Revision:

1. Revision: Tips and tricks

2. “The difference between the almost-right word and the right word is a really LARGE matter – it’s the difference between the LIGHTENING BUG and the LIGHTENING.” • ~ Mark Twain

3. Give your WordsaWorkout: • Transform Weak Words into Strong Words! • Strong words: • “Words with weight” or “Heavyweight” words • Feel really powerful, solid, and meaty • Give you ideas you can really sink your teeth into • Weak Words: • “Lightweight” words • Leave you hungry for more! WEAK: “Quick brown hands with red spots” STRONG: “Coffee-colored, berry-stained nimble fingers” WEAK: “A girl walks on the soft lawn” STRONG: “My sister Lucinda prances on spongy grass”

4. Make the Cut: • Poems say a lot with just a few words • Try to distill (reduce) your poem down to JUST the words you need. • “Cutting to the Bone” • A wise teacher once told me that revising poetry is like cutting to the bone – you have to make some tough choices!

5. Add an Adjective(or an Adverb): • Good descriptive words paint a picture in your reader’s mind. • Adjectives and Adverbs are words that help your reader see your images and ideas more clearly! • Adjectives describe Nouns: • The fire-engine red wagon • The rickety, old chair • Adverbs describe verbs(usually end in –ly) • She leapt out of bed suddenly • He jumped carefullyfrom stone to stone

6. Mix it up: • In poetry, writers can be much more creative about the order of their words! • Try rearranging your words in few different ways… • Try putting the most important word at the end of your line • Now try it at the beginning • Is there any other way to arrange your words that still makes sense? • What seems to flow the best?

7. Now, let’s try out these • tips and tricks! • Please take out your • ROUGH DRAFT