"Our doubts are traitors, and make us lose the good we oft might win by fearing to attempt." -William Shakespeare

Tuesday, December 11, 2012

Oh No, I Forgot...

I forgot one of the spices!  Never in a million years would I think I would forget hyperbole!  =) That was just an example of the spice I forgot!

8. Hyperbole: an extreme exaggeration
example: After finishing my school essay, my arm was hanging by a thread - so much writing!  

Love the Forgetful,
Ms. Dawn

P.S.: Tomorrow's 12-12-12.  Surely a day worth writing about.

Tuesday, December 4, 2012

Writing Spices Review

Okay, so it's been a long time since you sat in my classroom & were surrounded by the writing spices.  So let's review.  Remember, using the writing spices all throughout middle, high school, college...forever =) will impress your teachers, make you sound intelligent, &, most importantly, make you a better writer!  

Here they are...

1. Simile: comparing two things with the word "like" or "as"
example: He's as old as a dinosaur!  Her heart beat like a drum.  

2. Alliteration: 3 or more words with the same beginning sound in a sentence or poem
example: Silvery skates slid across the sacred ice pond. 

3. Personification: giving human qualities to nonhuman things {this is my favorite spice}  
example: The wind sighed through the lonely cave.  

4. Million Dollar Words: "fancy" words that certainly aren't dead (overused)
example: The azure skies were peppered with dark loathsome clouds that seemed to chant, "Rain is on the way."

5. Dialogue: words spoken out loud by a character (or characters) in a story, with quotation marks placed around the spoken part - this should be sprinkled on, not poured
example: Lyla proclaimed, "There's the yellow spotted magenta butterfly!  Catch it, Hans!"

6. Metaphor: comparing things without "like" or "as"
example: The lake is a shining mirror and my canoe cuts through it with ease.  

7. Onomatopoeia: words that sound like the actual sound they are describing
example: It was a summer when the bees buzzed over the flowers constantly.

Spice up your writing!

Love,
Ms. Dawn