“There is no such thing as good writing. There is only good rewriting.” Oliver Wendell Homes

Read Your Essay With a Pen In Hand! Correct any errors. Add more information. Delete unnecessary information.

Insert 2-3 Writing Tricks Badda Bing Repetition for effect Dialogue

Badda Bing Where your feet went What you saw What you thought When I walked into the kitchen, I saw my mom at the kitchen table crying and I knew my father had finally left her. As I pulled into the garage, I heard a loud crunch and I panicked.

Dialogue: bits of a conversation, name calling, conversations When I opened the kitchen door, I saw both of my parents sitting at the kitchen table with my report card in front of them. I knew the speech. It would go something like “ Megan Elizabeth ” (my parents always use my middle name when they mean business), “ Megan Elizabeth, these grades will just not do. How do you expect to get into college with 70s? How do you expect to get a good job, if you don ’ t get into college? ” And then my mom will add “ Honey, are you depressed? ” Knowing what ’ s coming makes it somewhat easier to sit down and face my parents.

Repetition for Effect — Writers often repeat specifically chosen words or phrases to make a point, to stress certain ideas for the reader. She said it as though I had money to spend. She knows my mom hasn ’ t worked for months. She knows my father hasn ’ t sent child- support in over a year. She knows I ’ ve been eating Ramon noodles three times a day for the past 5 weeks. She knows all of this and yet she still turns up her nose when I tell her I can ’ t afford to go on a road trip with her.

Get Rid of Passive Voice Circle all of the to be verbs: –am, is are, was, were, be, being, been –Rewrite at least 5 sentences by eliminating the passive voice **My summer at the New Jersey Shore was enjoyable. **I enjoyed my summer at the New Jersey shore. On your own, you will need to eliminate at least half of your “to be” verbs.

Brevity Works Best Your sentences, like muscles, should be firm and tight. Needless words are flabby. Trim the fat. Make your writing lean. As you edit, exercise your crossing-out muscles. Go through every sentence and cross out extra words.

Look for repetition. Then combine sentences. Fat- –In the tenth grade I accepted a position at Wilkins’ Fabrics. In this position I learned about fabrics and about how to handle customers. Trimmed- –In tenth grade I accepted a position at Wilkins’ Fabrics, where I learned about fabrics and handling customers. Re-trimmed –Working at Wilkins’ Fabrics since tenth grade, I have learned to handle both fabrics and customers.

Fat Phrases FatTrimmed What I mean isI mean After all is said and donefinally For all intents and purposes(omit) In the final analysisfinally Few and far betweenfew Each and every oneeach This is a subject thatthis subject Ten in numberten At the age of six years oldat age six Most uniqueunique True factfact Biography of his lifebiography In regard to, with regard to,about In relation to, with reference to

Final Draft Due Next Class Must turn in: –Final –Rough Draft with evidence of revision –Peer Edit Sheet –Prewrite