1. The Six Traits of Writing +1

2. 1. Ideas Make sure you have a good topic. Make sure your topic isn’t too broad. Stick to the topic! Don’t follow bunny trails!

3. 2. Organization Use paragraphs! Make sure that your writing is easy to follow and makes sense.

4. 3. Voice Make sure that your writing sounds like you!

5. 4. Word Choice Try not to use the same word over and over. Use a thesaurus to remind you of words you already know. Choose words that show your personality!

6. 5. Sentence Fluency Try to use a variety of sentences: simple, compound, complex, etc. Try to vary the way you begin sentences. Try to vary the length of your sentences – some short and some long.

7. 6. Conventions/Mechanics ALWAYS PROOFREAD! Check Spelling, Capitalization, and Punctuation.

8. + 1. Presentation Indent your paragraphs or leave a blank line between them. Leave adequate margins (top, left, and right). Use neat handwriting. Don’t crowd your words – Leave a little space between them!