Ready Writing Lisa Parker UIL A Academics Program

Ready Writing Lisa Parker UIL A+ Academics Program Coordinator & Essay Contest Coordinator lparker@uiltexas. org

Schedule 1) Contest Basics 2) The 3 R’s of Successful Writing Metropolis Analysis 3) Tips on Using Your Two Hours 4) Topic Practice/Analysis

1) Contest Basics

What is Ready Writing? • A two-hour event in which contestants write an expository essay on one of two prompts. • The term comes from the idea that good writers, like good extemporaneous speakers, should be prepared to write well on a wide variety of subjects without prior preparation. Simply, contestants must be READY to write.

What is Expository Writing? • Expository Writing explains, proves, explores, or informs. Exposition explains a writer’s ideas or opinions on a subject. • Exposition is one of the four basic types of writing along with description, narration, and argumentation. To an extent exposition is a combination of all of these types of writing. • The primary focus of exposition is on the TOPIC, unlike an argument where the focus is on audience, and whereas in creative writing, the focus is on self. Watch your verbs- if you catch yourself using should, ought, might, for example, then you are drifting into persuasive writing.

Essential Skills • Grammar and Mechanics • Figurative Language • Expressive Voice • Extensive Reading • Analytical Discussion • Close Reading

What are the PROMPTS like? • Prompt topics are timeless, rather than timely. • As writers you should be “Active” readers. Read always- newspapers, magazines, on-line articles, opinion editorials. Listen to NPR, watch the news, and programs such as “ 60 Minutes” ” 20/20” and “Meet the Press. ”

What are the PROMPTS like? • It is key you know what is going on in your community, in the United States, and in the World. • Prompts deal with such broad categories as Sociology, Education, Family/Lifestyles, Science/Environment, Arts, Sports, Etc…

Themes to Consider for Potential Ready Writing Prompts 1. Heroes as reflections of our values. What makes them good? Great? 2. Loss of innocence- a psychological passage from childhood and innocence to adulthood and wisdom 3. Violence and murder 4. Destruction of the human race 5. Man’s pride in his intellectual abilities/false pride in his technology 6. The feeling of the rightness of one’s cause lending strength in battle (physical and/or mental) 7. Good works performed by those least likely to do them 8. Successes and failures of family groups (tension between family members) 9. The lone individual standing against totally unfair odds and yet succeeding through his/her own personal ingenuity

Contest Rubric Have something to say that is worth saying because of its acuteness of analysis and its originality of thought. It depends next upon clarity and upon including specific details. Clarity is the main goal for organization. The plan of the essay should be such that each part contributes to your thesis. Avoid errors in sentence structure, punctuation, grammar, word usage, and spelling that hinder clear communication.

Why compete in Ready Writing? • Practice writing under the pressure of a time limit, much like post-graduate college entrance exams (PSAT, AP, SAT, ACT Exams). • The chance to take risks, and not harm your GPA.

Why compete in Ready Writing? • The opportunity to have undivided attention given your writing, and receiving feedback on your work. • The possibility of scholarships.

Why compete in Ready Writing? • The FUN of competition. • Simply, Expository Writing is the kind of writing you will likely use most often in years to come (exams, term papers, job reports, etc. )

How Do I Prepare for Ready Writing? Suggestions from Writers at the State Meet: • Read, a lot: magazines, newspapers, quality classic and contemporary novels such as those suggested on the AP Language and Literature Exam Lists—focus especially on Non-Fiction.

How Do I Prepare for Ready Writing? Suggestions from writers at the State Meet: • Develop your own Unique Writing Style (“voice”). • Engage, often, in complex, stimulating conversations with your peers, teachers, parents. *Don’t forget that a “mind is a terrible thing to waste!”

