Narrative Writing Bell Work: 1)What are some characteristics of good writing? 2)How can you use what you have learned in the last two weeks to improve your writing?

Characteristics Conciseness Sentences should be written concisely needless words and fillers distract readers from your message Effective Paragraphs Cover one subject per paragraph Begin each paragraph with a topic sentence stating what the subject is about. Focusing on just one clearly stated subject in each paragraph this helps readers understand your message. **Indent**

More Characteristics Correct Spelling and Grammar Misspelled words and grammatical errors distract readers from your message. Common Grammatical Errors Comma Splices are independent clauses joined by a comma. (Remember that an independent clause is a clause that can stand alone as a complete sentence.) ****Change the comma to a semicolon. Run-On Sentences are independent clauses joined together without. *** Use commas Sentence Fragments are incomplete sentences. To be complete, a sentence must have a subject and a verb, and it must make sense.

Proof Reading It is important to proofread your document carefully, since spell check and grammar check will not catch correctly spelled words that are incorrectly spelled in the context of your sentence (EX: knight vs. night). Also, make sure it is readable and that you were consistent with your indents, line spacing, and margins. Consider printing a hard copy of your document rather than just proofreading from the screen. Errors tend to jump out more from a PRINTED page.

5 Paragraph Essays Thesis Statement ***stated in 1 st & 5 th paragraphs 1 st paragraph – Introduction 2 nd paragraph – topic 1 3 rd paragraph – topic 2 4 th paragraph – topic 3 5 th paragraph – Conclusion

Thesis Statement Prompt: Describe three fun things you did in Explain each thing and why it was so much fun. It should have 3 points specifically laid out in the order you want to discuss them. Example: The most fun I’ve had this year was when I went to country concerts, the beach, and the Renaissance Festival.

1 st paragraph An introduction gives background information on your subject. It introduces the reader to your topic. Be sure to Indent your paragraphs. In this section you will be telling the three things you are thankful for.

1 st Paragraph In 2014, I had so much fun hanging out with my friends. I went to some Carolina Panthers games, spent some time at Noah’s Landing, and spent the summer by the pool. I have to say though, the most fun I’ve had this year was when I went to country concerts, the beach, and the Renaissance Festival. My friends and I made lasting memories. We have so many hilarious pictures to look back on later.

2 nd – 4 th Paragraphs The 3 points you use in each of your body paragraphs should support the topic sentence of your paragraph, and your thesis as well. Use complete sentences. Make sure you Capitalize and Punctuate sentences. Use sequence words to keep paragraphs organized.

2 nd Paragraph This year I went to many country concerts. Many of the concerts were at Walnut Creek Amphitheater. This summer I saw: Luke Bryan, Tim McGraw, Chase Rice, Lee Brice, Cassadee Pope, Jason Aldean, Miranda Lambert, Thomas Rhett, and a few more artists. I have seen some of these artists live before and they were great. Right before Christmas break I went to see Chase Rice again at Memorial Auditorium. It was indoors, warm, and the seats were comfy. We had a blast at all of these concerts, I’m so glad I got to share this experience with great friends.

3 rd Paragraph My friends and I went to the beach a couple times this summer. The first trip we took was for my birthday. My friends made a silly list and I had to complete 25 tasks during the day. Some funny things I had to do were: take a selfie every hour for twenty-four hours, recite poetry in public, and get twenty five pictures with complete strangers. It was a very exciting trip and I completed all my crazy missions. The next beach trip we took was more relaxing. We laid on the beach and went shopping. We had such a great time; I can’t wait until it’s summer again.

4 th Paragraph Every year, my friends and I go to the Carolina Renaissance Festival. This year we went on a dreary day, but we still had a fun time. First, we went to see the Tortuga Twins. The are my favorite comedic group. Next, we did some shopping and walked around. We also caught a fire juggling show that was pretty cool and watched a sword swallower. At the end of the day, we went to watch the jousting match. Our knight lost but it was still awesome. Before we left, my roommate got to hold a goose, and it made her day. It was such a fun trip; I know we will go back next year.

Mel and her goose friend

Conclusion A conclusion should do just what it says: conclude. It can get a little tricky, though. You should not introduce new information into your conclusion. If you have not talked about it before your conclusion, then don’t use it. Restate your thesis.

5 th Paragraph - Conclusion It was a wonderful year. I went many places and had a so much fun. Some of the highlights were: country concerts, the beach, and the Renaissance Festival. These are great memories I will cherish forever. I hope in 2015 my friends and I will have more exciting adventures.

Graphic Organizer The graphic organizer is for quick notes, thoughts, and ideas. Make a list of things you can talk about in each paragraph. Let do an example on the board…