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Writing Workshop
Writing isnt just about essays or fictional stories; its about expressing a persons innermost
thoughts and feelings. Think of writing as an invisible string that binds all of humanity together.

Agenda of workshop:
1. Narratives
2. Persuasive/Argumentative
3. Speech

Section #1: To Entertain - Narratives

What goes into a good story?
Exposition:
Hook: to grab your readers attention (sensory details)
Situation : set up story, introduce conflict
Characters: introduce the main character(s)
Setting: help the reader understand where the story is taking place
Rising Action:
Create suspense
Develop the conflict by showing the roadblocks that prevent the character from
solving it right away
Use Show Not Tell description
Use dialogue
Choose precise and interesting words to hold the readers interest
Builds up to the climax
Climax:
The most intense moment of the story
Zoom In: Describe the moment with detail
Show how the moment the changes things for the character
Falling Action:
Shows how the character solves ordeals with the conflict after the climax
Continue to include dialogue and description
Resolution:
Tie up the loose ends of the plot, leave the reader feeling satisfied and show
why this incident or event was important for the main character
Do not end by saying it was all a dream
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Pixars 22 Rules of Storytelling - Emma Coats

1. You admire a character for trying more than for their successes.
2. You gotta keep in mind whats interesting to you as an audience, not whats fun to
do as a writer. They can be v. different.
3. Trying for theme is important, but you wont see what the story is actually about
til youre at the end of it. Now rewrite.
4. Once upon a time there was ___. Every day, ___. One day ___. Because of that,
___. Because of that, ___. Until finally ___.
5. Simplify. Focus. Combine characters. Hop over detours. Youll feel like youre
losing valuable stuff but it sets you free.
6. What is your character good at, comfortable with? Throw the polar opposite at
them. Challenge them. How do they deal?
7. Come up with your ending before you figure out your middle. Seriously. Endings
are hard, get yours working up front.
8. Finish your story, let go even if its not perfect. In an ideal world you have both,
but move on. Do better next time.
9. When youre stuck, make a list of what WOULDNT happen next. Lots of times
the material to get you unstuck will show up.
10. Pull apart the stories you like. What you like in them is a part of you; youve got
to recognize it before you can use it.
11. Putting it on paper lets you start fixing it. If it stays in your head, a perfect idea,
youll never share it with anyone.
12. Discount the 1st thing that comes to mind. And the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th get the
obvious out of the way. Surprise yourself.
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13. Give your characters opinions. Passive/malleable might seem likable to you as
you write, but its poison to the audience.
14. Why must you tell THIS story? Whats the belief burning within you that your
story feeds off of? Thats the heart of it.
15. If you were your character, in this situation, how would you feel? Honesty lends
credibility to unbelievable situations.
16. What are the stakes? Give us reason to root for the character. What happens if
they dont succeed? Stack the odds against.
17. No work is ever wasted. If its not working, let go and move on - itll come back
around to be useful later.
18. You have to know yourself: the difference between doing your best & fussing.
Story is testing, not refining.
19. Coincidences to get characters into trouble are great; coincidences to get them out
of it are cheating.
20. Exercise: take the building blocks of a movie you dislike. How dyou rearrange
them into what you DO like?
21. You gotta identify with your situation/characters, cant just write cool. What
would make YOU act that way?
#22: Whats the essence of your story? Most economical telling of it? If you know that, you can
build out from there.
Developing your character
Draw upon what you know. Characters are open to interpretation, whether they are modeled off
someone you know in real life or yourself, when you begin writing, your character should be
someone you can relate to.
If you get stuck, draw a diagram. Ask
yourself questions (How do you want
your character to change?)
*Dynamic character = character that
changes throughout the course of the plot
*Static character = character that remains
the same (often a supporting character)
Descriptions are important! Keep
rhetorical devices in mind and use the
Show, Not Tell method. Stories appeal to
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all 5 of your senses. Include dialogue, varying sentence structure, transitions, and a conflict.
Every story has a purpose or lesson; remember not to go off topic.
Developing Plot
Opening scene: Think back to all the movies youve watched. Sometimes they start in the middle
of action, with the hero fighting off bad guys before showing the setting.
You can start off with a staccato, which is a three word statement.
Example: Fee. Fi. Fo. FUM! The giant shouted. Who dares enter my home?
If you write in first person, you can begin with a simple statement hooking your audience in with
your characters personality.
Example: Meeting my birth-father was the best thing that ever happened to me.
Often for any essay, you can begin with a quote:
Example: Mahatma Gandhi once said, You must be the change you wish to see in the world.
Some authors utilize rhetorical questions, which ask a question that makes readers think. The
answer? Its provided within the meaning of the story.
Example: Have you ever died before? Well, I have. My name is Death Star, and this is how I
came back from the afterlife. (Introduction draws your attention. Its unique, unexpected, and
already tells you what the narrative will be about in the first sentence)
Symbolism
Symbolism is a very useful tool when writing
narratives. Its also important when you write a
literary analysis essay on a passage you have read.
Notice that I used the name Death Star and the
character literally rose (like a shooting star) out of
the afterlife. Theres a story behind the name.
Symbols represent the themes of the story or the
lessons that influence each character.
Example: In the movie Up, Carl refused to sell his
house. Instead, his house later floated away with
hundreds of colorful balloons attached. What do
those balloons symbolize? How does this contribute to the lesson of the story? (hope, escape,
happiness, strength in small things)
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Tense:
If you begin with a certain tense, stick to it. Changing tense can be confusing and grammatically
incorrect.
Past Tense - rain poured
Present Tense - rain is pouring
Future Tense - rain will pour
Adding:
If you find that your passage needs to be longer but you are unsure of what you can add, take
these steps:
1. Review your brainstorming plan! Look for gaps where you can add a scene, or

