Two important elements of writing are 1) deep thinking, and 2) authentic and specific details. As you revise your appreciation drafts, focus on these elements.
Investigation: Carefully skim through the appreciation mentor texts in your packets. Where does the writer express powerful, meaningful, and thought-provoking ideas/opinions? What’s so good about these examples?
Application: Now, investigate your own writing. Work on revising your work to ensure that you have thoughtful ideas that are clearly expressed. Here are some guidelines to help you:
- What are the most important ideas that you want your readers to think, feel, and know? How and where can you better express them? Make sure you don’t have too many or too little meaningful ideas. You want your writing to have a central idea or focus.
- Are your ideas and opinions true, authentic (not fake or b.s.’ed), fair, rational, and thought-provoking? How can you include broader perspectives and more layers of complexity and meaning?
- Do you have meaningful and relevant text-to-text, text-to-self, and text-to-world connections?
Avoid and revise the following:
- Cliché – an overused expression that lacks creativity and specificity; it’s an easy way out of determining the heart of what you are really thinking and trying to communicate. Examples: I’m so hungry I can eat a _________________. Live life to its ______________. Don’t judge a book by its ______________. _______________ conquers all.
- Overgeneralizations/stereotypes – Avoid making broad, unfair generalizations of certain groups of people. Ex. All teenagers are immature.
- Superfluous adjectives – an overabundance of adjectives to describe things and ideas. Ex. I love the book Charlotte’s Web because it is beautiful, memorable, unforgettable, and amazing.
Overall, try to make your writing as specific as possible. Reflect deeply about your ideas; look at your topics from different perspectives. Keep asking yourselves questions to find the heart and soul of your writing.
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