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Writing

Finding a Topic

There are numerous methods to choosing a compositional topic.

- Expert Inventory- Everyone is an expert in something. What do you know about the writing topic?
- Brainstorming- There are varying techniques such as listing or completing graphic organizers, where you write down all of the ideas you can think about on a topic.
- What Really Burns Me Up- We have plenty of things that burn us up. Making a list of them is a simple way to produce plenty of topics for writing-on-demand situations.
- Write Smaller- “Write Smaller” is a way to take an initially large, broad topic and narrow it down significantly, and focus on adding details.

It might look like this:

Person –> Character attribute –> Examples how that character attribute is shown –> Specific incident you remember well.

A specific example would look like this:

Uncle Bob –> Funny –> Likes to play practical jokes –> The time he put buttermilk in the milk carton and I put it on my cereal.

Prewriting

- Reviewing writing topic/ideas
- Writing/reviewing notes on topic
- Brainstorm/Free-write
- Planning/organizing ideas

Free-Writing

Free-writing is controlled chaos: it is a way to let our minds relax and stop censoring our own thoughts. This is a very good method to produce ideas during the prewriting phase, or if you get stuck or caught up in writer's block. The steps are simple:

1. Choose a topic.
2. Begin writing about the topic.
3. For a set period of time (three to five minutes), write about the topic without stopping. This means no pausing to think of what to say, no stopping when one hits a wall — it means writing. Period.
4. When one does hit a wall, the only allowable response is to write about hitting the wall: “I don’t know what to write. I don’t know what to write.” or “I’m stuck. I’m stuck. I’m stuck.”

Looping

Looping is a continuation of free-writing. It involves taking a sentence or idea out of a free-writing product and using that as a basis for additional free-writing. The steps are simple:

1. Select a recent (completed preferably within the last fifteen minutes) free-writing exercise.
2. Choose a sentence or idea that stands out because of originality, quality, or interest.
3. Write the sentence again below the original free-writing example, with one line between the two.
4. Re-read the sentence and free-write again from there.

As the name suggests, looping is a prewriting technique we can use in a loop.

Integrating Quotes

When including quotes in your writing, it’s best to try to integrate the quotation into a sentence of your own. In other words, don’t simply say, “The author says,” and quote the author.

- - Bad: The narrator says, “Who can even imagine me looking a strange white man in the eye?” (232)
  - Good: The narrator asks if anyone could imagine her “looking a strange white man in the eye” (232)

Notice that the good example only quotes the core, the heart of the passage.

Another point to keep in mind is the use of pronouns. When you include a passage in which the narrator speaks in first person, the “I” can be somewhat confusing. It’s best to rework it to avoid the first person personal pronoun (“I”).

- Okay: At one point the mother says, “I used to think [Dee] hated Maggie, too” (233),
- Better: At one point the mother admits that she “used to think [Dee] hated Maggie, too” (233).

Steps to the Process

1. 1. Make sure you know clearly what the quote is supporting. This will some type of claim, and you will be using the quote to support that claim.
  2. Isolate the key portions of the quote that best support the claim.
  3. Rewrite the sentence using the key portions (from step two above).

Transitions

All transitions serve a single purpose: they express a relationship between ideas. Key to understanding which transition will work best in a given situation is understanding the relationship between the two ideas one is trying to link with the transition.

Transitional Relationships and Words

Addition

also, again, as well as, besides, coupled with, furthermore, in addition, likewise, moreover, similarly

Consequence

accordingly, as a result, consequently, for this reason, for this purpose, hence, otherwise, so then, subsequently, therefore, thus, thereupon, wherefore

Generalizing

as a rule, as usual, for the most part, generally, generally speaking, ordinarily, usually

Exemplifying

chiefly, especially, for instance, in particular, markedly, namely, particularly, including, specifically, such as

Illustration

for example, for instance, for one thing, as an illustration, illustrated with, as an example, in this case

Emphasis

above all, chiefly, with attention to, especially, particularly, singularly

Similarity

comparatively, coupled with, correspondingly, identically, likewise, similar, moreover, together with

Exception

aside from, barring, besides, except, excepting, excluding, exclusive of, other than, outside of, save

Restatement

in essence, in other words, namely, that is, that is to say, in short, in brief, to put it differently

