Smiley-Face Tricks

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					                   Smiley-Face Tricks
          Ways to improve your writing and make your teacher smile!

1. Magic 3- Three items in a series, separated by commas that create a poetic rhythm or
   add support for a point, especially when the items have their own modifiers

2. Figurative Language- Non-literal comparisons- such as similes, metaphors, and
   personification- add “spice” to the writing and can help paint a more vivid picture for
   the reader

3. Specific Details for Effect- Instead of general, vague descriptions, specific sensory
   details help the reader visualize the person, place, thing, or idea that you are describing

4. Repetition for Effect- writers often repeat specially chosen words or phrases to make a
   point, to stress certain ideas for the reader

5. Explode in the moment- instead of “speeding” past a moment, writers often emphasize
   it by “expanding” the actions

6. Humor- professional writers know the value of laughter; even subtle humor can help turn
   a boring paper into one that can raise someone’s spirits

7. Hyphenated Modifiers- sometimes a new way of saying something can make all the
   difference; hyphenated adjectives often cause the reader to “sit up and take notice”

8. Full Circle Ending- sometimes students need a special ending, one that effectively
   “wraps up” the piece.

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