So Long for Now! from Mrs. Webb

GOOD-BYE! HAPPY WRITING!

             It's the sixth and last day of our Narrative Writing Series. Thank you, Students, for the smiles, laughs and great times we've enjoyed together in the Rasmussen Learning Room on Skyline Court. I hope you continue to write and have a good time with both your Creative Bird and your Editing Bird. Remember that they are your friends. 

Scroll down this blog post for a little walk down your 

writing-memory-lane! 

Thank you to Mrs. Rasmussen and her family for inviting us to have our 
writing classes in their great Learning Room. 

Remember the Short Story Plot Mountain?

Our Second 3rd-5th Grade Class

The Second Class for 6th-9th Graders

A special "thank you" to Mrs. Kutz for helping us each week.

FIVE STEP WRITING PROCESS--ALWAYS!

1. Pre-writing/brainstorming
2. Rough draft
3. Revising
4. Editing
5. Presenting/Publishing

The Autobiographical Incident Frame that you can adapt for other writing assignments.

Writing Wisdom

(Helps, Dress-Ups, Tips and Devices to Empower Your Stories)

1. Alliteration. Peter Piper picked a peck. OR Fun in the Forest, Blur of Brown
2. Sensory Detail: Feelings. 5 Senses: Sight/Sound/Smell/Taste/Touch
3. DETAIL: Who? What? Where? When? How? (in the yard, kitchen, at the beach, on the mountain, “doctor from South African”, names, colors 
4. Onomatopoeia: CRASH! BANG! POOF! 
5. Clauses: Phrases to start sentences-rather than each sentence with noun/verb.
6. Write “tight.” Delete “to be” passive verbs when you can. Was, Were Am. Also, reduce sentences when too many words and prepositional phrases. 
7. Reduce repetition, redundancy, duplication. Look for it.
8. Be clear about what you’re writing. ASK: WHAT ARE YOU REALLY TRYING TO SAY? Read it as the reader and not the author: Where does it feel like sandpaper? Ask the Q of another person?

Your Writing Bird-Friends

Creative Bird	Editing Bird
Your Creative Bird’s Name:	Your Editing Bird’s Name:
Tweets during the Brainstorming, Rough Draft and Revising Steps	Tweets mostly during the Editing Step
He/she is a fun friend who helps you experience and develop your imagination, ideas, feelings and ability to be honest, authentic and to identify with your readers.	He/she is a caring friend who helps you improve your writing so that your readers will want to read and learn from your stories. He/she also helps you develop a sense of accomplishment and joy in writing well while sharing what you’re really trying to say.

My Editing Checklist

Name ________________________________________Date ______

Title of My Writing ________________________________________

1.      I read my writing myself to see if it made sense. __________

2.      I read my writing to another person (or asked someone else to read my writing) to see it if made sense to him/her.  ______________

3.      My writing is focused on one important incident/happening in my life. __________

4.      My opening attracts a reader's attention. __________

5.      The title fits the piece and gets a reader interested. __________

6.      I replaced weak words (went, nice) with powerful words. __________

7.      I deleted over used words (then, and, so). __________

8.      I checked for correct punctuation. (. ? ! , " " ') __________

9.      I checked for correct capitalization. __________

10.  I indented or used a paragraph symbol ( ) to begin a new paragraph. _________

Writing this piece was: hard work______not so hard______easy ______

Editing this piece was: hard work______not so hard______easy ______

Next time I would change

__________________________________________________

So, have fun with your writing!