expand upon a conversation. Describe a scene.

Both describe the same scene, but the blue one takes the pink one into further detail.
2. Stories can have more than one theme. For example, movies can be about action
and romance. Could you include another theme or lesson?
3. Flashbacks can be effective, but only if a writer uses them in moderation. *Do not
drag out a scene so that it becomes meaningless. Your narrative should be a reasonable
length.
Cutting:
Often, narrative essays have word limits. When you use word count and find that you are over
the limit, what do you do?
1. Eliminate unnecessary passages and phrases.
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2. Check for sentences that can be combined with conjunctions, colons, or

semicolons.
3. Prioritize certain words. Can you find a word that means the same but has fewer
letters? A thesaurus might be very helpful.

Persuasive Writing
Nearly all writers mean to persuade their audience of an idea. Think about the advertisements,
TV shows, and newspaper articles you see every day. What are they trying to tell you? Do they
tell you directly or indirectly?
1. Read the prompt. Identify the actions they ask you to do.
Example: Read Education by John Smith. Evaluate the authors claim and state whether you
agree with it or not. Support your argument with evidence from past knowledge, literary texts,
and the article.
Notice: The prompt asks you to do four things!
2. Pick a stance. Do you agree, disagree, or partly agree with the authors claim? If you
partly agree, it is called qualifying. To what extent do you agree?
3. Create a Pros and Cons chart. This will help you organize your thoughts and choose
which side you will write on. Remember, it isnt always about what side you personally support,
but rather which side you have more evidence to support on. You will also be able to see
arguments on the other side and counter them with refutations.
4. Write your thesis. In writing timed essays, coming up with a thesis is critical. Keep them
clear and list out your key points. If you get off topic or feel stuck, go back and reread your
prompt and thesis. What are you trying to convince the audience of? Then begin writing!

