Improving your paperSUGGESTIONS FOR SUCCESS

Writing = Revising

Writing IS a process

This paper WILL take hard work to get a good grade (or even to get a passing grade)

You WILL have to make changes from your rough draft to the final draft. Some will be major changes and some might be minor fixes.

That’s okay and expected.

Typed copy due by Wed. 10/22 at the start of the hour. We will be doing pretty involved peer editing for this paper.

Tentative due date for the final paper is Mon 10/27 at the start of the hour. We are turning papers in electronically.

Disclaimer:

Just because I didn’t make a comment to improve something doesn’t mean what you have is perfect and will get you an A. I can’t catch every mistake. Listen to the following suggestions and think about YOUR OWN paper and see if you are meeting expectations.

Ask questions

I can’t fully explain everything I would like to so if you don’t know how to fix something I may have marked, just ask me for help. It is much easier to just talk with you than to write a novel to explain how to improve.

See me

If something says SEE ME that’s not a bad thing. I would just rather talk with you than write a novel.

No attitude intended

Please don’t read my questions with attitude or snottiness behind them. That’s not my intention. How does that teach the theme? How does that prove he is smart?

I’m asking the questions to try and show you where I, the reader, am getting confused

Get rough draft back

Please read my comments

I ended up reading EVERYTHING

Spent 12 hours this weekend giving you feedback

Ask me if you can’t read something

I will then go through the rest of this PowerPoint in hopes it will help answer some of your questions

If you still have questions, you can ask me throughout the week during typing time. (Or come in before or after school)

This PowerPoint will be on my website if you need it.

Quotes

Many people are missing:

Giving context before the quote

Step 1: Intro source

Step 3: Analyze quote-explain how the quote PROVES whatever you’re trying to prove.

Quotes need to PROVE something not just summarize

Your 2 required quotes to show proof:

Cannot be in the same body paragraphs

Cannot be in the intro or conclusion

ANALYZE QUOTES

Still need to analyze your quotes. Explain how your quote proves

________________

(trait, conflict, theme)

 Without this analysis, your quote is pointless

Characterization Paragraph

Keep the SAME traits throughout the paragraph

When you get to the similarity and different section you don’t get to pick new character traits.

Use the same traits or evidence you provided above.

Similarities and Differences

Need one idea to tie thoughts together or you just end up saying random summaries about characters, conflicts, and themes and it’s not clear HOW the 2 ideas are different or the same.

Characterization

Both women are clever. Character A does this. Character B does this.

However the women use their wisdom differently. Character A does this. Character B does this.

Similarities and Differences cont’

Conflict

Both conflicts impact a lot of people. Story A’s conflict affects _____. Story B’s conflict affects ____

The motivation behind the conflicts is different. In Story A__________ and in Story B__________

Theme

Both themes deal with a lack of respect. In Story A__________. In Story B________

The outcome of the themes are different. Story has a more positive outcome because ___________ whereas Story B has a more negative outcome because_______.

Similarities and differences cont’

I may have written: evidence for each? This means, give an example from each story

to prove that similarity or difference. So if you’re saying both characters are nice. Give evidence from

Story A to prove she is nice and then evidence from Story B to prove how that character is nice.

You should have already mentioned this above. Just remind your reader

Similarities and differences (last one)

Shouldn’t be using the SAME similarity/difference ideas between paragraphs. It gets repetitive and your reader will get bored.

Also, it makes it look like you can’t think of any other ideas. Which may be true, but you don’t want your reader to know that

See me if you need help

Use transitions

Remember, your reader will not have the outline.

Use transitions or key words between ideas to guide your reader

The conflict of Story A is______________ The conflict is resolved when______________

Use compare/contrast language

The themes of these two stories are similar because___________________

The difference between these themes is ________________________

If you DO NOT use any compare/contrast language you are NOT comparing and contrasting or making ideas clear for your reader.

If you DO NOT use any compare/contrast language you will NOT get a good grade on this paper.

No YOU or YOUR

Can’t use YOU, even in your theme.

You should be careful who you trust. Revised: People should be careful who they

trust.

Spelling

The children are stealing Aunty Misery’s PEARS not PAIRS.

Threw vs through He threw the ball. She went through the door.

We have read many STORIES not STORYS

Miscellaneous comments

Don’t use: Things Stuff

They are both VAGUE. Say exactly what you mean. Be specific.

You are writing about STORIES not BOOKS Don’t start sentences with AND