Avoid Boring Writing: Give Good Details

1. I’d like to tell you about something interesting that happened in my life. My husband and I rescued a cat. First, we saw it. It looked poor. Next, we tried to catch it, but it bit us. Then, we finally caught it. After that, we kept it in our apartment. We gave it food. Eventually, the cat liked us, but we had to give him away. Avoid Boring Writing: Give Good Details This paragraph is not very good. Why? It lacks details. In your group, think of 3 follow-up questions to ask about this story. EXAMPLES: What did the cat look like? How big was it? How hard did the cat bite? Were you okay? Why did the cat start to like you? Who did you give the cat to?

2. - Interest readers: … but the cat bit us so hard that we bled. - Allow readers to see, hear, smell, touch, taste: …The cat was just a small kitten. He was an orange tabby cat with long, skinny legs. GOOD DETAILS: - Show why your story is unique: …The cat was 4 months old and very wild, but I learned how to tame the cat on the internet. - Give facts and information: ….We gave the cat food using a special method from the internet. We only fed the cat by hand.

3. See the difference: I think I am a lazy person. First, I don’t usually do much. Second, I love sleeping. Finally, I don’t like studying. I think I am a lazy person. First, I don’t usually do much. I go to school, but I don’t have a job. I rarely clean. My room smells very bad, like socks and take-out food. Second, I sleep 9 hours a night, and I take naps every day after school. Finally, I don’t like studying. I didn’t study for my final exams last semester. I only do half of my homework.