Don’t know how to start your Voices entry? Not sure if your entry will stand out and ‘wow’ our judges? You’ve come to the right place!
Below, we share insights from some of our judges on what they’re looking for to help you fine-tune your entry and increase your chance of being shortlisted.
In this video, author Abi Elphinstone shares her advice for writing
Here are more top tips from judge Rebekah Pierre:
1. It sounds really obvious, but good writing comes from a place of good reading. It always helps to get inspiration from other writers you really admire, or who write in a certain genre/style you enjoy. Books can be expensive, but the library is a great place to start if money is tight!
2. Write about what you know. You are the expert in your own life – no one can tell it like you can. It is much more tricky to be authentic when writing about topics/experiences you have to research in order to understand.
3. When you don’t know where to start, or have writer’s block, sometimes owning that is the best place to begin. I have often began a sentence by saying ‘You know what, I’m struggling and I don’t know what to say. But…’, and after that, the words have fallen into place. Being honest and vulnerable helps us to get into the right gear.
4. If you’re daydreaming on the bus, guess what – that’s part of the writing process! I would say that 50% of my writing happens when I’m away from the screen. My ideas tend to dry up when I sit down intending to get words onto paper, but suddenly when I’m out and about – and nowhere near my laptop – that’s when they appear. I’ve made a habit of making notes/voice recordings on my phone when I’m out and about (or sometimes a good old fashioned notebook and pen) to try to capture these brainwaves!
5. Writing about our lived experience can be really empowering – but it can often come at an emotional cost. You may find yourself reliving upsetting or distressing moments you might have otherwise forgotten, and all sorts of memories can resurface. Here are some things you may wish to consider:
- Think in advance about what might be the safest environment to write in – that might include a location, but also a time of day, and whether it might help to have someone you trust nearby.
- You might want to keep a reminder of the present with you – i.e., something that grounds you to the here and now. It could be an item, a photo, or even just a mantra you find comforting.
- If you can, try to schedule a grounding activity afterwards, to help keep you connected to your body. It could be as simple as doing some exercise or doing something which helps to use your senses, like cooking or going for a walk.
- Schedule regular breaks if you can whilst you write.
- You might want to schedule something to look forward to afterwards if you can, no matter how small.