Character

Sensory Details

Dialogue

VoiceVoice is . . .

Voice is writing like you feelA piece emerges

from your heart . . .from treasured memories

intricately stored in the depths of your mind.It’s YOU!

You find yourselfcoming alive

through your pen.Just the right words . . .

just the right flowof the meaning

of your experiences.by Deb Schwartz, 2003

VoiceSo voice is a packaging, a wrappingup of all the ways in which you use

words—your style, how you presentdialogue, how you describe far

mountains and peoples’ faces, andalso how you reveal your heart.

Voice

Nervous Sad Scared Angry

Worried Hungry Tired Embarrassed

Confident Impatient Shy Excited

Joyful Greedy Bored Cheerful

Confused Jealous Anxious Surprised

Amazed Lonely Horrified Guilty

VoiceNERVOUS, you might write:

My hands were so sweaty I could barely hold the microphone in my hand. Butterflies were bouncing off the walls of my stomach, and my knees were shaking. As the announcer called my name, I watched the curtain slowly rise to reveal the hundreds of people in the audience. I

was blinded by the brightness of a spotlight shining down on me. "You can do this," I whispered to myself.

VoiceTopic: Write about something you made and gave to someone.

My hands feel sweaty and my brain seems blanker than a brand new sheet of paper. After five long

minutes of thinking about what I had made in my past and given to someone…I finally recalled the gift. I was in first grade and I had nothing to give my mom

for Mother’s Day.

VoiceTopic: (Continued)

She has always been a hard working woman: a human alarm clock, passionate home-maker, a real-world teacher. How could such a person not receive

a token of gratitude on such a special occasion. It came to me by surprise because it was the last

Friday before Mother’s Day and I had already given up hope of bringing home the perfect gift. My

parents weren’t made of money like many of my friends’ parents. I can still remember the exact

phrase my teacher said that faint morning, “Class. Today we are making rainbow flowers!”

VoiceTopic: (Continued)

I felt like I must have made it to the end of the rainbow and got all the desires of my heart granted.

Her words brought color to the day and I couldn’t wait to express myself. My nerves of sorrow within

were squirming in defeat against the sudden rush of anticipation. I waited as my teacher quickly laid out

our supplies on our desks.

VoiceTopic: (Continued)

Then, I wondered how on earth we would make flowers with such items: coffee filters, markers, a

cup of water, and green fuzzy wires. “Patience, dear, patience.” My mom’s common phrase chimed softly

in my mind. I waited. As my teacher wrote the instructions on the board, I tried to look around her to get a head-start. Unfortunately, I had to remain

grounded in my seat no matter how hard my rush of excitement tried to break free.

VoiceTopic: (Continued)

The instructions were simple:1.Draw a tiny circle in the middle of each filter2.Use a different color marker to make a larger circle around the smaller circle. (I wondered where this was taking me)3.Using different colors each time, repeat until you reach half an inch from the edge. 4.Fold each filter into four equal parts. 5.Dip the point in the cup of water. 6.Watch the colors rise. ( Each color seemed to join hands with each other)7.Open the filters and allow to dry. (Wow! I was impressed)8.Attach a green wire to each filter in the center. (The wires delicately folded in any direction I lead it to)9.My teacher forgot to put the most important step within each step which was to let the flow of love guide each step.

VoiceTopic: (Continued)

I looked at my completed bouquet of flowers. My eyelids swelled up and I knew if I’d let them drop,

I’d release a river of joyful tears. Each flower seemed so alive, yet so intricately delicate…a perfect

gift for my mother.

VoiceTopic: Write about something you made and gave to

someone.

Yes, I can’t believe I actually read that topic correctly. This is going to be great, you wait and see.

I know you’re wondering what I made that makes me feel so confident about this topic. The thing is, it literally just happened last week and every detail is

still vivid in my mind to the last glue drop.

Metaphors/Similes

Metaphors/Similes

Openings

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