HOW SOMETHING YOU HATE CAN REVEAL A VOICE YOU LOVE

Every writer has to find their own voice. But how do you define what makes your writing special? How do you define what makes your writing uniquely you?

There may be a way.

In every Creative Writing 101 class I teach at Gotham Writers, there’s a very clear pivot point. It’s a six-week class, and in week three, that pivot occurs. While the discussion centers around what makes these burgeoning writers in the class unique, the common responses of “I don’t really know” or “Nothing, really” are quickly eradicated by the writing exercise, after which each of the students has the beginnings of a clear and distinct voice, one that stands out in its own way from everyone else’s.

That’s because of the writing activity in week three: “Write About Something You Hate.”

That’s it. Just pick something you hate