Techniques for Making Short Writing Powerful

As publishing day approaches we must start doing our revisions.  That's a great time to introduce Roy Peter Clark's Four Techniques for Making Short Writing Powerful!

Now we discussed these in class and here is a link to the presentation.  You also pasted the techniques in your writer's notebook.  Nevertheless, here they are again.

Include specific, vivid, physical details

Dare to use a single elegant word in otherwise straightforward prose

End the passage with a delightful jolt-a clever ending

Keep it focused-it all has to be about what it’s really about

Use them as you write and your writing will improve.

Remember that tonight you should also write one more news story.  Find the drama, observe, write the five Ws, and elaborate.  Then apply Clark's techniques listed above.

In addition you should be thinking about the social significance of your news story.  Why does it matter to other people?  Try to find a story that matters to people outside of you and your family.

You should also be revising two of your previous pieces.  Don't just add a comma or change word; instead, rewrite the pieces so that they can reach their potential.

You should have 5-6 pieces by tomorrow's class.  We are publishing soon, so it's time to start making some selections and polishing those drafts.

Until next time...

The Journalistic Tone

Journalistic tone.  What is meant by journalistic tone?

Well, it's the type of writing that a journalist would tend to use.  You see, a lot of the time, a journalists don't have a lot of space to squeeze their articles in.   The editor might say he has only three inches or ten inches or twenty inches of newspaper space for the writer.  Journalists might also be working on a deadline.

For these reasons, and a few others, journalists need to write incisively.

Their writing must be lean and efficient.

They must use precise language.

They must be dramatic but truthful.

That's what we discussed today, and I have to say period one, as a class, really hit it out of the park. Tremendous job nailing the journalistic tone in your writing. Look back on yesterday's blog for another view of the difference between a narrative tone and a journalistic tone.

We also stressed the importance of using third person and incorporating quotes from people involved with the story.  I want to know what happened, but I'm also interested in what people who were involved in the incident saw or felt or said.

By now you should have about four pages of news story writing in your writer's notebook.  By the time I see you on Tuesday, you should have added at least one more page of writing to your total.  This weekend I want you to find one more drama.  Feel free to find more but find at least one.   I want you to observe the drama, write about the 5 Ws and then elaborate on the story for at least one page.  You should have a lot to work with by next Tuesday.

One last thing we touched on in a few classes: social significance.  When you are looking for your dramas, I want you to be thinking about the social significance of your selection.  How many people will this story influence?   How many people will be interested in your story? What effect will this story have on people?  The higher the rate of social significance, the more likely your story will be published.

Enjoy the weekend.

Until next time...

Find the Drama and Observe!

Today you started writing.  Some of you took the drama that you found yesterday and developed it into a full news report.  Others took the flash mob scene you saw today in class and elaborated on that.  Some even did both!

Regardless, the focus today was on finding the drama and observing the details.  If you can identify a good drama to write about and observe it well enough to catch the obvious and intricate details, then you will have a good story to write.

Tonight you will be challenged to do just that.  I want you to find three possible dramas.  Observe them, being careful to take down thorough notes.  Write a 5 W sentence for each one and then select one of the three to elaborate into a one page story in your writer's notebook.  Bring it to class tomorrow.

When writing the piece tonight I want you to think about journalistic tone.  It is more incisive and direct than the traditional narrative writing you are used to.  Check out the two examples below.

Bailey entered the fourth floor room and was immediately met with an icy chill. The disgusted gaze from the scantily dressed female leaning in a desk chair nearly froze the blood in Bailey’s veins.  The girl had long black hair and enough dark eye-shadow to paint a garage. Her lips were closed but their sneering shape spoke volumes.  Several thoughts raced through Bailey’s head.  Did I do something wrong? Am I in the right place?  Is this really my roommate? She struggled to squeak out a “Hello” before noticing something else was wrong.  There was only one lofted bed in the room, and it was already occupied.

Bailey O’Malley walked into her new college dorm room and was rudely greeted by her roommate, claimed two eye-witnesses.  Bailey’s younger brother Patrick, who entered the room right after his sister, reportedly said that the roommate, Sadie,  “was pretty nasty to Bailey. She refused to get up to help and even used profanity.”  After what was described as an “uncomfortable” introduction by Bailey’s mother, it was discovered that only one of the two beds in the room had been lofted and Sadie had appropriated it.  

The first one reads more like a fiction story filled with figurative language and emotional response. The second one is more direct and factual.  It is closer to a news story.  When writing investigative journalism it is important have a balance between both types.  You need to know when to shift between the two types and how to do it smoothly.  that is something we will work on throughout the unit.

The investigative journalistic writing is just getting underway.  There is a lot more to learn and do. It's a process that hopefully will all start to come together soon.

Until next time...

Who? What? Where? When? Why?

I'm sorry, but just like the Sylvester Stallone Film Festival, I got off to a rocky start.  Missing two of the first five days makes it difficult to establish any continuity or routine, so the blog, among other things, suffered.

But no more!

Henceforth, you can turn to the blog nightly and find recaps, updates, links, messages, info for absent students and much more.  Welcome!

Today we did it.  We actually started the new curriculum I've been mentioning since day one.  Our first several writing pieces will have you developing your investigative journalism skills.  You'll be finding stories, writing them up, cutting out the fat and composing lean, efficient, incisive pieces that fit word counts and meet deadlines.

While we didn't have a chance to write today since we shared the 140's and discussed the hajib article we did manage to dive into the first part of the writing unit.  For starters we talked about the Five W's: who, what, where, when and why.  I shared with you the opening of my story

Last weekend in Hildebrandt Hall at Purdue University there was a tense moment when two new roommates got off on the wrong foot over a misappropriated bed loft.

and had you identify the Five W's in it. You handled it well.

