One way that writers of all kinds begin a piece of writing is by creating a contrast between what has happened in the past and what is happening now. When writers do this, they aren’t trying to write about history, but rather they are beginning by creating context for the ideas they are about to reveal. This little history-corner-moment provides a dynamic beginning in any content area -- from art to economics to ecology!

A story with all action and not enough reflection sounds childish and lacks depth. But a story that is all reflective thoughts and emotions can bore a reader and run the risk of not teling a story at all. Today’s mini move will help us think about the see-sawing effect of balancing actions with thoughts and emotions so that our story has the perfect amount of both!

Successful personal essays connect with the reader through detail and specificity -- by zooming in on single moments and then exploding them with meaning. In this video, we’ll talk about exactly why and how writers explode moments into statements of deep significance in personal narratives.

Often the difference between a drab, lifeless personal narrative and an engaging, lively one is the use of concrete details. In this video, we will learn about how concrete details help us take the guesswork out of reading our narrative while showing our unique voice and perspective.

Marshfield Dreams by Ralph Fletcher is the perfect, bite-sized mentor text for narrative writing!

The Fourth State of Matter by Jo Ann Beard is a personal essay/history about a day in the author's life that changed her forever.

"Why You're Never Too Old to Build Castles in the Air" by Miles Howard is a charming blend of persuasion and narrative with a dash of research. It's approachable and accessible in every way-- from the conversational writing style tot the topic of adult Legos. Bring this one into an argument unit or a personal essay unit!

Writing dialogue in a narrative is both an art and a science. Dialogue needs to accomplish something in the story, but it also needs to be written conventionally so that a reader can easily understand who is speaking and when. In this video, you’ll learn the two purposes for dialogue (a great self-check when you’re tempted to add dialogue to a story!) and five tips for writing it conventionally!

In this video, learn two ways to summarize an event. Summarizing events is a core component of storytelling and essential to any form of writing. Being able to summarize an event shows not only an understanding of the event itself, but also chronological reasoning and analysis. This video features:
Observation + Cause-Effect Sandwich
Observation + Explanation + Analysis

Beginning any piece of writing is a challenge, but it is particularly harrowing to begin a personal essay. Many writers use the same strategy: a scene drop. In this video, we’ll look at three mentor texts in which writers use the strategy of dropping readers directly into the thick of the story with pairs of actions. It’s a no-fail way to engage your reader and kick off your personal statement.