Why write your Congressman? People write their elected representatives for a variety of reasons. In a representative democracy like the United States, your congressman acts on behalf of their constituents. Constituents include children, adults, citizens, and immigrants. Regardless of voting status, if you live in this country your congressman speaks for you. They are not mindreaders. It’s up to you to tell them what you think about the issues of the day. Succinct The most important advice for writing your congressmen: be succinct. Your Senator or Representative has thousands of constituents and likely receives hundreds of emails and letters each day. Save your detailed argument with facts, figures, graphs, and…
-
-
What Should I Write About?
Where do you find ideas for stories? Well . . . there are plenty of places to discover something interesting or worthwhile to say. But to track them down, you have to keep informed about what’s happening in the world, brainstorm original ideas, and keep your ear to the ground for the curious, the weird, or the otherwise fascinating. Finding Something to Say Ideas for stories are everywhere. In the news, in that summer novel, in your neighbor’s backyard. Whether you’re writing fiction or nonfiction, an idea is out there waiting for you. Elizabeth Gilbert writes in Big Magic that inspiration is ripe for the writer who is open to…
-
Persuasive writing
You’ve heard of the power of the pen? I’m pretty sure whoever wrote that was talking about persuasive writing. We are surrounded by persuasive writing: advertisements online or in print; movie posters at the theater; social media feeds; book reviews; letters to the editor; political campaign ads. Anytime someone tries to convince the reader to their way of thinking, that’s persuasive writing. Persuasive writing is a balancing act. Essentially you are making an argument without being argumentative. Let me explain. Let’s say you want to persuade school administrators to keep chocolate milk on the lunch menu. The key is to acknowledge the downsides of chocolate milk. Then state your position.…
-
How To Write a Book Report
Book Reports A book report is a specialized report assigned by a teacher. Students often think of book reports as the teacher’s way to see if they really read the book. But sometimes your teacher will use a book report for other reasons. For instance, book reports can be a vehicle to teach writing skills. Compare and contrast, descriptive writing, cause and effect, even persuasive writing can shape a book report. It’s very important to follow your teacher’s instructions. All book reports will follow the basic report structure. Introduction The introduction is where you will name the title, author, and publication date of the book. You also lay…
