Class at library to help writers find their voice

Garland County Library Writer's College will present a writing class taught by Sylvia Dickey Smith from 1-3 p.m. Feb. 7 entitled "What Is Writer's Voice and How Do I Find Mine," which will explore the role of voice in creative writing.

"It can be a struggle for writers to find their voice, regardless of whether they are writing a novel, a short story, flash fiction or memoir," Smith said. "Many even ask what writer's voice is. A writer's voice is unique to each individual writer, much like a voice is unique to singers. It has to do with the way a person writes, and is as natural as is our speaking voice. Readers learn to recognize the author of a book by their writing style or voice. In this workshop, writers will discover their raw voice and how to use it to create unique characters."

Smith has been accused of seeing everything and missing nothing. Born and reared in Orange, Texas, when she was 17, with still a year of high school to go, she married and soon thereafter became "the preacher's wife." Years later, she and her family lived on the island of Trinidad, where she developed a love for other cultures, races and religions, and found her voice.

Returning to the U.S. in the late 1970s, Smith enrolled in the University of Texas at El Paso. After earning a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology and a Master of Education in Educational Psychology, her life took a different turn. She began work in the human services field and later founded her own business -- conducting management effectiveness training, individual and marriage counseling, and assertiveness training for women.

After retirement, she started a second career as a writer and now has seven books published. Her recently released book, "Original Cyn," is available in Hot Springs at Casa Bella and at the Garland County Library. The book will be soon be re-released by the new Oghma Creative Media: A Renaissance Press, located in Fayetteville. Smith recently accepted the position of assistant marketing director with this new publisher.

The class is free and open to the public, but advance registration is required. Call the library, 623-4161 or 501-922-4483, or register online at http://www.gclibrary.com.