LA+23+October


 * //Hey there...first a note about semicolons. Some of you were subject to my rant yesterday about the improper (and excessive) use of semicolons in your writing. The explanation that I gave was off the top of my head, and really only applied to the sentences we were looking at. If you would like to know specifically how these evil little punctuation marks work, please check this excerpt from Lynne Truss's book// Eats, Shoots and Leaves. //Imagine... a New York Bestseller about punctuation! I love it!//**




 * //Please treat semicolons like a bear trap; if you don't know how to use them, you'll probably end up hurt.

Ok...on with today. We'll start the day with a quick lesson and [|quiz] on run-on sentences.

For our peer-editing exercise, I've decided that I will collect your hard copies and re-distribute them. I want you to take this exercise seriously...your name will be attached to the story you edit.

1. Read the story CAREFULLY. 2. As you read, have a pencil in your hand. If, at any time, you find yourself asking a question about the story (ie. Well, what does THIS mean? Who IS that?), then write it down in pencil on the story. 3. Take out the editing sheet that I gave you (I'm checking that you still have it) and re-read the story. Make any editing notes you can find. Concentrate on paragraphing, sentence structure and spelling. 4. When you have reached the end of the story, please write down TWO things that you liked about the writing. 5. Write down ONE piece of constructive criticism or a suggestion about the writing. 6. Hand the story back to the author.//**