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Elements of Good WritingElements of Good Writing

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• Students should write openly and freely Students should write openly and freely about topics they choose and care about topics they choose and care about.about.

• Think of an issue that bothers you, Think of an issue that bothers you, makes you angry, or scares you.makes you angry, or scares you.– Write freely about this issue.Write freely about this issue.– In your paper, offer solutions that you think In your paper, offer solutions that you think

could make it better.could make it better.– Also include what is currently being done Also include what is currently being done

about it.about it.

Good Writing Is HonestGood Writing Is Honest

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Good Writing Makes the Reader Good Writing Makes the Reader SeeSee

• Writers need to transfer images and ideas Writers need to transfer images and ideas from their own minds to those of the from their own minds to those of the audience.audience.

• In order to make the reader “see” an In order to make the reader “see” an incident, a memory, or an idea, a good incident, a memory, or an idea, a good writer focuses on a specific instance.writer focuses on a specific instance.

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Many beginning writers tend to Many beginning writers tend to summarize or generalize:summarize or generalize:

““I remember all the great times my brothers, I remember all the great times my brothers, cousins, and I had together. We’d swim, cousins, and I had together. We’d swim, fish, and get in trouble, but we laughed a fish, and get in trouble, but we laughed a

lot too . . . .”lot too . . . .”Let us see Let us see one of those timesone of those timesWhat are the names of the brothers?What are the names of the brothers?What specifically did they do to get in What specifically did they do to get in

trouble?trouble?

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• A reader sees “a Daisy BB gun” better A reader sees “a Daisy BB gun” better than a “toy gun.”than a “toy gun.”

• Or a “forty-nine Chevy” better than “my Or a “forty-nine Chevy” better than “my car.”car.”

• Another student wrote:Another student wrote:““There was a very special person in my There was a very special person in my

life, my grandfather. Our relationship life, my grandfather. Our relationship was really special. But he’s had a was really special. But he’s had a

stroke now, and he’s changed so much stroke now, and he’s changed so much it makes me sad.”it makes me sad.”

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• We need to We need to see see the grandfather.the grandfather.

• What did he do?What did he do?

• What did he say?What did he say?

• The writer began listing facts, and, as they The writer began listing facts, and, as they accumulated, she created a more accumulated, she created a more complete picture.complete picture.

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Good Writing BuildsGood Writing Builds

• Beginning writers often “give away” too Beginning writers often “give away” too much information too early in the much information too early in the writing.writing.

• For example, For example, When I was nine, I had a bad experience When I was nine, I had a bad experience

at a resort, or at a resort, or Something I will never forget is when my Something I will never forget is when my

cat died, or cat died, or When I was five I really did a stupid thing.When I was five I really did a stupid thing.

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• By beginning this way, writers remove By beginning this way, writers remove all the elements of surprise.all the elements of surprise.

• As a particular day began, they didn’t As a particular day began, they didn’t know they were going to do something know they were going to do something silly or have a particular experience.silly or have a particular experience.

• As writers, you need to keep some As writers, you need to keep some information from the audience until the information from the audience until the appropriate time.appropriate time.

• You need to plan and shape your final You need to plan and shape your final draft.draft.

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Good Writing Experiments with Good Writing Experiments with LanguageLanguage

• Good writers make many good word Good writers make many good word choices naturally.choices naturally.

• They rely on a thesaurus, adding and They rely on a thesaurus, adding and substituting words to use the repetition of substituting words to use the repetition of sounds, personification, and other figures sounds, personification, and other figures of speech.of speech.

• This student is aware of the sounds of his This student is aware of the sounds of his words:words:

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““I ran through the woods. My gun jangled I ran through the woods. My gun jangled from the hundreds of B-B’s bouncing from the hundreds of B-B’s bouncing

inside. I was the big hunter stalking his inside. I was the big hunter stalking his prey. A flock of songbirds flitted prey. A flock of songbirds flitted

through the trees. As I shot at them, through the trees. As I shot at them, they darted from limb to limb . .”they darted from limb to limb . .”

