Writing Techniques

This paragraph is an example of ...

• dialogue

• simile

• humor

• step by step description

“I told you to go slow!”

“I was only doing twenty-five!” Mom said. “You get mad at me when I go that slow on the highway.”

She looked behind her and saw the piano sitting in the backyard. “Oopsiedaisy,” she said. (The Glass Castle)

This is an example of ...

• metaphor

• sensory detail

• dialogue

• vivid verbs

What structure do memoirs or vignettes usually follow?

• chronological

• question and answer

• cause and effect

• personal opinion and support

“The piano jerked out of our hands, sending us lurching forward, and bounced into the house, splintering the door frame. Dad screamed at Mom to slow down, but she kept going and dragged the screeching, chordbanging piano across the depot floor…”

The underlined words are examples of...

• vivid verbs

• metaphors

• onomatopoeia

• dialogue

What refers to how a story is organized?

• structure

• craft

• peanut butter and jelly

• macaroni and cheese

What technique is shown below?"What are you doing here?" John asked."I'm her to bring you home," his mother said lovingly.

• Magic 3

• Show don't tell

• Dialogue

• Metaphor

Which is an example of Magic 3?

• No, no, no!

• Martha spent time thinking about her past, imagining what life could have been like if things were different, and wondering whether she had made the right decision or not.

• Over the bump. Over the hill. Over the mountain. This would be easy.

• None of these show Magic 3.

Why is hyphenated modifier such an effective technique?

• It looks different on the page so a reader's attention is drawn to it immediately.

• It is a creative way to describe an every day noun.

• It many times adds humor.

• All of the above.

Why is it important to use narrative/descriptive writing strategies?

• It is not important. They are a waste if time.

• They help to keep the reader engaged in your writing and are creative ways to describe important characters, settings, and events.

• They help to make the story flow from one idea to the next smoothly.

If you are stating your opinion in a persuasive or opinion-based essay, you should begin the sentence with ________

• "I think that..."

• your idea plainly stated

• "In my opinion..."

• "I feel that..."