Finding a Voice Spring 1996 Volume 23, Number 3 Finding a Voice Rodman Philbrick A story works best when it starts at the beginning. Because for a long time I thought writing was a secret life. It started in the sixth grade. Now before I go further I'm going to have to violate my own rule and jump ahead by thirty years or so. So for this generation, the idea of writing stories and poetry is as natural as learning their ABC's.
Writing is normal classroom activity.
I mention this because my experience was so different. When I started writing stories in the sixth grade, it was not only something I did outside of school, completely on my own, it was something I felt I should do secretly. Writing wasn't cool, like being good at sports, or being part of the in crowd, or winning fights on the playground. Writing wasn't discouraged or encouraged, it simply wasn't considered at all. I attended a perfectly good public school, by the way, filled with many teachers considered enlightened for their day.