Exploring Writing - Gary Robert Muschla 2011
Near and Far
Organizing Ideas
Part 1. Finding and Developing Ideas for Writing
1.40 Home Sweet Home
Directions: Think about where you live and what makes your home different from anyone else’s. Answer the questions and write a description of your home. Remember to include an opening, body, and closing in your writing. Support your ideas with details and examples.
1. Where do you live?
2. Describe your neighborhood or the area around your home.
3. Describe the climate where you live.
4. Describe your house or apartment.
5. What is special about your home?
6. Do you like living there? Why or why not?
1.41 Around City and Town
Directions: Imagine visitors coming to your city or town. They have never been here before and they do not know their way around. Answer the questions; then write a travel article about your city or town that explains where the most important places are. Be sure to include an opening, body, and closing in your writing. Support your ideas with details and examples.
1. List three places in your city or town (or in the area nearby) that visitors might be interested in seeing.
2. Describe each of these places.
3. Why might newcomers enjoy visiting these places?
4. What do you think visitors would like best about your city or town?
1.42 Traditions
Directions: Most cities and towns have special traditions. They might have a Founder’s Day, a Memorial Day parade, or a fireworks display on the Fourth of July. Think about some of the traditions in the city or town where you live. Answer the questions and write an article about one of these traditions. Be sure to include an opening, body, and closing in your writing. Support your ideas with details and examples.
1. What is a tradition of your city or town?
2. How often is this tradition celebrated?
3. Where is this tradition celebrated?
4. When is it celebrated?
5. Who takes an active part in the celebration?
6. Describe this tradition or celebration.
7. What is your favorite part of this tradition? Explain.
1.43 Improvements
Directions: Think about how your city or town could be improved. Maybe more parks could be opened. Maybe there could be more activities for kids. Or maybe a public swimming pool could be built. Answer the questions and write an article about how your city or town could be improved. Remember to include an opening, body, and closing in your writing. Support your ideas with details and examples.
1. What is the name of your city or town?
2. Where is it located?
3. About how big is it?
4. Describe your city or town.
5. Name one thing that can be improved.
6. Why should this be improved?
7. How might it be improved?
1.44 The Best Food Around
Directions: Think about the best restaurant you have ever eaten at in your city or town. Answer the questions and write an article explaining why this place is the best place to eat. Remember to include an opening, body, and closing in your writing. Support your ideas with details and examples.
1. What is the name of the best restaurant in your city or town?
2. Describe this place.
3. With whom do you usually go to this place?
4. What kinds of food are served there?
5. Describe the best meal you have ever had there.
6. Explain why this place is a popular place to eat.
1.45 An Interesting State
Directions: Every state has many interesting places to visit. Think of your state and an interesting place you visited. Answer the questions and write an article about this place. Remember to include an opening, body, and closing in your writing. Support your ideas with details and examples.
1. What is the subject of this article?
2. Where is this place located?
3. When did you visit this place?
4. With whom did you go?
5. Describe this place.
6. Why is it interesting?
7. Would you like to visit this place again? Explain.
1.46 My Place
Directions: Imagine being able to live anywhere you wanted. Answer the questions and write an article about this place. Be sure to include an opening, body, and closing in your writing. Support your ideas with details and examples.
1. Where would you like to live?
2. Describe this place.
3. Why would you like to live there?
4. What might be some disadvantages of living in this place?
5. Do you think you would ever get tired of living in this place? Explain.
1.47 The Best Vacation Ever!
Directions: Vacations can be times of great fun. Think of a vacation that you had. It might have been with your parents, relatives, or friends. Answer the questions and write a narrative about this vacation. Be sure to include an opening, body, and closing in your writing. Support your ideas with details and examples.
1. Where did you go for this vacation?
2. When did you go?
3. With whom did you go?
4. How did you get to your destination?
5. How long did you stay?
6. Describe the place you stayed at.
7. Describe what you did on your vacation.
8. What was the best part of your vacation? Explain.
1.48 A Travel First
Directions: Think back to a time when you first traveled in a train, sailed on a ship, flew in a plane, or maybe rode a horse. Answer the questions and write a narrative about this travel first. Be sure to include an opening, body, and closing in your writing. Support your ideas with details and examples.
1. What is the subject of your narrative?
2. How old were you when you first traveled in this way?
3. Where did you go?
4. Who was with you?
5. Describe your feelings about this travel first.
6. Did anything unusual happen on the trip? Explain.
7. Have you ever traveled like this again? If yes, explain how the other times were different from the first.
1.49 Travel Advice
Directions: Imagine that a friend plans to go on vacation to a place that you have already visited. This might be a big amusement park, a cottage at a lake, or a large city. He or she asks you about this place and what to expect. Answer the questions; then write a letter of travel advice to your friend. Support your ideas with details and examples.
1. Where is your friend going on vacation?
2. What attractions might your friend expect to find there?
3. Where would you suggest that he or she stay? Why?
4. What kind of weather should your friend expect?
5. What kinds of clothing should your friend bring?
6. What types of equipment should your friend bring (for example, swimsuits, fishing poles, skis, sunglasses)?
7. What would you warn your friend about?
1.50 Travel Calamity
Directions: Have you ever been traveling and had something go wrong? Maybe the car broke down. Maybe bad weather made your family miss their flight. Or maybe you went sailing and rough seas made you seasick. Imagine traveling and having everything go wrong. Answer the questions and write a story about a travel calamity. Create interesting characters, an exciting plot, and a climax for your story.
1. Name and describe the main characters in your story.
2. Where are the characters going?
3. Why are they going there?
4. How are they traveling there?
5. Describe at least one thing that goes wrong.
6. How do they solve their problem?
7. Do they reach their destination on time? Explain.
1.51 Vacation Mystery
Directions: A mystery is a story in which the characters try to solve a crime or figure out a puzzling problem. Mysteries can be as much fun to write as they are to read. Imagine going on vacation only to become involved in a mystery. Answer the questions and write a story about the mystery you must solve. Be sure to create interesting characters, an exciting plot, and a climax for your story.
1. Where and when does this story take place?
2. Name and describe the main characters in your story (be sure to include yourself).
3. What is the mystery?
4. Name some clues that will help you solve the mystery.
5. How do you solve the mystery?
1.52 The Lost Puppy
Directions: Imagine that you or a friend has a puppy that gets lost.
Answer the questions and write a story about how the puppy is found safe. Be sure to create interesting characters, an exciting plot, and a climax for your story.
1. Where and when does this story take place?
2. Name and describe the main characters.
3. Name and describe the puppy.
4. How does the puppy become lost?
5. How do the characters try to find the puppy?
6. How do they finally find the puppy?
1.53 Stranger in Town
Directions: Imagine that a mysterious stranger comes to your town or neighborhood. This person has a secret. Answer the questions and write a story about this stranger. Be sure to create interesting characters, an exciting plot, and a climax for your story.
1. Where and when does the story take place?
2. Name and describe the main characters.
3. What is unusual or mysterious about the stranger?
4. What secret does the stranger have?
5. How do the other characters find out about the secret?
6. How does the story end?