Читать книгу School Rules! Writing - Emma MacLaren Henke - Страница 28

Write Now!

These dos and don’ts will help you start your draft,

even when you feel stuck.

brainstorm and outline

before you start writing

your draft. When you work

from an outline, you won’t

waste time wondering what you’re

going to write next.

keep the assignment sheet

with all the instructions

and requirements close

by. Also, remember those

important questions: What is the

main idea I want my writing to

share? What job do I want my writ-

ing to do? Use the assignment and

questions to guide your writing and

help you focus.

feel like you have to

write the entire draft

all at once. Give your-

self time to write—and time

not to write. If you set aside your

writing for a day, you might discover

that your words are better than you

remembered!

try free writing. If you feel

like you can’t come up with

the right words, write what-

ever comes to mind on your

topic for 5 or 10 minutes. It doesn’t

matter what words you choose or

whether you want to keep your

ideas. Just move your pencil across

the paper until time’s up.

sit there staring at a

blank screen or page

for more than a few

minutes. Try free writing

or a new brainstorming technique.

Reread your assignment, search-

ing for clues to focus your writing.

Take a jumping-jacks break!

get mad at yourself if

you get stuck. You can

do it! Writing isn’t a

special gift. It’s a skill that

just takes planning, practice, and

persistence—three things that

everyone can do.