformation was interesting considering I decided to write it from a medical perspective. Though this is quite the change from the original article—which was written for teachers— it still works because of the informative nature the article possesses.
The layout of the pamphlet is quite simple. Aside from the front cover, it includes a section dedicated to statistics. The original article did not include statistics, so I created my own because I felt they were an important convention of the medical genre. The bulk of the information can be found on the inside panels where I listed the 10 ways to prevent early onset voice loss. Each one is relatively short and provides information regarding the specific strategy as well as different activities for parents to do with their child to implement the techniques. The strategies range from Developing Audience Awareness to Building Your Child’s Confidence. I also kept the look of the pamphlet simple. I used various shades of blue because it is somewhat of a neutral color, but still adds interest to the piece. I also included a few pictures that coincided with the different strategies in the pamphlet.
The pamphlet is presented by Kaiser Permanente, a large medical foundation that has many chains across the country. The article “So What? Who Cares?” states, “To gain greater authority as a writer, it can help to name specific people or groups who have a stake in your claims…” (So What? Who Cares? 95). Putting Kaiser’s name on the pamphlet gave the information legitimacy, because the source it comes from is highly regarded and well-known. The tone I used was very straightforward and professional. I used specific language that is characteristic of the medical genre, such as “Symptoms of institutional voice include bland word choice and robotic tone”.
Transforming a scholarly article into two different genres proved to have its difficulties. It is one thing to take the information and put it in a different format, but to have to also adhere to specific conventions makes it much more complicated. It shows just how important adapting to your audience is. As a writer, you must be able to communicate with a variety of people in a variety of contexts. Once you understand how to do this, it become much easier to transition from genre to genre.
Works Cited
Losh, Elizabeth M., and Johnathan Alexander. “Writing Identities.” Understanding Rhetoric: A Graphic Guide to Writing. 114-139. Print.
Stetson, Maura. "Freedom of Voice." The English Journal 85.6 (1996): 74. Web.
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