1. FAMILY RITUAL / HIDDEN TALENTS Writing Loop

2. Free write about rituals or hidden talents that you have. What words, phrases or pictures come to mind when you think about this topic? Think about rituals or talents that you had as a kid too. This does not have to be a happy ritual or an amazing talent.

3. Carefully review your list. Then choose one of your rituals/talents that you’d like to explore in more depth. Once you’ve selected a ritual/ talent, bullet a list of words that describe it. Think adjectives here.

4. Find, copy and paste a picture that represents the ritual/talent to you.

5. Write your ritual or talent as a metaphor. What’s a strong comparison for it?

6. Write an “I believe” sentence based on the ritual/talent. What does the ritual/talent make you believe in? Consider the “I believe” statement from the essay that we read at the beginning of class today if you’d like an example.

7. Now, take these ideas and elaborate on them. Craft a story about the ritual/talent. Use the answers to the questions above as a springboard for your story. Carefully consider your voice here. What choices are you making in regard to word choice, pacing, tone, etc. to help convey your voice?