Agenda

Warm-Up -

Defining author’s craft

Author’s Craft

Mini-Lesson

Practice using mentor text

Personal Narrative

Begin the planning/drafting process - use your 100 word memoirs as a guide

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Warmup - Sept. 3

What is author’s craft?

Write your own definition/make an educated guess before we review what this looks like.

Mini-Lesson: Author’s Craft

In Person: Please fill out the chart as we take notes in class. This form will go in the Helpful Handouts section of your binder.

Virtual: CLICK HERE to open a google doc of the Author’s Craft chart. Please make a copy, then use the powerpoint notes to fill out the chart accordingly. We will use this chart while we are writing our personal narratives. Add this chart to the Helpful Handouts portion of your digital binder so that I may view your work.

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Agenda:

• In order to prepare for writing your personal narrative, we will briefly discuss the definition of author’s craft and how you can use these techniques and skills in your own writing.
• During the 2nd half of class, you will begin drafting and writing your personal narratives.

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Author’s Craft: Definition

Author’s craft consists of the skills and techniques that an author uses to tell a story or create a piece of writing with the purpose of either evoking an emotional response, to entertain, or to make something clear and understandable. There are four categories that help to establish the art of writing through the use of -- word, structure, audible, and visual.

Categories of Craft -- Word Craft

Word Craft -- careful, deliberate use of words

List of techniques/skills (what this looks like):

-sarcasm -shifts

-motif -similes

-diction/syntax -metaphors

-mood/tone -personification

-appeals -hyperbole

-antithesis

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Categories of Craft -- Structural Craft

Structural Craft -- organizational features

List of techniques/skills (what this looks like):

-irony -flashback -parallelism -point of view

-sentence variation -dialogue

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Categories of Craft -- Audible Craft

Audible Craft -- Sound Choices

List of techniques/skills (what this looks like):

-tone -alliteration

-pause for effect -onomatopoeia

-volume -consonance

-annunciation -assonance

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Categories of Craft -- Visual Craft

Visual Craft -- print features

List of techniques/skills (what this looks like):

• Graphs -Words that stand out - bolded/all caps
• Charts -Shape patterns, word placement (EX: poetry)
• Diary style entries
• Imagery
• Unusual punctuation

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Practice identifying author’s craft using mentor text

• The following excerpt comes from the teacher personal narrative anchor text we read last week “The Only One I Can Apologize For” by Aisha Saeed.
• Re-read the excerpt and record at least four craft moves the author makes in the text.
• In-person: Add your observations of author’s craft from Saeed’s story to the BOTTOM of the chart where it says “example;” be prepared to discuss
• Virtual: Write the observations of author’s craft from Saeed’s story to the bottom of the chart where it says “example”. Be sure to add your chart to the “helpful handouts” section of your binder so that I may view your responses

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Imitating Author’s Craft

I AM CLUMSY. ASK ANYONE.

When I was six, I bumped into a pyramid of toilet paper at my local grocery store. (Turns out they are not the sturdiest of structures.) I was in a cast for six weeks because I tripped on carpet and tumbled onto my teacher. I’ve dropped pots, spilled tea, burned brownies by hitting Broil instead of Bake -- you name it. As a result, I have probably said “I’m sorry” approximately 5,345,205 times (give or take a few). Not to brag, but I could probably teach college-level courses on the subject. And I know that although saying sorry is a valuable skill, not all sorrys are the same. Here are a few to avoid at all costs

Sorry if I hurt your feelings.

Sorry, but you shouldn’t be so sensitive.

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• In-Person: Use Aisha Saeed’s intro paragraph as a mentor text and write your own imitation of the intro. Write on a separate sheet of paper and turn into the tray.

• Virtual: On the second page of the chart, use the space titled “My Imitation” and write your own imitation of Aisha Saeed’s intro paragraph. Submit on Canvas by CLICKING HERE by the end of the day today

Reviewing Personal Narratives

Personal narrative – an expressive literary piece written in first person that centers on a particular event in the author’s life and may contain vivid description as well as personal opinions, thoughts, and observations.

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Author’s Craft in Personal Narratives - dialogue that moves the plot forward, carefully-chosen words for vivid imagery, figurative language, some personal commentary (i.e. what big idea did you learn through this? How can your experience tie back to the human condition?

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Personal Narrative: Expectations

• Write your own brief personal narrative which clearly shows your understanding of the characteristics of a Personal Narrative
• Including, but not limited to:
• dialogue that moves the plot forward
• Imagery
• Tier II vocabulary
• organizing structure
• main events of plot
• Climax
• figurative language
• POV
• What you learned through this experience
• Minimum 500 words

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Due: Tuesday, September 8th by 11:59 p.m.

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Important Reminder

All SIX study guides for The Stranger are due tomorrow, September 4th

Remember, the study guides must be submitted either in person or digitally via Canvas only

Please do not share your study guides with me

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