1. Six Traits Writing Review
Honors English 9
Mrs. Ivey

2. Six Traits Ideas Organization Word Choice Voice
Sentence Structure and Fluency
Conventions

3. IDEAS Write small!!! Get rid of deadwood. Don’t generalize…
Big topics are unmanageable. They lead to boring generalities.
Get rid of deadwood.
Separate good details from unnecessary information.
Don’t generalize…
Words like good, exciting, fun, special, and nice say nothing. Be specific!!

4. IDEAS---What is it??? Clarity Focus Quality details
Strong support of your topic
Authenticity
No fillers

5. ORGANIZATION Spend time on a good lead… Have a center! End with Flair.
This is how you hook your readers and you only get a moment to do it. Make it great!
Have a center!
Be sure you have a focus…a main idea…a theme. And stick to it throughout the entire paper.
End with Flair.
Nothing squelches a good piece of writing like a weak ending. End strong!!

6. ORGANIZATION…What is it???
Guides the reader
Strong lead
Natural, effective transitions
Smooth flow point to point
Orderly arrangement of information
Good pacing
Satisfying conclusion

7. WORD CHOICE Think verbs… Favorite words!!! Cut the Fat.
Adjectives can’t compete with a great verb! Use all kinds of great verbs instead of worrying with adjectives.
Favorite words!!!
Keep a notebook of favorite words then use them in your writing!
Cut the Fat.
Words only have power if they carry their own weight. Get rid of words that you don’t need.

9. WORD CHOICE…What is it??? Accuracy Precision
Avoidance of jargon and cliches
No ponderous “let me impress you” language
Language that fits audience, purpose
Words that paint pictures
VERBS, VERBS, VERBS

10. VOICE Think of your audience… Know your topic. Care about the topic!!!
Who are they? Be sure to write to them specifically.
Know your topic.
Do your research. Knowledge puts confidence into your voice.
Care about the topic!!!
If you’re bored, why should your reader care? Write as if your topic were the most fascinating subject in the world…maybe it is!!

11. VOICE…What is it??? Individuality Liveliness Enthusiasm for topic
Confidence that comes from knowledge
Tone fits audience, purpose
Sensitivity to audience needs
Appeal to keep readers reading

12. SENTENCE STRUCTURE & FLUENCY
Read aloud…
Make a habit of reading all your pieces aloud. How else will you know how it sounds? Are some parts hard to get through? Now’s the time to fix it.
Check out those first four words.
When you use the same openers over and over, it has a numbing effect on your readers’ brains: I enjoy football. I love football. I think football’s the best.
Don’t get breathless!!
Some writers get carried away when they’re writing and forget to separate one sentence from another. Punctuate!

13. SENTENCE STRUCTURE & FLUENCY… What is it???
Easy rhythm and flow
One sentence glides into another
Variety in length
Variety in structure
Delightful to read/hear
Easy to read with expression
Easy to follow

14. CONVENTIONS Double space all rough drafts… Read from the bottom up.
Give yourself room to read, room to work.
Read from the bottom up.
When you’re looking for spelling errors, read from the bottom up. That way, you won’t focus on meaning and you won’t skip right over words that aren’t spelled right.
Start in the middle!!
Good editors go through copy more than once. And the second time around, start in the middle and give part two the attention it deserves.

15. CONVENTIONS…What is it???
Evidence of proofreading/editing
Easy-to-process text
Only light touch-ups needed
Appealing layout
Presentation guides reader’s eye to key points