🎤 Developing Authorial Voice

Your authorial voice can be unique to you, so let’s help you find it!

Develop a unique, confident tone in persuasive, discursive, and personal writing. These activities focus on style, rhythm, opinion, and personality.

• 🗣️ Rant with Reason

  1. 😤 Write a one-minute rant about a school rule you find ridiculous—include 3 solid reasons.

  2. ❓ Transform your rant into a persuasive speech using rhetorical questions.

  3. 🎭 Flip it! Write a counter-rant defending the rule from a teacher’s POV.

• 👣 Walk & Write

  1. 👟 Plan your argument as a journey—each paragraph is a step.

  2. 🔁 Add transitions like "moving forward," "next stop," or "the path changes."

  3. 💭 End with a reflective paragraph showing how your opinion evolved.

• 🔥 Write Like You Talk

  1. 🎙️ Record yourself talking about a topic—transcribe and highlight your natural phrasing.

  2. 🪞 Rewrite it as a formal or humorous speech, keeping your voice intact.

  3. 🧪 Compare with another writer's style—what makes yours unique? 🔗 Ted-Ed: How to Speak So People Want to Listen

• 🎭 Play a Persona

  1. 😇😒🤣 Write 3 takes on a controversial topic: optimistic, cynical, comedic.

  2. 🎨 Add metaphors or vivid imagery to each tone.

  3. 🏆 Choose the most compelling voice and expand it into a speech.

• ✍️ Rewrite with Style

  1. 🪶 Take a boring sentence and rewrite it as poetic, persuasive, and sarcastic.

  2. 🎲 Share with a friend—can they guess the tone?

  3. 🧱 Build a paragraph using only your favorite version.

• 📣 Power Paragraph

  1. 💥 Use alliteration, short sentences, and repetition to energize your argument.

  2. ❤️ Add a personal anecdote or rhetorical question.

  3. 🎤 Finish with a killer mic-drop line. 🔗 LiteracyIdeas - Rhetorical Devices

• 📖 Personal but Powerful

  1. 🌱 Tell a true story from your life that reveals a belief.

  2. 🌊 Include a moment of emotional transformation.

  3. 🧩 Use it as the opening of a persuasive piece.

• 🧠 Logic vs Emotion

  1. 📊 Argue a topic using only stats and facts.

  2. 💔 Rewrite using emotional language and stories.

  3. ⚖️ Combine both and reflect on which felt stronger.

• 🎙️ Signature Sentence

  1. ✒️ Create a one-liner that reflects your personal values.

  2. 🪢 Weave it into a persuasive piece.

  3. 🎭 Share with a friend—can they identify your tone from one sentence?

• 🕵️ Style Detective

  1. 🔍 Read a famous speech—highlight phrases, rhythms, or traits.

  2. 🧑‍🎤 Imitate the voice in your own writing.

  3. 💡 Reflect on what makes your voice different or similar. 🔗 Top 10 Famous Speeches (YouTube)