Take out your clock appointment sheet!

 On a loose leaf piece of paper (write your name and date!), reflect as a writer on the piece you have brought to peer edit today. Where was your success? Where was your struggle? BE HONEST! (This will be submitted with your final draft.)

 Need: story, pen/pencil, a piece of loose leaf with your name on it, clock appointments  You will spend 12 minutes with a given story  At each mini-session, read for focus element and provide a PUSH and a PRAISE. DON’T BE A USELESS EDITOR!  Write your name as an editor and put your thoughts on writer’s loose leaf. YOU will be evaluated as an editor! (will be submitted with your final draft)

 Great!:  I’m confused: ?  General spelling or punctuation corrections  All other comments go on the writer’s loose-leaf.

 Please read your partner’s piece silently. Remember: PUSH and PRAISE!  Focus: Characterization and flow  Note-it: Is the main character well- developed? Is there both surface and layers? Do you feel you know the person? Does the name fit the character? Is there TOO much backstory that’s unecessary?  Note-it: How did the writer bring together the various pieces of writing? How effective is it? Does it flow? (Indoor, outdoor, character sketch, conflict)

 Please read your partner’s piece silently. Remember: PUSH and PRAISE!  Focus: 10 minute Conflict with Dialogue and VERB TENSE  Note-it: What is the 10 minute conflict? Is the situation fittingly and specifically uncomfortable? Is it unique to the character and character’s past? Does the character react genuinely? Or does it seem unrealistic, rushed, etc.  Note-it: Is there enough dialogue? Is it realistic? Is it important? Is it punctuated correctly (new line with indent = new speaker, proper attributions, etc)? Consistent Verb tense???

 Please read your partner’s piece silently. Remember: PUSH and PRAISE!  Focus: Importance  Was the story meaningful? Inventive? Did it add to the human experience? What was NON essential to the story? Anything to cut out that does not relate to the importance of the story? Does the character grow/learn something by the end? What was the point of the story? Leave some closing comments for the author. (ex. Character back story should only include what we NEED to know.)

 Please read your partner’s piece silently. Remember: PUSH and PRAISE!  Focus: Cutting out non-essential material  Note-it: Is the writing precise? Concise? To the point? Pithy? Is there anything redundant? Is there anything in the character sketch that is NOT relevant to the conflict? Is there unnecessary tagging (He said, she said, he said, she said…)? Is every word meaningful and contributing to the purpose? (Or are some words wasting space?)

 Now look at your own piece and the notes your partners have given you. What do you need to do to improve your piece? Make some comments to yourself on your loose leaf.