A Writing SafariAround the World

Planning the Journey

Write a composition about an funny experience you have had.

REMEMBER-YOU SHOULD*write about an unexpected event*make sure each sentence you write helps the reader understand your composition*write about your ideas in detail so that the reader really understands what you are saying*try to use correct spelling, capitalization, punctuation, grammar, and sentences

The information in the box below will help you remember what you should think about when you write your composition.

Before you write, think about topics or events that will fit the prompt. Remember: RIP

R- realI -imaginaryP- pretend

It is important to chose an event that is unique to you, so your VOICE will hook the reader’s attention!

Prompt

Real Events Imaginary

Events

Pretend Events

If you get stuck, start with big events in your life, then web some more! MAGNIFY!

Family

Snow day-building a snowman

Make up a story!

Try a different point of view!

Organize your ideas before writing. A plan will help you think about what is important to your story and help you stay focused.

Introduction / Beginning*WHO – I (you must write a personal narrative in the first person, even if your story is imaginary or pretend) SETTING -WHERE is the story taking place?-WHEN is the story taking place?*PROMPT/PROBLEM/WHAT is going to happen?

This is your chance to sequence your story before writing. These are the big ideas that you want to focus on in your story.

Middle / Body of PaperEVENT 1 (FIRST)EVENT 2 (NEXT)EVENT 3 (THEN)

This is your chance to conclude your story. Don’t leave the reader hanging!

Conclusion / Ending*What did you learn?*What will you remember the most? How does this make you feel?*What do you hope or wish for the future?

This is a great place to use a

Introductions/BeginningsWhen you write a story, you need to make sure to grab the reader’s attention. A catchy introduction makes your reader want to know what happens next.

An effective introduction tells:• WHO the story is about• the setting (WHEN, WHERE)• The problem or challenge

ex. something goes wrong.a competitionan adventure

There are several different strategies you can use for an introduction:Make the reader wonder:Example: I will never forget the day we moved to Morgan’s Point. I was used to living in the city and this country living looked boring to me . I had no idea the adventures I was about to embark upon, no idea at all.Onomatopoeia:Example: Swish! Swoop! The water grabbed me up and took me screaming down the river!Shock the reader:Example: Lots of people don’t like me. And, I know I have done things that I do regret, but I’m not a thief!

Humorous Statement:Example: I didn’t mean to drive my teacher crazy; it just happened that way.Looking Back:Example: It has been five years, but I remember my first day at a new school like it was yesterday.Fantasy:Example: I picked up my space helmet and struggled to get it on my head. As I screwed the helmet onto my space suit, I watched my friends getting in line to board the rocket. We were going to school on Mars, because there was no longer room for all of the schools to be on Earth.

The Zebra ZoneOrganization and Transitions

You’ve written a great introduction, but what comes next?

It’s time to write the meat of our paper.

But before we tear into it lets review two of the important pieces of a quality paper, organization and transitions.

OrganizationOne of the most important qualities of a

well written story is to make sure that your paper makes sense from beginning to end. In order to do that you need to make sure

that you can answer YES to all of the following questions.

• Are the events in a logical order?

• Do the details help the reader understand what’s happening?

• Do I answer all the readers’ questions?

• Does the paper flow smoothly?

Red Flag Transitions!

Transitions are phrases that help your paper flow smoothly from one idea, sentence, or

paragraph to another. They let the reader know that there is a shift or twist in the plot!• A moment later…

• Before I knew it…• In the blink of an eye…• All of a sudden…• Just as I realized…• The next thing I knew…• Suddenly…

Can you find the transitions? Think about how they help the story flow.

Pulling my sled behind me, I trudged through the snowy mountain pass. Suddenly the sky grew darker, and the frosty wind began to blow. From the corner of my eye, I saw something approaching. It cast a long shadow on the ground. As it got closer, I realized it was a snow monster! All at once it started coming toward me. I trembled with fright. I turned around and began to run. Just then I got an idea. I crossed my fingers and hoped it would work. I ran to the edge of the hill and jumped on my sled. In the blink of an eye, I zoomed off the hill, leaving the snow monster behind me!

Now we are ready to add the meat to our paper.

Remember we need to check for organization as we write and to help our paper flow by using effective

transitions.READY?

WRITING SAFARI

Welcome to VOICE and WORD CHOICE!!!

What is voice?• Voice is the fingerprint of the paper!

• Voice is what makes your paper unique!

Create a movie in the reader’s mind

• Josh was mad. Can you see him?• Josh stomped his feet as he trudged

off to his room. He flung open the door and punched the wall with his clenched fist. Can you see him? That’s voice!

Dead Words!

• Some words should be buried because they just don’t have any life to them!

• Words like said, nice, fun, and good can get used to death!

Think of another way to say….

• Said• Good• Fun• nice

Let’s find some dead words!

• Look for words that are flat or overused in our story.

• Let’s replace them.

A Cheetah Conclusion

CONCLUSIONS/ENDINGS

You’ve just written a fantastic story, but now it’s time to tie it all together and leave your reader thinking, “Wow, what a super

story!”

Ending your paper without a great conclusion is worse than having a sandwich with no bottom bun or bread...it falls apart.

An effective ending:• draws all of the story

together, and ties them together neatly

• resolves any conflicts or problems

• Completes the telling of events

• leaves the reader feeling satisfied.

What will you remember most about the events in the story? Example: As we drove away from the campground, I knew I would never forget the look on Sam’s face when that bear peeked into our tent. Seeing his face turn white and his eyes bug out made the whole trip worthwhile.

What feelings do you have about what happened in the story? Have your feelings changed from the beginning of the story to the end? How?Example: Even though I didn’t want to go camping at all, it ended up being the best vacation I’d ever had. Now I can’t wait until we go back!

To have an effective ending make sure you answer one or two of the following questions:

What have you learned from the events in your story? Did you learn a life lesson? Example: I learned so many wonderful things from our trip. I know how to build a campfire and paddle a canoe. But the most important thing I learned was that I can do anything if I put my mind to it.

What do you hope or wish for because of the events in the story?Example: Going camping was such a fantastic experience. From the fun of eating roasted marshmallows to the shock of falling in the lake, I loved it all. I really hope that we can do this every year!

Let’s Write!!!