VOX: The Voice of Our Generation

As you develop and refine your story, VOX writing coaches are available to offer support by phone (404-614-0040) or email (vox@voxrox.org).

To get started on your story, here are some guidelines to consider:

Write like you're talking to a friend (not writing an English paper or college-application essay). Readers of VOX are your peers, so write like you're talking to them.
Be sure to include the real personal experience. How'd you personally get involved in the issue you're writing about? What keeps you involved? What limitations are there? What's frustrating? What's exciting?
Be detailed and descriptive. Most readers don't have the advantage of seeing what you see, so be detailed. Instead of saying "attend meetings" you might include what kind of meeting, why it's called and who's there. Remember that the most vivid writing is what readers will get into and stay into (so remember the senses - sight, smell, taste, feel. And use comparisons (as boring as what? Nervous like what?).
Use real teens' voices. If you can, quote two or three other teens who are involved or affected by the issue you're writing about. Be sure to use the correct spelling of the teens' names and include their ages and schools. Quotes are things someone says WORD FOR WORD. You can't change what they said or add on to it.
Show VOX readers the local connection. Sometimes, it's hard to connect to a situation going on hundreds or thousands of miles away. To get your readers interested, show VOX how what you're writing about relates to a teenager in Atlanta.

Also keep in mind published stories generally have a structure to them. It goes like this:

Lede - the first paragraph has to get people's attention. Writers sometimes use a quote, little story or startling fact to illustrate their point.
Nut graph - the second or third paragraph usually summarizes the main point of the story. In this case, you'd want a sentence or two about the main point - what's the "so what" of what you're trying to convey?
Body - the part of your story where you prove your point or tell a story. This can include quotes from other people or statistics to prove your point.
Conclusion - you need to wrap it up without saying "in conclusion." Sometimes ending with a quote or summarizing something you've learned can be a powerful way to end a story.

Plan to complete at least three story drafts with the helpful, friendly support of VOX writing coaches. Our stories tend to be between 500 and 1,500 words, but worry more about content than length. And have fun!