HONING THE CRAFTPersonal Narrative, Voice, and the Writing Process

with Jess Thomsonwww.jessthomson.com

T: @onfoodandlife I: @jessthomson

GET TO WORK

While you’re waiting, write down 5 emotionally-charged memories that have no connection to food.

You’ll need them later.

1.Voice2.Process3.Narrative4.Practice

Voice• Definition

• Varying Voice

• The Freaky Hookah-Smoking Caterpillar

• How to Be the Anti-Alice

- Word Choice/Patterns

- Stop, Look, and Listen

The Boiling Water Test

Write the introduction to a story for your own blog called

“How to Boil Water”

A good blog post is the one no one but you could ever write.

-Tara Austen Weaver

HOW?

PRACTICE

The Writing Process• Who: Identify your voice

• When: Find your sweet spot

• Where: Location, location, location

• How: Know your patterns

nar·ra·tive

ˈnerədiv/nounnoun: narrative; plural noun: narratives

1. a spoken or written account of connected events; a story.

Make a Scene

ACTION

DIALOGUESETTING

CHARACTERSTIME

SENTIMENTS

Let’s Do ThisPrevious directions:

While you’re waiting, write down 5 emotionally-charged memories that have no connection to food.

NOW:

Pick one of these memories. Then pick one moment in that memory as an entry point. Write a paragraph or three.

Better Narrative: Be Generous to the Reader• Action: Say exactly what you see, give details

• Talking/Dialogue: Be emotionally truthful

• Setting: Place, weather, time of day, describe the room

• Characters: Don’t assume your readers know you.

• Time: Beginning/Middle/End

• Sentiments: What makes you uncomfortable?

3Go back to your scene.

Make three changes that can bring the reader in deeper.

We create structure out of our discomfort so other people can take shelter there.

-Lisa Jones, on memoir

QUESTIONS

Jess Thomsonjessthomson@me.comwww.jessthomson.comT: @onfoodandlife I: @jessthomson