1. Encyclopedia of an ordinary life
EXPRESSES by describing details of a moment, observation, or emotion
REFLECTS as to why you find that curious and important
Use your author’s VOICE: funny, sarcastic, dorky…the reader should be able to feel your personality!
Specific WORD CHOICE for vivid description
Use 5 senses & Figurative language
“Alphabetized existence” (ABC order by title)
Source: Encyclopedia of an Ordinary Life by: Amy Krouse Rosenthal

2. Amy Rosenthal
My father-in-law informed my that my married name could produce these two anagrams: Hearty Salmon, Nasty Armhole. I cannot tell you how much I love that.

3. Anxious, things that make me
Vending machines: I have to double- , triple-check. Okay, it’s A5 for the Bugles. Is that right? A5? I don’t want to read the codes wrong end up with the Flaming Hot Cheetos. But then, what a relief when the Bugles tumble down. Yes! I knew it was A5!

4. https://www. google. com/search
Birthmark
I have a birthmark on my left arm. As a child, I thought it looked like a bear, or Africa, depending on the angle. I would often draw an eye and a mouth on it; sometimes I would allow a friend to do so. To look at my birthmark is to remind myself that I am me.

5. https://www. google. com/search
Cab of truck
Seeing just the short, truncated nubby part of a semi-truck (the cab), one is always compelled to point and say look! It’s just a image you can’t get use to. It registers in the brain as funny, odd, on the loose.

6. https://www. google. com/search

7. Sandwiches
I love but am very particular about my sandwiches. I dislike pumpernickel. I dislike thick, doughy bread, such as focaccia and sourdough. Pepperridge Farm Very Thin Bread is my ideal. The sandwich must have mayonnaise. I like and fully appreciate a well- put together gourmet sandwich, but I also love the sandwiches at the gas station, tightly wrapped in cellophane, with wilted lettuce.

8. Sign, bathroom
I saw a sign a public restroom that said PLEASE DO NOT FLUSH EXCESSIVE AMOUNTS OF TOLIET PAPER OR SHOES DOWN THE TOLIET. THANK YOU. I so want to meet the person who flushed a shoe down the toilet and made a sign like this necessary.

9. Sleeping
I love sleeping. I love falling asleep on the couch, in the car, on trains, in the sun. I love getting into bed at night, and whenever possible, sleeping late in the morning. I love beds and covers and quilts and pillows. I just love everything about sleeping.

10. Weather, asking about the
At the doctor’s office, the receptionist was checking me in and asked, So, is it still snowing out there? As if she had been locked up for years. As if she was relying on the arrival of us lucky, nomadic patients to bring us the news of the streets.

11. Encyclopedia of an ordinary life Requirements
Each entry must have a title: Minimum of ONE with “encyclopedia comma”
Titles go in ABC order
You will write 8 & publish 5
4-5 sentence minimum: Only 2 simple sentences/ entry
Include your “writer’s voice”
Start by EXPRESSING: Describe the topic & what you found interesting. Describe a personal ANCEDOTE!
End with a REFLECTION: What are your feelings about it?

12. Encyclopedia of an ordinary life Publishing goals:
Titles included and in alphabetical order (1pt/entry)
4-5 sentence minimum per entry & only 1 simple sentence per entry (1 pt/entry)
Each slide includes a relevant picture (1 pt/entry)
Hyperlink includes for each image & can be seen on page (1 pt/entry)
Transitions are applied to slide changes (1 pt/slide)
Animations are applied to text & image on each slide (1 pt/slide)
PowerPoint theme has been applied and has presentation readability 1 pt/slide)

13. Adding descriptive language
Word choice is all about putting the right word in the right spot
Just like a bull’s eye!
Precise & exact words for the story= dead center of the bull’s eye
General words that are not descriptive=outer rings of bull’s eye

14. Mini lesson: Adding descriptive language
Synonym: A word that has a similar meaning
Outer ring words (general words) are BANNED from your writing!
Instead, use dead center words (precise & exact) to replace the outer ring words.
Dead center words = purple words

15. Purple words practice
With your table, complete the purple words bull’s eye practice
Use a thesaurus if your stuck!

16. REVISION workshop Steps:
Finish what you started yesterday
Change all DEAD words to PURPLE words that fit the VOICE of your memoir
Double check the following…
4 different animations per slide (each text & picture)
Different transitions for each slide
Image’s hyperlink is included & size 8 or smaller
Font is size 32 or bigger (may have to make it 2 slides)
Title slide is included
Minimum of 4 STRONG sentences (uses commas and conjunctions)
Your “voice” is included
Font colors are readable
All grammar & spelling mistakes have been corrected
Titles are in ABC order
Minimum of one “encyclopedia comma” is used
More than one font color is used per slide