Writers Craft
The way characters communicate. It may be conversation between characters or it may be interior thoughts.
What is dialogue?
Who wrote this: "Dignity had always gotten us through. ... There was a motto Barack and I tried to live by, and I offered it that night from the stage: When they go low, we go high.”
Key words: female, Chicago, lawyer
Who is Michelle Obama?
This wannabe memoir is told in the second person. Why can't it be a memoir?
Memoirs are written in the first person.
The tree bark was rough against her skin.
What is touch?
The individuals that the story is about.
What are the Characters?
When writers choose precise, descriptive words to convey their message more effectively.
What is Word Choice?
Who wrote this: "My eyes widened at the prospect of learning a secret holding some natural magic my grandfather possessed, this man of silent rhythms. “Have you ever caught a rabbit?” I managed to whisper back."
Key words: female, teacher, GHS
Who is Ms. Fitzgerald?
This wannabe memoir tells the story of Ms. Herson's fantastic journey to another galaxy, where she slays a dragon and befriends a community of aliens. Why is this not a memoir?
Memoirs are non-fiction, true stories.
The familiar tang of his grandmother’s cranberry sauce reminded him of his youth.
What is taste?
The environment or surroundings of the story.
What is the Setting?
The perspective from which the story is told. There are three: first person, second person and third person.
What is Point-of-view.
Who wrote this: “What I do remember, what I will never forget, is the violence that followed. The triumph of democracy over apartheid is sometimes called the Bloodless Revolution. It is called that because very little white blood was spilled. Black blood ran in the streets.”
Key words: comedian, South Africa, biracial
Who is Trevor Noah?
This wannabe memoir spans the entirety of your life, start to finish. Why can't this be a memoir?
Memoirs are the stories of "small moments" and their "big impacts" on your life.
After eating the curry, his breath reeked of garlic.
What is smell?
When characters learn something or change as a result of the situation, or a conflict and resolution.
What is the Impact?
Skilled use of these brings richness and clarity to a text: metaphor, simile, alliteration, personification, etc.
What are Literary Devices or Figurative Language.
Who wrote this: “Few aspects of my work in the DA’s Office were more rewarding than to see what I had learned in childhood among the Latinos of the Bronx prove to be as relevant to my success as Ivy League schooling was.”
Key words: female, Latina, Supreme Court
Who is Sonia Sotomayor?
This wannabe memoir is an excerpt from a science textbook. Why can't this be a memoir?
Memoirs are literary and teach the reader something about humanity based on the memoirists personal knowledge.
He gives his harness bells a shake
To ask if there is some mistake.
The only other sound’s the sweep
Of easy wind and downy flake.
What is sound?
The sequence of events in the story. It has a clear beginning, middle (climax) and end.
What is the Plot?
This is when writers use correct spelling, punctuation, capitalization, and grammar as a courtesy to readers.
What are Writing Conventions?
Who wrote it: “I'm asked a lot what the best thing about cooking for a living is. And it's this: to be a part of a subculture. To be part of a historical continuum, a secret society with its own language and customs."
Key words: chef, travel, TV shows
Who is Anthony Bourdain?
This wannabe memoir is a cool moment in an author's life about which his or her only reflection is "so uh...yeah." Why can't this be a memoir?
Memoirs include a reflection or reason for the story and show what the author has learned.
In the far distance a helicopter skimmed down between the roofs, hovered for an instant like a bluebottle, and darted away again with a curving flight.
What is sight?
This feeling that the author develops through their word choice and plot structure. This could make the story suspenseful, comical/humorous, serious, dramatic, light-hearted, etc.
What is the Tone?