Getting Started: A Self. Inventory Answer the following questions: • Which books have you gotten “lost in” in the last six months? • Have you read the daily newspaper four of the last seven days? What top three current events come to mind? • What three prominent figures come to mind? Why? • What are three or four “life” questions that consistently run through your mind? • What have you written recently that represented writing to “find out? ” Poetry? Fiction? • What piece of FICTION have you read that “touched” you? Why? • What piece of NON-FICTION “touched” you? A speech, essay, opinion editorial?

Getting Started: A Self. Inventory • Your responses to these questions will give you a solid foundation to work with when you begin to write expository essays required of you in Ready Writing since utilizing prior knowledge will be an asset to writing an effective essay.

2) The 3 R’s of Successful (W)riting

The 3 “R’s” for Successful (W)Riting *RHETORIC (Close) *READING (W)*RITING

Rhetoric • Rhetoric—Essentially, and at its most basic level, rhetoric is “the language of persuasion. ” • Ready Writers—all writers--should have a basic understanding of rhetoric and rhetorical devices and strategies. Further, effective and accomplished writers rhetorically plan (manipulate) their writing for effect and intent.

Close Reading • Close Reading—Disciplined re-reading of inherently complex and worthy texts. Because complex texts do not give up their meaning easily, it is essential that readers reread such texts. • Close reading allows a reader to determine what a text says explicitly, as well as implicitly. Good readers also close read in order to note such rhetorical devices and strategies as diction, syntax, tone, imagery, figurative language, and the overall organization of the text.

Close Reading • Skill 1 • Reading with a purpose • Prompts- What main ideas are presented in the prompt? What examples come to mind when I read the prompt? When was the excerpt written? • Assignments- Good writers need to see the intrinsic value of any and all written work given to them. • Interpretations- How do you interpret the prompt/topic? You should always be aware of OTHERS’ interpretation of the same topic. • Prior knowledge- How aware you of the topic(s) locally, statewide, nationally, globally? Good writers (citizens) cannot live in a “bubble. ” • Predictions- Good writers predict their responses. They can predict (creating/crafting in their writing) an audience’s response in order to elicit the response they want.

Close Reading • Skill 2 • Questioning • Author’s purpose? • Author’s techniques? • Author’s organization? • Author’s word choice? • Patterns? • Figurative Language?

Close Reading • Skill 3 • Analysis • Why did the author make certain choices? • How does what I know align with the text? • How does the author’s technique impact the message? (communication)

Close Reading • Skill 4 • Synthesis and Evaluation • Is the information presented credible and reliable? • What is my opinion about the topic? • Can I see multiple sides of the topic presented? • How can I incorporate my knowledge into the ideas presented?

Close Reading • Skill 5 • Creating Communication • How will I present the synthesized information? • How will I organize my thoughts? • What style do I use to present the information? (expository plus one more type- description, narration, argumentation) • How will I support my analysis and opinions?

Metropolis Close Reading (Viewing) • Let’s practice some close “reading” (viewing). • As you watch the clip taken from the 1927 German sciencefiction film Metropolis, ask yourself- “What main ideas am I presented in this scene? ” and focus on one part of Skill 3. • Skill 3 Analysis: • How do the screenplay writers’ (Lang and Harbou) techniques impact the message?

Metropolis Close Analysis Strong Verbs: Implies Suggests Compares Emphasizes Defines Trivializes Denigrates Vilifies Demonizes Ridicules Flatters Lionizes Exposes Establishes Minimizes Qualifies Dismisses Supports Admonishes Narrates Processes Analyzes Enumerates Expounds Lists Describes Questions Contrasts Argues Warns • Skill 3 • Analysis • How do the screenplay writers’ (Lang and Harbou) techniques impact the message?

Metropolis Close Analysis • (Analysis) How do the screenplay writers’ techniques impact the message? • Lang and Harbou’s adaptation of Metropolis exposes the dangers of the loss of humanity in an industrial society demonstrated by the emaciated, dirty, and zombie-like workers en route to their shift change.

Writing • Ready Writers must have a basic understanding of RHETORIC, be able to proficiently CLOSE READ and understand complex texts, and they should, in their own writing mimic the WRITING style(s) of effective writers, and eventually creating their own writing style. • How does a good Ready Writer become an even better Writer? By reading, noting, and mimicking the writing of effective writers.

