LA 8: Writing and Revising Trait 1: Ideas

Focus and then Enrich Make sure your idea or story is focussed on a narrow set of events or ideas you can get across in 2 pages. After that you can elaborate on your story with details that make your story more interesting.

What Should You Write About? Rule of Thumb for any kind of writing - Write what you know. Eg. In Stephen King’s books the protagonist is often a writer or teacher. Stephen King is a writer and used to be a teacher. The themes he writes about are things that affect his actual life.

Remember Your R.A.F.T.S. Role - What point of view are you going to use to tell your story? Are you going to present it as an OMNISCIENT 3rd person P.O.V. or are you going to tell the story from the P.O.V. of a character.

Remember Your R.A.F.T.S. Audience - Who are you writing your work for. Don’t say just the teacher. It’s for your classmates and other people who will be reading these stories once they’re posted on the wall, binder, etc.

Remember Your R.A.F.T.S. Format - How are you going to present your information? Is it in letter form, an essay, report, or short story? If you’re writing a story, obviously it should be in short story form.

Remember Your R.A.F.T.S. Topic - What is the topic or theme of your piece. This is to help again focus your work so it doesn’t go off topic. Strong Verb - Again helps remind the writer of the purpose of their writing. Are they entertaining, teaching, or persuading?