voice

Idea nicked from the Ohio Writing Project last summer. When teaching point-of-view, persona, and voice, give students a list of familiar writers, celebrities, politicians, and historical figures. Have students answer the question "Why did the chicken cross the road" in the 'voice' of each individual. On Tuesday, I did this with my creative writing class, using Eminem, Freud, Jerry Seinfeld, Homer Simpson, Colonel Sanders, and Dr. Seuss. A fun diversion, but above all a neat way to contextualize some important writerly concerns. Early in the term, got students comfortable with reading their own words out loud to the rest of us.