Using the Six Traits of Writing How to be a good writer! Using the Six Traits of Writing There are 6 Traits of good writing. Knowing these traits and using them when you write will make writing easier and make you a better writer.

First - we need to review the Six Traits of Writing Ideas Voice Organization Sentence Fluency Word Choice Conventions These are the things that are found in all good writing. All good writing starts with a good idea. The writing sounds like the author is talking right to the reader. The story moves smoothly from one part to the next so that the reader never says, “huh???” The writer uses different kinds of sentences so it is not boring to read. Some sentences are long, some are short, some tell, some ask and some sound like the writer is excited or even scared. The writer picks words that are interesting – not the same old tired words like “good” and “nice” but things like “awesome” or “outstanding”. And to help the reader get the message, most of the words are spelled correctly, the periods and commas are there to help the reader know when to stop or slow down, and the whole thing makes sense.

IDEAS What is my message? Is my message clear? Do I have enough information? Did I include details? Are the ideas new and interesting? Do I have too much information? Are my ideas something others can relate to? If you are working to make sure that you have good ideas, here are some questions you can ask yourself as you write.

Organization How does my paper BEGIN? Did I tell things in ORDER? How does my paper END? Did I include smooth transition words? Do all sentences in a paragraph tell about the same thing? When you are adding organization to your paper, make sure you know the answers to these questions.

Word Choice Did I use exciting words? Do my words tell a clear story? Did I try to use any new words? Did I use descriptive words that help paint a picture? Want to add some personality to your story, ask yourself….

Voice Does my writing sound like me? Does my reader understand how I feel? Does my writing sparkle? Your writing should always sound like you are talking directly to the reader. That means that when you write it, you need to think about how you want the reader feel about you and your paper.

Sentence Fluency Did I use complete sentences? Did I use some LONG and STRETCHY sentences? Did I use some SHORT and SNAPPY sentences? Is my paper easy to read aloud? Don’t want people to yell “BORING!” when they read your paper? Then think about these questions when you write.

Conventions Did I leave finger space between words? Did I use a title? Did I leave margins on the sides? Did I use proper punctuation, spelling, and grammar? I know. Rules are not your thing. If you want your reader to get your message, you have to follow the rules. You don’t want the reader lost and quitting on you.

How do we correct our work? take out add in capitalize lowercase When you get a paper back from the teacher, it’s important to understand the language. If you see any of these marks, you need to know what to do to make changes and improve as a writer. If you are working with a partner, you need to know what symbols to use to let them know how to fix thing up. Using correction symbols!

Give boring words the boot! Use exciting adjectives: Good wonderful fantastic Bad awful horrible terrible Remember, out with the bad….in with the fabulous.

Think about what you have written. Is it a story that you would like to read? Is it something that you know enough about to write an interesting story? Will your reader understand why you wrote this story? After you write, take the time to read your own story. Does it sound interesting to you? If not, fix it!

Have fun How to do your best work! Use an idea you really like Have a friend proofread your paper Be excited about your writing Have fun Now you know what to do to be a better writer. Write on, dude!