Writer’s Craft

What is Writer’s Craft? Craft is the art of writing. Anything written has been crafted. It is the author’s/writer’s intentional use of the following to create an effect on the reader: figurative language figurative language snapshots/imagery/details snapshots/imagery/details word choice/word placement word choice/word placement sound/dialogue sound/dialogue sentence structure/stylistic devices sentence structure/stylistic devices text features text features text structure text structure VOICE! VOICE!

Writer’s Craft Encompasses (covers) : Style Style Tone Tone Voice Voice Audience Awareness Audience Awareness Structure/Organization Structure/Organization Technique Technique

Categories of Craft Word Craft—careful, deliberate word choice Word Craft—careful, deliberate word choice Structural Craft—organizational features Structural Craft—organizational features Audible Craft—sound choices Audible Craft—sound choices Visual Craft—print features Visual Craft—print features

Word Craft Deliberate, artful choice of words Deliberate, artful choice of words Figurative language Figurative language Word Choice Word Choice Vivid verbs Vivid verbs Imagery Imagery Details Details

Structural Craft Organizational Framework of the Writing Organizational Framework of the Writing Text structure Text structure Paragraph types Paragraph types Transitional devices Transitional devices Parallel structure Parallel structure Repetition Repetition Page Layout/White Space Page Layout/White Space

Audible Craft Language that Lingers… Language that Lingers… Noticed without even seeing the print Noticed without even seeing the print Alliteration Alliteration Assonance Assonance Onomatopoeia Onomatopoeia Rhythm Rhythm Cadence Cadence Hard/Soft Sounds Hard/Soft Sounds

Visual Craft Thoughtful, artful placement of text on a page Thoughtful, artful placement of text on a page Must be seen to be noticed Must be seen to be noticed Print Features (bold, italics, fonts, punctuation) Print Features (bold, italics, fonts, punctuation) Line breaks Line breaks White space White space Graphics—pictures, illustrations, charts, maps Graphics—pictures, illustrations, charts, maps

Analyzing Writer’s Craft Let’s analyze for Literary Devices and Figurative Language. Let’s analyze for Literary Devices and Figurative Language.

Now…Beyonce’s Halo Listen to the song. Listen to the song. As you listen, highlight or underline ANY literary devices or figurative language that you see on the sheet provided. As you listen, highlight or underline ANY literary devices or figurative language that you see on the sheet provided.

Discussion! What evidence of literary devices/figurative language did you find in the lyrics? What evidence of literary devices/figurative language did you find in the lyrics? Quote them. (Claim them!) Quote them. (Claim them!) Label them. (Name them!) Label them. (Name them!) Explain the author’s purpose. (Frame them!) Explain the author’s purpose. (Frame them!) Why did Beyoncé and her co-authors choose to use those literary/figurative language devices? Why did Beyoncé and her co-authors choose to use those literary/figurative language devices? What do the devices mean? What do the devices mean? How do they add to the meaning and purpose to the song? How do they add to the meaning and purpose to the song?

Analyzing Writer’s Craft Claim It! Quote from the Work Name It! Label the Device/Technique Frame It! Explain/Analyze Author’s Purpose “Remember those walls I built…”

Analyzing Writer’s Craft Claim It! Quote from the Work Name It! Label the Device/Technique Frame It! Explain/Analyze Author’s Purpose “Remember those walls I built…” walls=metaphor

Analyzing Writer’s Craft Claim It! Quote from the Work Name It! Label the Device/Technique Frame It! Explain/Analyze Author’s Purpose “Remember those walls I built…” walls=metaphorTo show that she’s been hurt before and is guarding her emotions/ heart Now, it’s your turn!

Analyzing Writer’s Craft Claim It! Quote from the Work Name It! Label the Device/Technique Frame It! Explain/Analyze Author’s Purpose “Remember those walls I built…” walls=metaphorTo show that she’s been hurt before and is guarding her emotions/ heart “…they didn’t even put up a fight…” personificationTo show that she is really in love now, not fighting it “I got my angel now…” metaphor and/or allusion To show emotional significance of new love

Let’s Take it to Text “Bryan’s Plane Crash” “Bryan’s Plane Crash” Written as a typical student’s sample. Written as a typical student’s sample.

Bryan’s Plane Crash Bryan heard a loud noise as the plane’s wings were torn off of the plane. He braced himself, then his head hit the wheel as the plane hit the trees. The plane went through the trees then crashed into the water. People were screaming all around him. He unfastened his seatbelt and went out the window to get free of the wreckage.

Writer’s Craft: Transforming Telling to Showing Notice how the typical student sample is just relaying of a list of events. Notice how the typical student sample is just relaying of a list of events. No craft techniques are used. No craft techniques are used. Writer’s Craft takes writers/readers beyond the surface of events. Writer’s Craft takes writers/readers beyond the surface of events. Now read an excerpt from Gary Paulsen’s Hatchet. Now read an excerpt from Gary Paulsen’s Hatchet.

As You Read… Underline/highlight what speaks to you as a reader—evidence of good writing: Underline/highlight what speaks to you as a reader—evidence of good writing: Vivid verbs Vivid verbs Literary devices (metaphors, similes, idioms) Literary devices (metaphors, similes, idioms) Sensory details (where you can see, hear, smell, taste the story, or feel for/with the characters) Sensory details (where you can see, hear, smell, taste the story, or feel for/with the characters) Sentence structure/word choice (sound, rhythm, tone) Sentence structure/word choice (sound, rhythm, tone)

From Paulsen’s Hatchet There was a great wrenching as the wings caught the pines at the side of the clearing and broke back, ripping back just outside the main braces. Dust and dirt blew off the floor into his face so hard he thought there must have been some kind of explosion. He was momentarily blinded and slammed forward in the seat, smashing his head on the wheel.

Then a wild crashing sound, ripping of metal, and the plane rolled to the right and blew through the trees, out over the water and down, down to slam into the lake, skip once on water as hard as concrete, water that tore the windshield out and shattered the side windows, water that drove him back into the seat.

Somebody was screaming, screaming as the plane drove down into the water. Someone screamed tight animal screams of fear and pain and he did not know that it was his sound, that he roared against the water that took him and the plane still deeper, down into the water. He saw nothing but sensed blue, cold blue-green, and he raked at the seatbelt catch, tore his nails loose on one hand.

He ripped at it until it released and somehow - the water trying to kill him, to end him - somehow he pulled himself out of the shattered front window and clawed up into the blue, felt something hold him back, felt his windbreaker tear and he was free. Tearing free. Ripping free.

Writer’s Craft What elements of writer’s craft do you see in Paulsen’s excerpt? What elements of writer’s craft do you see in Paulsen’s excerpt? Name, Claim, Frame (on your chart) Name, Claim, Frame (on your chart) How does writer’s craft impact the reader? How does writer’s craft impact the reader?