So, how can I use what I love, what I know, and what I can imagine to create something new that both expresses my ideas and connects to an audience of readers?

What is Writing? “We have discovered that writing allows even a stupid person to seem halfway intelligent, if only that person will write the same thought over and over again, improving it just a little bit each time. It is a lot like inflating a blimp with a bicycle pump. Anybody can do it. All it takes is time.” ~ Kurt Vonnegut Jr.

What is Writing? thinking on paperbrainstorming ideas thinking of a topicdeciding on a format drafting words, pictures, and ideasrevising editingpolishing Planningresearching Note takingcutting and pasting webbing, listing, pre-writingpacing the piece prioritizing the workconsidering the audience engaging the readerorganizing reorganizingtyping, handwriting spellingpunctuating capitalizingcreating paragraphs creating line and stanza breaksproofreading rereading what has been writtenwriting final draft copy publishingobserving the world around you

I remember when…. For the next ten minutes, write about a time you remember. It can be a time of significance to you, or a time of sorrow, or a time of joy. It could even be snippets of all three. Just write.

Overcoming Challenge Some people avoid challenges. Others see them as opportunities to grow. Write about a time when you overcame a great challenge.

End of sentence punctuation While the punctuation in the middle of the sentence is extremely important, it’s the punctuation at the end of the sentence that makes or breaks the writing: if the end punctuation is incorrect, the whole sentence can be incomprehensible. You have three options for the end of a sentence: period, exclamation mark, or question mark. Each one sets a different tone for the whole sentence. When we’re reading out loud, our tone naturally adjusts to the punctuation: a period is calm and sedate, an exclamation mark is loud and excited, and the question mark turns the end of the sentence up in wonder. In fact, you can use the same words and the same punctuation within the sentence, and change the whole meaning by using different end punctuation. I went shopping. (Ho, hum. It was uneventful.) I went shopping! (I had the best time and bought wonderful things!) I went shopping? (I must have had a black-out or something. I don’t remember going shopping.)

Punctuation Marks!

Sentence Types

Personal Narrative Personal narratives are a form of writing in which the writer relates one event, incident, or experience from his/her life. Personal narratives allow you, the writer, to share your life with others in such a way that they can experience the things you describe. Your job as a writer is to put the readers in the middle of the action, letting them live through an event, incident, or experience. Personal narratives also incorporate vivid descriptive details, as well as the thoughts, feelings, and reactions of the writer.

Personal Narrative A good personal narrative, like a good story, creates a dramatic effect. It makes us laugh, scares us, and/or gets us on the edge of our seats. Although personal narratives capture true events, sometimes writers embellish or use hyperbole (exaggeration) to illustrate a point or to create dramatic effect. A personal narrative has done its job effectively if the readers can say, “Yes, that captures what living with my mother feels like,” or “Yes, that’s what it felt like to lose the championship game.” Note: A memoir is a specific type of personal narrative, one that examines the meaning of the writer’s life during a specific moment in time.: A memoir is a specific type of personal narrative, one that examines the meaning of the writer’s life during a specific moment in time.

So, how can I use what I love, what I know, and what I can imagine to create something new that both expresses my ideas and connects to an audience of readers?

Your Task You will select a memory, event, incident, or experience that you would like to share, and then use that choice as the basis for a personal narrative that you will construct. Your narrative can take several forms. It could be a memoir, an essay, a short story, a narrative poem, a narrative song, etc… The only real requirements are that the narrative reflect some aspect of your own experience and that your final product moves through the stages of the writing process from using prewriting strategies to help come up with your initial idea to drafting, revising, editing, and then finally publishing your finished piece.

You can’t trust everyone! You can’t trust everyone. Write about a time when someone betrayed your trust. How did you react? Did you ever forgive them?

What is the Problem?

Where is the Action? “Plot is people. Human emotions and desires founded on the realities of life, working at cross purposes, getting hotter and fiercer as they strike against each other until finally there’s an explosion—that’s Plot.” ~ Leigh Brackett

Plot Structure Components Exposition: The start of the story. The way things are before the action starts. Rising Action: the series of conflicts and crisis in the story that lead to the climax. Climax: The turning point. The most intense moment (either mentally or in action. Falling Action: all of the action which follows the Climax. Resolution: The conclusion, the tying together of all of the threads.

I can use a variety of prewriting strategies to select and focus a topic for my personal narrative writing. (SOL 6.7b, 8.7b) Criteria4321 Prewriting Strategies 2 or more PW strategies used to generate writing topics 2 different PW strategies used to generate writing topics 1 PW strategies used to generate writing topics 0 PW strategies used to generate writing topics Topic Selection 3 or more possible topics/ideas identified to write about 2 or more possible topics/ideas identified to write about 1 topic/idea identified to write about No topics/ideas identified to write about Writing Evidence 2 or more fully published pieces with all drafts attached 1 fully published piece with all drafts attached Related drafts leading to publication of 1 piece in the future Unrelated drafts that do not lead to publication