By: Patrick McKelvey Marisa Ventura Christopher Monahan Samantha Mastrocola

1. BEING A GOOD WRITER: VOICE By: Patrick McKelvey Marisa Ventura Christopher Monahan Samantha Mastrocola

2. WRITE TO BE READ • When you write something, you don’t want the reader to put it down after the first page. You want to grab the reader into an adventurous story that takes them through twists and turns throughout it. Bad Example- First I woke up. Then I ate breakfast. Then I went to the beach. Good Example- When I woke up, the sun was shining brightly as it greeted me, telling me this would be a great day. Then, I walked down the stairs and had a delicious breakfast. Next, I hopped into my car and drove to the beach.

3. Connect with the Reader • When you are writing, you want to write something that the reader can relate to. Make it interesting and relatable so that the reader can place him/her self into the story, or write something that directly inserts the reader into the story. EXAMPLE If you give a mouse a cookie, he will ask you for some milk. When you give him the milk, he’ll probably ask you for a straw. When he’s finished, he will ask you for a napkin. (If You Give a Mouse a Cookie- Laura Numeroff)

4. Write Honestly and from the Heart When you write something, you don’t want to try be someone you aren’t. You should speak honestly and let your heart be the one writing about your topic. The reader should feel your passion about the topic. EXAMPLE- Let us make one point: that no person will be unwanted, and also that we meet each other always with a smile, especially when it is difficult to smile. (Nobel Lecture Speech- Mother Teresa)

5. Care about what he/she has Written Pretend you are a teacher, and you are reading something. Now, after your student put all that hard work into writing this, shouldn’t you feel the same way they felt about it? You should understand how this topic effects them. EXAMPLE- I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. ( I Have a Dream- Martian Luther King Jr.)

6. Share His/Her Feelings about the Topic • When writing, show your passion. You should know your topic, and know what your opinion is on it. Make the reader understand that this is from the heart. Don’t simply state facts. • EXAMPLE I shall be saying this with a sigh, Somewhere in ages and ages hence, Two roads diverged in a wood and I, I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference. (The Road Not Taken- Robert Frost)

7. Use More Expression than an Encyclopedia Article When writing, you don’t want to be generic. Use powerful words and share opinions. Don’t just state facts. ENCYCLOPEDIA ARTICLE- The Vietnam War was a Cold Warmilitary conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from November 1st, 1955 to the fall of Saigon on April 30th, 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of South Vietnam, supported by the U.S. and other anti-communist nations. GOOD EXAMPLE- The Vietnam War was a long, strenuous, and difficult war that lasted for almost twenty years from 1955 to 1975, between mainly the United States and North Vietnam. This tragic conflict took the lives of around 5.4 million people.

8. Use Language that brings the Topic to Life to the Reader When you are writing, you don’t want to use the same old words throughout your whole paper. Try to mix it up and think of some words that will give your paper some excitement and flavor. Bad Example- Jackie Robinson was a good baseball player and a good man. He was great a centerfield and played for the Dodgers, who were really good. Good Example Jackie Robinson was an astonishing baseball player and an outstanding and outgoing man. Robinson played for the famous Brooklyn Dodgers and in demanding Centerfield.

9. Give the Reader a sense of the Person Behind the Words When you are writing, you need to use some words and use some actions that show who you are as a person writing about this topic and showing some passion about the topic Bad Example: He was a very passionate and very contributing man. Good Example: Like myself and many people today, he was a very passionate and very contributing man to the sport he loved.

10. Speak Directly to the Reader, but without using the word “You” When writing, it’s important to connect to your audience (the reader), on a personal level. You want to identify with the reader(s), but you do not want to generalize by speaking to one specific person. BAD EXAMPLE The internet provides you with an incredible amount of all the information you need, available to you at the touch of a button. GOOD EXAMPLE The internet provides an incredible and diverse amount of information, available to anyone at the push of a button.

11. THANKS FOR WATCHING! • And remember, when you are writing- USE YOUR VOICE!