Personification Third Person Narrative
Focus: personification, "voice", "sentence fluency", and "conventions" in a narrative
(Writing 6.3, 6.4, 6.5, 6.6; Language 6.1, 6.2, 6.5)
Directions:
- Brainstorm several non-human objects and emotions, using the Personification Brainstorm worksheet.
- Give specific emotions, such as "confusion" or "pride".
- Avoid simple emotion words, such as "happy" or "sad".
- Select one object and one emotion that you plan to write about.
- Choose an object you are familiar with.
- Choose an emotion that you have felt strongly yourself.
- Fill in the 3 blanks with the emotion you have chosen.
- Brainstorm at least 5 ideas in each of the three sections (actions, sayings, events).
- Select at least 2 ideas from each section that could work well together to describe your personified object.
- Write a rough draft of your paragraph.
- Leave three blank lines before you begin, so there will be space for your introductory sentence later.
- Write on every-other line (skip lines between what you write).
- Include 5 to 7 detail sentences.
- Order your paragraph sentences to make sense.
- Remember to write from a "third person" point of view.
- Use the object's name
- Tell what it did and said from an outside viewer's perspective.
- Key words: he, she, it, his, hers, they, them, theirs
- Remember to only use synonyms, never specifically state the emotion you have chosen.
- Develop an introductory sentence and a conclusion sentence for the one-paragraph essay.
- Peer edit using the Six Traits of Writing guide.
- Focus on "voice".
- Be sure you have "shown" the reader what is happening.
- Remember to only use synonyms, never specifically state the emotion you have chosen.
- Use your "sentence fluency" skills to add variety to your sentence patterns!
- Type a final copy.
- Remember a title and your paper heading.
- Use the computer settings to "double space" your paragraph.
- Indent the first line.
- Your finished paragraph should be about 7 to 10 sentences long.