Notice the noisy words like “jangled” Notice the noisy words like “jangled” and “B-B’s bouncing,” and good verbs and “B-B’s bouncing,” and good verbs like “flitted” and “darted”like “flitted” and “darted”

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• Another writer personifies the dark to Another writer personifies the dark to describe her fear as she sits alone in the describe her fear as she sits alone in the living room during a storm:living room during a storm:

““The wind screams her agony through the The wind screams her agony through the fireplace, sending whitish-gray ashes fireplace, sending whitish-gray ashes

waltzing upon the carpet. I am a perfect ice-waltzing upon the carpet. I am a perfect ice-maiden, frozen into my stone chair. Even maiden, frozen into my stone chair. Even the picture window shudders, afraid of the the picture window shudders, afraid of the dark. Rain, joining forces with the dark, dark. Rain, joining forces with the dark, sends millions of tiny footsteps hurrying sends millions of tiny footsteps hurrying

across the ground. The ceiling glitters an across the ground. The ceiling glitters an evil flicker as the doorknob trembles and evil flicker as the doorknob trembles and

rattles.”rattles.”

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Good Writing Often Uses Good Writing Often Uses ContrastContrast

• The student writing about her grandfather, The student writing about her grandfather, creates a powerful picture showing the creates a powerful picture showing the reader what he had been like earlier and reader what he had been like earlier and what he is like following the stroke.what he is like following the stroke.

• This use of contrast works well.This use of contrast works well.

• Another student, writing about the funeral Another student, writing about the funeral of a grandmother uses contrast within a of a grandmother uses contrast within a single sentence:single sentence:

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““Grandma’s long brown casket with gold trim Grandma’s long brown casket with gold trim looked soft and comfortable, but she looked soft and comfortable, but she looked uncomfortable and arranged.”looked uncomfortable and arranged.”

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Good Writing Frequently Good Writing Frequently Includes Strong RepetitionIncludes Strong Repetition

““Last week my Uncle Richie phoned my mom and said, Last week my Uncle Richie phoned my mom and said, ‘Grandma is sick and getting worse.’ He explained that one ‘Grandma is sick and getting worse.’ He explained that one night he went to pick her up for church and found her sitting night he went to pick her up for church and found her sitting in her rocking chair holding her crucifix. She hadn’t gotten in her rocking chair holding her crucifix. She hadn’t gotten

dressed and didn’t have the energy to get up. Mom is dressed and didn’t have the energy to get up. Mom is going to New York soon to see Grandma. She said I could going to New York soon to see Grandma. She said I could go along since I am very close to her, and there might not go along since I am very close to her, and there might not

be another chance to see her. But I am not going. I am not be another chance to see her. But I am not going. I am not going because Grandma’s tickets for me last year and all going because Grandma’s tickets for me last year and all

our good times and talks are her way of saying good-bye to our good times and talks are her way of saying good-bye to me. That’s how I want to remember her, a short, plump me. That’s how I want to remember her, a short, plump woman standing in the airport, pressed up against the woman standing in the airport, pressed up against the

window, waving both arms, crying, and saying over and window, waving both arms, crying, and saying over and over, ‘I love you. I love you.’”over, ‘I love you. I love you.’”

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Good Writing Affects the Good Writing Affects the AudienceAudience

• Strong writing causes something to Strong writing causes something to happen for the audience.happen for the audience.

• It may simply be recognition of a like It may simply be recognition of a like experience.experience.

• It may be laughter, a lump in the throat, or It may be laughter, a lump in the throat, or a nod of agreement.a nod of agreement.

• The following writing, though filled with The following writing, though filled with mechanical errors, is powerful writingmechanical errors, is powerful writing

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• In every other respect, it is excellent In every other respect, it is excellent writing.writing.– The boy writes honestly about his feelings The boy writes honestly about his feelings

and fears.and fears.– He admits he wished he could be He admits he wished he could be

somewhere else.somewhere else.– He contrasts the father’s dying with the He contrasts the father’s dying with the

happy activity on the street below the happy activity on the street below the hospital window.hospital window.

– The reader stands with the boy in the room The reader stands with the boy in the room and “sees”and “sees”

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• We hear the sounds of the life-support machines We hear the sounds of the life-support machines and the voices of people speaking.and the voices of people speaking.

• From the beginning of the writing, we know that From the beginning of the writing, we know that the father is extremely ill, yet the story builds.the father is extremely ill, yet the story builds.

• The family rides the elevator together and hears The family rides the elevator together and hears the doctors prognosis.the doctors prognosis.

• And finally, the writing ends with the wonderfully And finally, the writing ends with the wonderfully painful repetition, “We cried for a long time.”painful repetition, “We cried for a long time.”