Public Speaking
Glossophobia - the fear of public speaking
The fear of public speaking is the number one fear in America, with death as number five. If
you're afraid of public speaking, there is no reason to worry. Millions of Americans feel the
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same. However, conquering that fear will leave you stronger and more confident so that you can
tackle all the challenges life throws your way. But how do you overcome that fear?
Heres a few tips that helped me overcome my fear:
1. Why are you afraid of public speaking? Is it the fear of messing up? That can be
avoided with practice. Is it because you feel uncomfortable when everyone's eyes are on
you? Identify the reason for your fear.
2. Remember to breathe! Take a deep breathe before you speak and if you get
nervous, breathe between points. Psychiatrist Fritz Perls said it well: "Fear is excitement
without the breath."
3. Make up a mantra for yourself. It should be a short phrase that makes you laugh
or smile. Mentally say it to yourself before you go up to speak so when you begin talking,
you begin talking with a smile! This also helps with confidence.
4. Practice, practice, practice! I know it's cliche, but you can only get over your fear
if you have the desire to.
There's a difference between getting over your fear of speaking and learn to speak well. Once
you get over your fear, you can adjust your speaking style for better deliverance. There are
several factors that make up a good speaker.
Fluidity
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Fluidity is being able to speak smoothly, without stops, stutters, or awkward pauses. It helps if

you are a quick-thinker, but fluidity can be achieved with certain steps.
Volume and Clarity
Volume is extremely important! An effective speech/presentation is a balance between good
content and good delivery. A clear volume should mean that your voice:
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Movement and Appearance

The audience reflects whatever emotions the speaker is revealing with tone or facial expressions.
They act as your mirror. Thus, you do not want to look nervous or unsure. Smile! Look
confident! Say your mantra! Consider these scenarios.

Lily has severe stage fright. She remembers
her class laughing at her when she gave her
first public speech. She is about to go and
deliver another speech, but has a nervous
breakdown and begins to cry.
What should she do?
Lily recognizes that an experience from the
past caused her glossophobia. This time,
however, she wipes her tears and says her
mantra, The world is my stage. She smiles
and remembers how excited she was when she
got picked to deliver her speech. She
remembers the passion and love she poured
into it. Regardless of what her audience
thinks, if she looks confident and shares that
love, they will feel it too.

Mario has always been a shy guy. He prefers
the silence of his room and playing video
games alone. When he is asked to read his
poem aloud from the class, he was so
surprised that he said yes. Now that he is
about to go up and share it with the class, he
suddenly feels unsure. Usually, he speed reads
What does Mario do?
First, Mario stands up straight. Head back,
shoulders relaxed, and a deep breath. He
thinks about his poem and how he was
inspired by his video games when he wrote it.
Mario has memorized his poem and knows it
by heart. He realizes he has nothing to be

through an entire passage just to get
presentations over with. However, this time,
he is not used to so many eyes on him.
Evelyn doesnt have a problem with public
speaking. She likes to talk to everyone she
meets but when she gives a formal
presentation, she knows that she cannot talk
with the same tone that she uses with her
close friends. Evelyn also knows that in her
past class presentations, her arms tend to
remain at her side the entire time. This time,
she does not want to look stiff.
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unsure about! When he goes up, instead of
avoiding looking at his class, he feels more
confident when he makes eye contact without
each of his classmates and says his poem
without reading entirely off his paper. As a
result, his poem connects to each person and
Mario finishes with a smile.
What should Evelyn do?
The ease of informal and formal speaking
differ per person. In this case, Evelyn does not
fear public speaking but wants to refine her
hand gestures so that her message gets across
even clearer. She starts practicing in front of
the mirror and couples each of her sentences
with a hand gesture. Perhaps it is two hands
together, or one hand together. In any case,
Evelyn finds a balance between too few (can
appear stiff) and too many gestures (can be
distracting). Eventually, she falls into an
instinctive rhythm and when she goes up to
speak, she knows she is ready. She uses a
slightly more formal and focused tone and
gets a good grade!