Contrast and Comparison

contrast, by the same token, conversely, instead, likewise, on one hand, on the other hand, on the contrary, rather, similarly, yet, but, however, still, nevertheless, in contrast

Sequence

at first, first of all, to begin with, in the first place, at the same time, for now, for the time being, the next step, in time, in turn, later on, meanwhile, next, then, soon, the meantime, later, while, earlier, simultaneously, afterward, in conclusion, with this in mind,

Summarizing

after all, all in all, all things considered, briefly, by and large, in any case, in any event, in brief, in conclusion, on the whole, in short, in summary, in the final analysis, in the long run, on balance, to sum up, to summarize, finally

Diversion

by the way, incidentally

Direction

here, there, over there, beyond, nearly, opposite, under, above, to the left, to the right, in the distance

Sentence Variety

There are a number of ways one can create more creative, more engaging sentences. Six easy patters to begin with are:

1. Two-adjective beginnings
  - Tall, handsome lifeguards flirt wildly with the pretty girls.
  - Rickety and dilapidated, the old schoolhouse didn’t stand a chance in an earthquake.
2. “-ing” at beginning or end
  - Running like the wind, Forrest Gump made national headline news.
  - Saving the best for last, Lisa finally ate her Reese’s peanut butter cup.
  - He trudged along the hot desert for days, wishing he had brought more water.
  - Sandy gave the homeless man all the money she had, hoping that her small act of kindness might bring him some comfort.
3. “-ly” beginnings
  - Cheerfully, she answered the phone for her mother.
  - Slowly opening the door, the servant tried not to wake his master.
4. Informative interrupters (appositives)
  - The fish, a slimy mass of flesh, felt the alligator’s giant teeth sink into him as he struggled to swim away.
  - The child, face covered with chocolate doughnut, asked his mother if he could have some milk.
5. Balanced sentences
  - He runs onto the baseball field, spins around second base, and looks back at the academy.
  - Choosing a Christmas tree, putting up Christmas lights, and baking Christmas cookies are all included in my December traditions.
6. Dependent clauses
  - Because it rained, the garden party was postponed.
  - Since the road construction is complete, Jim can make it home in only ten minutes.

Sentence Types.pdf

Using Specific Nouns

Using specific nouns gives readers a more concrete vision of what you’re writing about. It makes the passage more engaging and vivid.

Exercise 1

Up in the tree, a bird sang, its voice warm and melodious. Nearby, an animal crouched, watching the bird. Emotion made the animal’s eyes glitter. Stealthily it began to slink forward, body to the ground. It was only a little distance from the bird when another animal dashed toward it from the next yard. As the first animal fled, the bird flew down and perched confidently on the second animal’s head.

1. 1. What kind of tree?
  2. What kind of bird? Remember: it must have a melodious song.
  3. “Nearby, an animal crouched.” What kind of animal.
  4. What specific emotion probably made the animal’s eye glitter?
  5. “Stealthily, it began to slink toward, body to the ground.” What part of the body would be close to the ground when an animal slinks?
  6. “It was only a little distance from the bird when another animal dashed toward it from the next yard.” How far away? How many feet?
  7. “It was only a little distance from the bird when another animal dashed toward it from the next yard.” What was the second animal?

Re-reading the passage while substituting our answers for the tree, animals, and bird shows how important specific verbs can be. It also adds humor: many students, not thinking, have frogs stalking Blue Jays with a cat leaping in to save the day — something like the ever-popular MadLibs.

Exercise 2

Intended to combine sensory details with specific nouns, this creation of a description of a favorite birthday dinner often leaves students’ mouths watering.

It was my birthday, and there on the table was my very favorite dinner. I stared greedily before digging in. There were zucchini boats, dark green and glittering, stuffed with chopped pork, rice, and tomatoes. There was corn on the cob, drenched in butter, sparkling with salt crystals. And there was my cake, a fiesta of whipped cream and sweet juicy strawberries.

Write a paragraph describing your favorite dinner. The first introductory sentences have been provided:

It was my birthday, and there on the table was my very favorite dinner. I stared greedily before digging in. There was…

Sensory Language (Imagery)

Sensory language is the use of details from the five senses to add color and depth to writing. It helps readers visualize the scene a writer is setting.

Sight

Example 1