1. Parody Self Editing 101 ELA 7 Ms. Oblander

2. Descriptive Words put images in the reader’s mind. Ex.1: Little Purple Ride-her-Bike went through the woods to her Granny’s house. Revved up example: It was time. Little Purple Ride-her- Bike reached out for the apes, and eased herself on to the sparkle-gel seat of her trademark purple Stream- Glide cruiser bike. With a devilish glint in her eye, she tore off through the cool, dark forest and didn’t stop until she laid down a big black skid in the driveway of Granny’s house. “Cool, baby”, she whispered under her breath,” I hope Gran has cookies.” Make the reader SEE and FEEL your story!

4. Edit for Punctuation. Good punctuation tells the reader what tone to use when reading and also indicates when the reader should pause. Reading your work aloud helps you to hear where the pauses should be, and feel how the sentences should flow. Bad Punctuation Ex: With a satisfied grin on her face Little Purple Ride her Bike leaped off her ride as it rolled toward Granny’s house Granny hollered out the window Git in here right now I’ve been waitin’ on you fer hours Cool your jets Gran I’m right here !!! What’s so bad about that punctuation?

5. Edit for Grammar The use of grammar, whether correct or incorrect, gives a clear indication of the writer’s skill with words and writing experience. Proper grammar helps the story to make sense to the widest possible audience. Bad Grammar Example: Little Purple Ride-Her-Bike seen that Granny’s house was empty. She knowed that Granny should have be home, but Granny wasn’t home and that was wrong. Little Purple was misunderstanding why Granny wasn’t there at her house. Where is the bad grammar?

6. Edit for Paragraph Structure Multiple ideas shared in one paragraph are confusing and frustrating for the reader. The first sentence in the paragraph tells you what the WHOLE paragraph will discuss. Bad Example: It was clear that coming all the way to Granny’s house today may have been a bad idea. The weather was warm and sunny and it looked like a fine day was in store. The silence was broken by the sound of a woodpecker in the trees. What should every sentence in that paragraph discuss?

7. Editing Review: Provide clear details by using descriptive language. Read your work aloud several times. It’s the only way to go. Read your work aloud to edit for punctuation. Check for tone and pauses and make sure that the proper punctuation appears wherever you notice a change in tone or a pause. While reading aloud, listen for proper grammar. Proper grammar makes you sound like a professional! Read in your head and check that each paragraph sticks to one idea! The first sentence in your paragraph will provide an indication of what you should be talking about in that paragraph. Don’t discuss anything else! Be sure to start a new paragraph every time someone new speaks! Pay attention to the spell-check, but be sure that you are using the correct word. After you do all of this, hand your work in with gusto! Editing is hard work, but if you follow these steps, you are on your way to becoming a better writer!