Displays student work in "portrait exercises"--writing designed to give students a feel for characterization and to prepare them for future writing. (RL)

Getting students involved in the process of heightening, which is really the transforming of experience and self-expression into fiction, is a basic factor in teaching the writing of fiction. This process of heightening involves two devices for communicating "felt life": concretization and dramatization. In teaching these devices, prewrigting…

Based on actual, successful teaching and writing experiences, this book provides practical information on writing for children and teenagers. Part I, "A Practical Guide to Publication," includes discussions of (1) the writer's work habits and writing techniques; (2) characterization; (3) dialogue; (4) creating atmosphere, suspense, and emotion;…

Intended for teachers, students, and writers, this guide provides exercises for improving writing techniques and using literary devices. Following an introduction, the six chapters deal with the following techniques: (1) describing place, including observation and exaggeration; (2) describing people, including "inside/outside" portraits and…

Topics suggested by 101 elementary school teachers in Illinois, intended for teachers of writing in the elementary grades (also adaptable for junior and senior high school classes), are divided into the following categories: (1) Description (e.g., Me, My World, My Dreams); (2) Characterization (e.g., Personal, Plant and Animal); (3) Dramatization…