Writing Boot Camp: Day 5

1
Writing Boot Camp Day 5

• Writing with Style
• Writers Inc., 125-132

2
Review Content and Quote Analysis

• Underline lead-in of quotes does it identify
  speaker (if applicable) and situation?
• Double underline quotes Are they 5-7 words? Do
  they address your topic/argument?
• Triple underline your analysis of quotes Are
  they 2-3 sentences?
• Circle your literary devices in your analysis Do
  you explain how and why the quote is used to
  explain your argument.

3
Whats your writing style?

• Read your paragraph
• Circle words that you feel are a part of your
  style
• Define your writing style

4
Key Stylistic Reminders

• Be purposeful Kurt Vonnegut says, It is the
  genuine caring about a subject, and not your
  games with language, which will be the most
  compelling and seductive element in your style.
• Be clear Keep things simple, orderly, and direct
  in your writing. Stylistic writing does not play
  games with readers, making them try to figure
  things out.
• Be sincere Do not be uncertain, phony, or
  pushy. Be honest and heartfelt.

5
Sentence beginnings and length

• Variety is the spice of life
• Highlight and write all sentence starters
• Count and chart the number of words per sentence

6
Remove the following

• Contractions
• A lot
• Stuff
• Things
• This shows
• Everyone
• Everything
• Very
• Really

7
Using strong, colorful words

• Specific nouns some nouns are general
  (vegetable, pants, computer) and give the reader
  a vague, uninteresting picture while others are
  specific (okra, corduroys, laptop) and give the
  reader a much clearer, more detailed picture.

person place thing Idea
woman landmark drink belief
scientist national landmark coffee strong belief
Marie Curie Mount Rushmore cappuccino conviction
8
Vivid Verbs

• Get rid of all PASSIVE verbs (is, are, was, were,
  am, be, been, being)
• Even verbs that are active can be improved
• Looked- stared, glared, glanced, peeked, or
  inspected
• Hashim sat down on the couch or Hashim plopped on
  the couch.
• Greta is very tall or Greta towers over her
  teammates.

9
Specific and Strong Adjectives

• Strong adjectives can help make the nouns you
  choose even more interesting and clearer to the
  reader.
• Avoid adjectives that carry little meaning neat,
  big, pretty, small, cute, fun, bad, nice, great,
  funny, and so on.
• Use adjectives selectively. Using too many
  adjectives will get in the way of your writing.
  For example, A tall, shocking column of thick,
  yellow smoke marked the exact spot where the
  unexpected explosion had occurred.

10
What about an adverb?

• Adverbs modify verbs, adjectives and other
  adverbs
• Many adverbs end with ly
• Many adverbs answer the question How?
• These are adverbs
•   Eating quickly (modifying a verb)
•   Trying very hard (modifying an adverb)
• A really big show (modifying an adjective)
• Dont use needless adverbs
• Before using any of these words, check to see if
  they add
• anything to the sentence (Really, very,
  absolutely, extremely,
• quite, actually, somewhat, rather)
• I am really happy to see you
• Grammar is very boring
• You are absolutely correct
• Her language was extremely crude
• You are quite intelligent

11
Using the Right Word Writer's Inc., 491-500

• Affect, effect
• Already, all ready
• Alright, all right
• Altogether, all together
• Continual, continuous
• Farther, further
• Good, well

• Its, its
• Real, very, really
• Than, then
• Their, there, theyre
• Weather, whether
• Who, which, that
• Who, whom
• Whos, whose