Imitation is the best form of flattery...

I think Spandel hit the nail right on the head with this week's readings, going into the complexities that make up voice. She goes into what it is, what teachers should focus on and how to encourage it. But the part that really hit home for me was in the separate essay at the end of the chapter, where Barry Lane explains what it was like to write in the voice of someone who was the complete opposite of himself. I feel a lot of my own writing is like that, my mind slotting into someone else's with a click and writing about situations I've never been a part of in my own life. For students, I think it could be a good way for them to begin finding their own voice. To experience something through the eyes of someone else and then gradually shift that into writing about things that have happened in their own lives. It goes along with the concept of imitation as well. Let the student choose an author to try and imitate and then go from there. It could be an interesting experiment, at the least.

Also in the Spandel reading, I was amused by her description of voice. Whether it's "dressed to the nines or lounging in sweats (131)", it's still recognizable. It's something I've noticed in our blogs as the semester goes on. As I read through each week, I can hear each of you reading your words out loud. I've kept an online blog since 2000/2001, and throughout all that time, I've never actually been able to "hear" the writer.

The Tom Romano essay was great- to see how his daughter pulled together experiences to come up with a story that affected so many people. I really enjoyed it. As well as the Smith chapter. He says "learning to write begins with seeing [yourself] as a writer (180)." Maybe that's the key after all. Get people to see themselves as writers and maybe, just maybe, they'll start writing and enjoying writing.