Session 12: Editing for Sentence Variety and Control of Punctuation Concept: Revising and Editing a Memoir

Teaching Point Copy in your NB: Memoirists edit with an eye toward sentence variety which demands a sophisticated knowledge of punctuation and grammar.

Guided Practice Today we will work through a practice handout on sentence variety and punctuation Let’s look at excerpt from “Bruised” by Joe Wilkins What do you notice about his sentence structure and variety?

Active Engagement Now, take a look at the back of the handout – “Adding Power to Memoir with Sentence Variety” What do you notice about the sentence models? Now try your own. Copy your first sentence or two from your memoir onto the handout Write 2 revised leads following the models Share with a partner!

Independent Practice – 10 min Now, re-read your latest memoir-draft and try to experiment a bit with sentence structure Options: Stacking short sentences Long compound sentences Zoom-Ins

Teaching Point #2 Copy in your NB: Punctuating dialogue demonstrates control of sentences that require a specific understanding of punctuation and grammar.

Active Engagement What are some rules of punctuation we already know? List them in your NB as we share ideas Let’s look at one of our old model memoirs and see what rules are used… Let’s review the Punctuation Handout for additional rules

Independent Practice – 15 min Using the Punctuating Dialogue handout, go back into your draft and make some changes to dialogue (or add in some if it is missing) Be sure to go slowly with the punctuation!

Reflection Copy in your NB and date/label: Reflection #12: Rethinking Editing Was your editing work focused more on revision of sentences or more on fixing errors that you missed in earlier drafts? How did this focus impact your writing? What punctuation changes or sentence structure changes did you make?

Homework Revise Memoir (second-to-last revision!); bring typed copy to class in Project Folder Read Chapters 4-6 of Things Fall Apart (quiz next class!)