The+Craft+of+Writing

In our classroom, we breathe words and learn the careful craft of assembling each component into an artful product. Not only do we do this as writers but as readers as well. By highlighting the components of craft, we can find these elements as we read and come to appreciate our reading in new and unique ways.

Organization Conventions Descriptive Craft
 * The chief ways we talk about writing**

__//Organization://__ The primary component of any writing is the order in which we structure our ideas.

//Narrative// Narrative Writing or fictional writing is organized around a fully realized character whose problem or adventure rises throughout the story to a climax and satisfying ending. The attached rubric will be very helpful in breaking apart the elements of this structure. Example of class narrative writing piece

Setting Lead: A very strong setting lead is usually four sentences long, elaborate, clear, and captivating. It helps us to understand the world that our character inhabits and as such is extremely useful in inferring a character’s personality through smaller details.Setting Lead Examples

Character Introductions: When we meet a new person we take in a great deal of information about them by the way that they look, act, and speak. When we add new characters to our text, we need to introduce them to our readers through their clothing, titles, and deeds. Character Introductions Examples

//Expository// An essay or writing that explains a topic of information. Primarily, this is a non-fiction piece. ** Basic structure of an expository essay ** Paragraph 1: Introductory paragraph Paragraph 2: Body Paragraph 3: Body Paragraph 4: Body Paragraph 5: Conclusion
 * Attention Grabber
 * Details
 * Thesis Statement
 * Topic Sentence
 * Detail 1
 * Elaboration/Example 1
 * Detail 2
 * Elaboration/Example 2
 * Clincher Sentence
 * Topic Sentence
 * Detail 1
 * Elaboration/Example 1
 * Detail 2
 * Elaboration/Example 2
 * Clincher Sentence
 * Topic Sentence
 * Detail 1
 * Elaboration/Example 1
 * Detail 2
 * Elaboration/Example 2
 * Clincher Sentence
 * Restated Thesis Sentence
 * Detail 1
 * Emotional Powerful Finale

//__Conventions:__// The common way that children think of writing as "good" when I first meet them usually includes spelling and punctuation. I'm so grateful that they have internalized the importance of these conventions.

//__Descriptive Craft:__// //Sentence Fluency// Short, Short, Long. In a move borrowed from musicians, writers will often craft a series of three sentences in rhythmic. . . “duh, duh, duh-duh-duh” Check it out Short Short Long examples

Close Echo: A close echo is a 1-2 punch! The first sentence sets up the topic of the pair while the second sentence elaborates the idea and leaves a strong emotion in the minds of your reader.

//Figurative Language and Parts of Speech// (Similes, Metaphors, Personification, Onomatopoeia) Check out examples these Figurative Language examples

//Proper Nouns// Writers know the power of names. Name dropping in texts does so much work for writers: brand names, people names, place names. Using proper nouns gives writing SPECIFICITY that makes readers __trust the authority__ of the narrator. Proper Noun Examples