3) Tips On Using Your Two Hours

Tips on Using Your Two Hours • Spend the first 5 -10 minutes reading the prompts and deciding which one to write on. • Do not try to second-guess what the other competitors will choose and then write on the other one; write on the topic that most appeals to you.

Tips on Using Your Two Hours • Prewrite for 30 minutes to an hour: brainstorm, find a thesis, organize/outline. • A good question to ask yourself is “What does it mean and why do I care?

Tips on Using Your Two Hours • Write the essay in the remaining time. • Several students said they used the last 20 -30 minutes to recopy their first draft, but most think that wastes time. • The judges know you are writing a first draft/final copy.

Tips on Using Your Two Hours • Proofread for a few minutes before submitting the essay.

Tips on Using Your Two Hours • • • An effective title An interesting “hook” (lead) and introduction A thesis statement- or a hypothesis Well-organized structure including transitions and the use of other modes (secondarily) besides exposition Thorough elaboration Appropriate and consistent point of view Vivid writing Strong, memorable conclusion Correctness of spelling, grammar, mechanics with no (or few) distracting errors

Sample Titles/Leads/Thesis Sports Snafu- The wide world of sports, from its noble beginnings in the 1890 s, has grown immeasurably over the past hundred years…The value of sportsmanship has been lost in sports and athletes over the past hundred years. The Change We Want to See- Over a hundred years ago, the sports we enjoy today were in their infancy…As the years go by, it seems that participants in sports have progressed as athletes, and regressed as role models.

4) Topic Practice/Analysis

Topic Practice “He tells lies about us and he is sure that you will believe him and not listen to the other side. ’ ‘Is there another side? ’ I said. ‘There is always the other side, always. ”’Jean Rhys, Wide Sargasso Sea, 1966 What are the key idea(s) in the quotation?

Topic Practice “He tells lies about us and he is sure that you will believe him and not listen to the other side. ’ ‘Is there another side? ’ I said. ‘There is always the other side, always. ”’Jean Rhys, Wide Sargasso Sea, 1966 What are the key idea(s) in the quotation?

Topic Practice • Start thinking of examples of times people don’t listen, times perspective really matters, times when not paying attention to the other side causes trouble. • Use concrete examples from literature, history, personal experience- yes, it’s okay to use the first person (“I”) as long as you stay focused on your subject rather than on yourself. • http: //bit. ly/2 wj 7 k. LY

Topic Practice • Jot notes about these times. The more you list, the more ideas will come to you, and usually as you start this brainstorming process, your thesis (main point) or your essay comes easily. Putting things down gets the ideas following. • http: //bit. ly/2 wj 7 k. LY

Topic Analysis from State 2001 • “In the 1890 s, sports then in their infancy had been praised for developing the high moral outlook called sportsmanship. In less than a hundred years, sports had lost their honor, though not their glamour. Competition had enormously increased skill, and better nutrition, physical strength. Participants and spectators numbered by the millions; but amateurism was in decline and corruption was rife. Professionals cheated for money or by taking body enhancing drugs; champions committed rape and other violent crimes. When contests pitted together two national teams, one crowd of fans mobbed the other; riots, wounds, and deaths were the sportsmanship of the day. At the same time, without sports, colleges and universities would have lost their standing and alumni money. Sports were the last refuge of patriotism. On such occasions as the French victory of 1998 in soccer, the whole people’s enthusiasm led the leaders of opposite political parties to fraternize and declare that the event had reunited the nation. Soon after, it was discovered that the governors of the Olympic Games, also reborn in the Nineties, had taken bribes from the countries wanting to be hosts. ” • - Jacques Barzun, From Dawn to Decadence, 1500 to the Present: 500 Years of Western Cultural Life, 2000

Thank you. • Lisa Parker, UIL Academics • 512 -471 -5883 • lparker@uiltexas. org