Your task tonight will be to write me one sentence in your writer's notebook.  This sentence has to answer the 5 W's.  It is going to be a longer sentence but it needs to be grammatically correct and fluid.  Find an event/happening that could be newsworthy.  share the 5 W's in the well-written sentence.  It would be great to see you try the sentence in a couple different ways.  See which one you like best.  Keep them all.  Remember, save everything.  If you have a couple of events to choose between, write a 5 W's sentence for both.  Either way, come to class tomorrow with the sentence.

You are all going to be investigative journalists.  Can't wait to see where you go.

Until next time...

 

You in 140 Characters

It was great meeting all of you today.  I'll try my best to learn your names as fast as possible, but please be patient with me.

There were some solid examples of critical thinking in each class.  We'll be doing a lot of that this year with a goal of improving your independent thinking skills by the end of the year.

Remember to bring in your signed packet information to your first hour teachers tomorrow.

You also should bring in the signed syllabus for my class.   Just tear off the bottom half of page two and turn that in so you can keep the rest of the syllabus with you.

I am requesting that you purchase a composition notebook for class and have it with you by next Wednesday.  We will start using it daily next week.  

What do you look like in 140 characters?  A recent study revealed that employers spend approximately six seconds when reading a resume to decide if they should contact the potential employee.  SIX SECONDS! That doesn't give you a lot of time to impress someone.  With that in mind I asked you today to tell me about yourself in 140 characters.  I don't want you to write your resume, but I do want you to write one tweet to share key elements on who you are.  What will you write?  What will you emphasize? Give it some thought. In the meantime, here are some examples to consider.

#Patrick O'Malley A passionate bicyclist who cherishes the climb because the view and the descent are all the more enjoyable #it's the journey (137 characters)

#Liane Pusan Need someone to keep calm and carry problems away? Apparel selling legend, inquisitive cosmetic newcomer to your rescue! (133 characters)

#Ellen Wernecke Faster than Vine! More responsive than Team @Burger King! Funnier than your "Harlem Shake" video! (111 characters)

#Tina Boss I spend my days flying with Iron Man, dealing with vampires and zombies, shooting with my camera, but mostly telling stories (136 characters)

Look at the four examples critically and try to think about what they are saying about the individuals.  See, you're critically thinking!  Now try to present information about yourself in a creative 140 character burst.  Type up the finished product and bring it with you to class tomorrow. Remember to start with (#your name here).  Yes, those characters count in your 140.

Good luck. Until next time...

The Welcome Post and a Good Summer Read of Mine

Summer was great, but it is so good to be back in school.  We can visit with friends on a regular basis.  We can scarf down the cafeteria food daily. And we can read and write to our hearts' content!  I know.  I know.  Life is good!  

We are going to be doing a lot of writing this year, but more on that in the coming days.  For now, I'm curious to hear what you have been reading. Over the summer I read plenty of books, but the one that stands out to me the most was called Your Fathers, Where Are They? And the Prophets, Do They Live Forever? by Dave Eggers.  Crazy title, I know.  It doesn't really roll of the tongue or stick in your brain, but the book sure did.  It was about a man who is going through a bit of a mid-life crisis.  He tries to understand his life and why it turned out the way it did by kidnapping a variety of people, tying them up, and questioning them about their own lives.  Eggers explores some deep themes as his protagonist grapples with the inequities of life and why terrible things keep happening to him.  It ends by asking some questions that are not so easily answered.  A good read.

So what about you?  What's a book you read over the summer that you remember?  What's the title?  Who's the author?  What's it about?  What about the book resonated with you?  I'd love to hear about what you've been reading.  Respond when you can.

Until next time...

Honors 6-3-2014

Plenty of good This I Believe testimonials today.  Some classes will wrap them up tomorrow.

We had a mini-assessment on connotation and denotation today.  You'll get them back tomorrow. Be ready for something similar over juxtaposition tomorrow.

Sometimes people struggling with faith need something more than, "It's God's plan."  Elie was such a man. Today, you found plenty of evidence to support God's presence in the camps and you opened Elie's eyes.   Yet, you also realized that the opposite could also be supported pretty well.  The key thing to see here is that evidence is important.  Always be on the lookout in your readings for evidence to support your strong claims.

I'd like you to finish the book for Thursday.  We could easily have an assessed discussion tomorrow in class.
Se you soon.  

Standard 6-03-2014

A quick mini-assessment on connotation and denotation today.  6 points.  I'll pass them back tomorrow.  Be ready for another mini-assessment tomorrow over juxtaposition.

You then started your found poems for Night.  Here's a good chance to show how you can support a theme you identified from the text using evidence from the text.  Remember, you don't need to work on these tonight.  You will have class time tomorrow.  However, if you want to work on it tonight—after you have finished studying for all your ECAs—then be my guest.

See you soon.

Honors 6-02-2014

Tonight's reading asks you to text code pages 69-97 in Night.  It's 28 pages but I'm sure you can handle it.  Use your morning reading time to support you.  There will be a lot to talk about.

You should also be reviewing your terms: denotation, connotation, juxtaposition, and antithesis.  We will be having an assessment over them this week.  I want to use Night to do so.  More to come.

It'll be a fast week, but don't let up until Friday.

See you soon.

Standard 6-02-2014

We finished our discussion of Night today but we are not finished with the book.  Bring it tomorrow.  We have two assessments that I would like to get to this week.  Know those essential questions.  Should we write a poem?  Hmmm...

Remember what denotation, connotation, juxtaposition and antithesis are.  We will be having an assessment over those terms this week as well.  I'm going to tie the terms into our reading of Night.  Be looking for examples of the first three in the book.  I'll give you a page to find antithesis on from the book.

See you soon.