Teen Workshop: Writing Persuasively: How to Find Your Voice in Nonfiction Writing (in person at HVWC)

In a time of limited attention, how do you hook your reader? And how do you hold on to them to the end? Writing persuasively is not a fluke, or a result of “talent,” but rather a craft that writers can sharpen and refine. In this workshop, we will explore a variety of strategies for writing more persuasively, all while honing an individual voice on the page. Close reading is essential to this course and class time will include both generative writing prompts and time for workshopping student writing. We will examine a variety of persuasive writing for inspiration from Op-Eds to travel writing to personal essays to poetry. Students will be encouraged to experiment, take risks, and tackle the challenge of refining a unique voice on the page.

Jessica Colley Clarke is a freelance writer based in Westchester, New York. She received her MFA from Columbia University’s School of the Arts, where she teaches a summer course in Creative Journalism. Her writing has been published in The New York Times, AFAR magazine, Food & Wine, The Daily Beast, BBC Travel, and more. She is currently at work on her first book. A complete portfolio is available at www.jessicacolleyclarke.com.