Writing Influences

I guess when it comes down to critical things, like the way I think, process information, read or write, my immediate family has had the greatest influence on me from the earliest stages through today. Starting with my dad, the engineer/science minded member of the family, I think I can put it shortly that he has impacted my literary career the least. Since high school, his own writing has been limited to lab reports and papers, which I find perfectly mundane on all accounts. My mum and brother I feel I can lump into one category. They both have an affinity for delivering a clearly outlined objective in an eloquent manner. I believe it is from the two of them that I have learned to write structurally and load (sometimes overload!) on the adjectives. Finally, my sister is the writer who I would aspire to emulate, if possible. She recently graduated from university as an English major, and it has served her well! Her style is very cohesive, direct, but artful in it’s own way. I often look to her for advice on editing an essay.

There are many authors whose work I respect and admire, but I know for myself that it isn’t anything like my “voice”. I can’t quite define my own voice, but it’s something I am continually developing. Also, I haven’t really had the opportunity to assess my own voice through much of high school, where the focus has largely been on writing the standard five-paragraph essay. I look forward to exploring more modes and techniques over the course of the next few months!