LET ME TELL YOU A STORY North Junior High School 8 th Grade ELA

The Writing Process The series of overlapping steps that most writers follow in composing texts.

Planning/Prewriting THINK Decide on a topic to write about Consider who will read or listen to your written work. Brainstorm ideas about your subject List places where you can get information

DRAFT WRITE Put the information into your own words. Write sentences and paragraphs even if they are not perfect. Read what you have written and judge if it says what you mean. Show it to others and ask for suggestions.

REVISE MAKE IT BETTER Read what you have written again. Think about what others said about it. Rearrange words or sentences. Take out or add parts. Replace overused or unclear words. Read your writing aloud to be sure it flows smoothly.

EDIT MAKE IT CORRECT Be sure all sentences are complete. Correct spelling, capitalization, and punctuation. Change words that are not used correctly. Have someone check your work. Recopy or type it correctly and neatly

PUBLISH SHARE THE FINISHED PRODUCT Read your writing aloud to a group. Create a book of your work. Send a copy to a friend or relative. Put your writing on display. Illustrate, perform, or set your creation to music. Congratulate yourself on a job well done!

Mini-lesson – How to write a multi-paragraph NARRATIVE essay Rewrite The Adventure of the Speckled Band from another character’s POINT of VIEW How will the characters change? How will the story & the outcome change?

NARRATIVE ESSAY PLAN The Adventures of the Speckled Band From Dr. Grimsby Rowlett’s Point of View (Paragraph 1) - Introduction LEAD-IN: How would the mysterious story of The Adventures of the Speckled Band change if Dr. Grimsby Roylott was the narrator? SUPPORT TO THE LEAD-IN: There would still be a mysterious death, but would the events leading up to solving the crime be the same? SUPPORT: Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson may have had a more difficult time unraveling the clues. A story told from a different character’s point of view can change everything, or can it?

( Paragraph 2) TOPIC SENTENCE: I was a loving man who only wanted the best for my two step-daughters, Julia and Helen Stoner. SUPPORTING DETAIL: I married their mother while becoming a doctor. SUPPORTING DETAL: After their mother died I brought them to live at my home, Stoke Moran, in England. SUPPORTING DETAIL: There I provided for them generously, giving them everything they wanted or needed. The topic sentence and supporting details can now be written in paragraph form using strategies to add detail and interest.

(Paragraph 3) Topic Sentence: Unexpectedly, Julia died from unknown causes, and I was looked at as a suspect. Supporting Detail: I found this hard to believe because there was no real evidence that I had anything to do with this crime. Supporting Detail: Just because my pets were a cheetah and a baboon, and gypsies, who I was friends with, lived on my property did not mean that I was involved in Julia’s death. Supporting Detail: Also, my money running low, was not reliable evidence that I would harm someone before they were to be married.

(Paragraph 4) TOPIC SENTENCE: After extensive investigation, it was determined that a poisonous snake was to blame for Julia’s untimely death. SUPPORTING DETAIL: I had no way of knowing that my snake, with the speckled band, was escaping its cage at night and going into Julia’s room. SUPPORTING DETAIL: I believed the snake was in safe-keeping and could not harm anyone, especially one of my dear step-daughters. SUPPORTING DETAIL: I do not believe that I should be blamed for such a horrible accident. Again, here is where you might need more supporting details or even an additional paragraph to complete this part of the narrative.

(Paragraph 5) CONCLUSION – state your introduction TOPIC SENTENCE: A story told from a different point of view can be a dramatically different story all together. SUPPORTING DETAIL: There still was the tragic death of young Julia Stoner. SUPPORTING DETAIL: As the audience can see, I was innocent of any wrong doing. SUPPORTING DETAIL: The mystery remains, who is the guilty party and will someone else have to die? Now you have what you need to write this in paragraph form, revise, edit, and publish.