Writing has proven to be a medium that has the power to do many things. I started practicing my writing skills early in my childhood.  I wrote editorials on current events that I heard about on broadcast news, such as the death of Martin Luther King Jr. and Bobby Kennedy.  Those editorials helped me to understand the tragic loss of both King and Kennedy; moreover my voice began to emerge through those primary writings. 

I continued to evolve as a writer by writing poetry. I asked a creative writing instructor once how I could find my voice.  The answer I received was to keep writing and that is what I have done.  One summer many years ago, I took my first creative writing workshop and with great apprehension I wrote a sensitive and personal poem.  I read the poem through tears in a seated circle among other emerging writers.  I found my voice and creative wings in that poem.

Furthermore, I discovered that if I wanted to write I could not be afraid to reveal what is real. Thus, it is necessary for me as a playwright to be credible about what I am writing.  It is important for me to develop characters that are realistic characters.  Therefore, I must come from a position of authenticity as the playwright.

Because of poetry I explored the wonders of language; on the account of poetry, my voice acquired depth and greater insight of the human condition.  Indeed, the power of writing is liberating, it certainly is true for me. Writing empowers me as a playwright to tell the stories that I choose to write about in the form a play.

Lastly, my voice is paramount to the development and voice of the characters that I create in a play. I have met many people on my journey who have been influential in my growth. Thus, their meaningful voices helped me to establish my voice as a woman and writer.  Like Lorraine Hansberry in her time, I aspire to tell the stories that should be told.



© 2013. Sharon Wallace. All rights reserved. This article  may be republished only with full attribution to the copyright holder.