We looked over Edgar's paper together and then discussed the writing assignment!
On board we broke down the assignment and focused on a couple of tips that would help us get through the writing!
We asked:
What is our writing assignment asking us to write about?
- The name of the assignment is : Portrait of a writer. It is asking us to explain how we came to be writers, or how we became the writer we are today.
What should we learn?
- Well yes, we'll learn about ourselves as a writer, but we are all different writers. As you write you'll likely see some re-occurring experiences or similarities in the experiences you are sharing! Look for patterns in these, they are likely saying something about you as a writer!
For example: A good majority of the examples you have shared are about how you wrote for the TAKS. What could that mean? Maybe for you writing and test taking are connected. Is this problematic? Why?
- Identifying and reflecting on the pattern you see in your writing experiences might make a good concluding paragraph(and/or Introduction?) because you can show your reader what you've learned about yourself as a writer!
- You can also think of the patterns you find in your experiences as your main points and return to revise your essay around these points!
Quick tips (these are tips tho, and you do not always have to do these, and you may find that they don't always work! You need to be an attentive writer to figure out when these tips will be useful and when they are just getting in the way! If they get in the way of your writing, throw these tips out!):
Don't be restricted by your teachers guidelines, instead, work them into your greater essay with examples and explanations.
- This might mean breaking out of responding to each guideline your teacher has given you individually. Instead you'll have to hit those points within your essay. This is easier said than done but it makes for a a terrific read in the end! :D Return to your essay, read, and see where you are already hitting these points and mark them off for yourself or return to see where they could be added. If you have to talk about feelings you've had as a writer, could you include that will your explanation of an experience you had with writing?
Ground your quotes!
- Quotes are amazing things, and real active moments of writers sharing, but remember to explain the articles from where you quotes are coming from. Don't assume your reader will know exactly what you are talking about, or even how you are understanding and using the quote. A quick summary or paraphrase about the article you are quoting can help your reader get what you are saying!
In essay's about yourself: use specific and detailed experiences!
- don't just say "I've always been a bad writer." That could mean anything to anyone! Instead give us the details of the experience you had that made you think you are a "bad writer." For example: I've always had trouble with writing. When I was 12 I failed my task. It asked me a question about the difference between good and evil and I just couldn't write about it. I struggled! Looking back now I realize I was only 12! I knew very little about the differences between good and evil!
- Giving specific details are also beneficial to you as you look for patterns in your experiences! You'll be able to clearly identify what experiences are similar or connected, making coming to a conclusion about Who you are as a writer, that much easier.
Lastly: Having trouble stating?
- Try starting with an experience with writing that is important to you! You may often hear "You need to start with an attention getter" or "You need to start with something interesting." This is not always the case, and having such rules in place can make starting impossible! This also puts you at risk for starting with a gimmick or a cliche (this can be detrimental, because you may fall into trying to support the cliche rather than exploring your own experiences!) Starting by sharing your experiences, however, might be help you begin your reflection and pattern seeking early on! It might also help you identify the driving point(s) of your essay early on too.
- example: I've helped my mother run her business for years. She is a landlord, and I've helped her maintain her apartments ever since I was 14. While she had me doing a lot of the dirty work (cleaning toilets, fixing fixtures, etc) she also had me writing a lot of her leases, notices and filling out her paper work. I'v been writing for years, but it's always been work related. Writing, for me, is a way of making a living, but it's also a very formal thing. (and then I might go on to share my experiences with writing in work, what feelings I have when I write for work, what I learn of writing when I write for work, and even moments of writing that don't happen for work... if at all...) :D?
GOOD LUCK ON YOUR WRITING ASSIGNMENT!!!! :D
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