Excuses to Avoid:

 I don’t have anything to write

 I’ll make a fool of myself by failing
 I have a writer’s block
 I don’t have time to sit down and write
 I’m embarrassed about my poor grammar and spelling
 I don’t have the right tools such as a word processor or a computer
 It’s been too long since I’ve written something
 I am not creative at all
 No one will buy(or like) my writing anyways, so what is the point?
 Everything good’s been written already
Reasons for writing:

 To convey a message
 To tell a story
 To express individuality
 To gain personal satisfaction
 To express emotions
 To gain knowledge
 To fulfill a dream
 To share information
 To become famous
 To earn a living.
Writer’s Block
“I want to write something but I simply cannot start my writing project”

 Assume the position-get yourself ready to write by doing the writing things
 Make the mind-body connection-the action of writing while thinking can spark your
brain to churn out some usable material
 Fill the paper-write anything, but be sure to full the entire sheet of paper.
 Visualize yourself writing- many professional writers say that they can write more easily
if they first imagine themselves writing successfully.
 Change point of view-when you start writing, try putting yourself in someone else’s
shoes for a change
 Switch writing methods-if you usually use a computer, try pen-and paper
 Use a brainstorming method-professional writers know a variety of brainstorming
strategies to help them get over the initial hump.
 Picture a scene-some people are intensely visual
  Frame your material as a letter-Creative Writing is a pressure situation. The more you
relax, the more ideas will flow.
 Don’t start at the beginning-you can just as easily start at the middle or at the end, and
often, starting from there offers much ease.
Lesson 3
Prose

 Prose-can be defined as a free-flowing narrative in a form of a novel, an essay, or short

story
 It is used to express the writer’s mind on things, people, life, and life’s experiences
 It is also made up of a series of events which are organized in a logical way
 It is derived from the Latin Word Prosa, which means “straightforward”

Characteristics of Prose:

 It is written in paragraphs and chapters

 It is made up of characters and incidences which are organized in a characterized order
 It is written in both long and short sentences
Narrative

 It is writing which tells a story (can be fictional or non-fictional)

 Usually told in chronological order
 Has characters
 Follows the basic plot-line: exposition, rising action, climax, falling action

What makes a Great Personal Narrative?

 Grab your reader’s attention at the beginning

 Use the pronoun “I”
 Tell only important events, and tell them in order
 Use details, including dialogue, that helps readers picture what happened
 Write in a way that sounds like you
 Write an ending that tells how the experienced work out, how you felt, or what you
learned
Steps in Writing a Personal Narrative

 Start thinking
💩Who will be my audience? Will it be my friend? A grandparent? Or younger brother?
 💩What will be my purpose? Do I want to make my readers laugh? Share something I
learned? Tell something special I did?
💩How will I publish or share my story? Will I make it into a book? Record it for the
listening center?

 Choose your story idea

🌬️List five experiences you could write about
🌬️Discuss your ideas with a partner
🌬️Ask yourself questions about each idea. Then choose one idea to write about

Organizing your Narrative:

🌸Tell events in the order they happened

🌸Stick to your topic
🌸Use time clue words
*Time clue words: first, next, later, after, when, while, early, tomorrow, Tuesday, until
*Time clue phrases: by the time, later that evening, before long, at daybreak, after the
game, last summer

Good Beginnings

✈️Make a surprising or dramatic statement

Example:
Weak Beginning: My muscles were sore from hiking.
Strong Beginning: As I struggled up the stairs, I said to myself “I will never go hiking
again”.
✈️Describe a setting or a sensory impression
Example:
Weak Beginning: We walked through the busy market, trying not to bump into crates of
produce.
Strong Beginning: Farmers/Vendors shouted back and forth as we dodged around the
crates piled high with corn, squash, and apples.

Additional Information:
 Biography- it is about other people
 Autobiography- it is about yourself