WriteTraitsWriteTraitsThe Voice of The Voice of KnowledgeKnowledge

(Expository Writing)(Expository Writing)

Good Fictional and Narrative Good Fictional and Narrative Writing Have Strong VoiceWriting Have Strong Voice

Examples include:Examples include: NovelsNovels PoemsPoems Short storiesShort stories Journal EntriesJournal Entries

What Types of Writing Have What Types of Writing Have Weak Voice?Weak Voice?

DirectionsDirections ManualsManuals Rule booksRule books Text booksText books How to booksHow to books

……These are examples of Expository These are examples of Expository WritingWriting

Informational TextsInformational Texts

An informational text has an author An informational text has an author who understands his/her subject well who understands his/her subject well and writes with authority and self-and writes with authority and self-confidenceconfidence

With this type of writing, you must With this type of writing, you must ask, “Does this type of writing reflect ask, “Does this type of writing reflect the confidence that comes from the confidence that comes from knowing the topic well?knowing the topic well?

Expository WritingExpository Writing

Used to explain, describe, give Used to explain, describe, give information or informinformation or inform

Writer can not assume that the Writer can not assume that the reader or listener has prior reader or listener has prior knowledge or understanding of the knowledge or understanding of the topictopic

Uses a different kind of voiceUses a different kind of voice

Guts – Gary PaulsenGuts – Gary Paulsen

In In GutsGuts, Gary tells , Gary tells the real stories behind the real stories behind the Brian books, the the Brian books, the stories of the adventures stories of the adventures that inspired him to that inspired him to write Brian Robeson's write Brian Robeson's story: working as an story: working as an emergency volunteer; emergency volunteer; the death that inspired the death that inspired the pilot's death in the pilot's death in HatchetHatchet; plane crashes ; plane crashes he has seen and near-he has seen and near-misses of his own. misses of his own.

…….Excerpt.Excerpt

I have spent an inordinate amount of time in wilderness woods, much I have spent an inordinate amount of time in wilderness woods, much of it in northern Minnesota, some in Canada and some in the Alaskan wilds. I of it in northern Minnesota, some in Canada and some in the Alaskan wilds. I have hunted and trapped and fished and have been exposed to almost all have hunted and trapped and fished and have been exposed to almost all kinds of wilderness animals; I’ve had bear come at me, been stalked by a kinds of wilderness animals; I’ve had bear come at me, been stalked by a mountain lion, been bitten by snakes and punctured by porcupines and torn mountain lion, been bitten by snakes and punctured by porcupines and torn by foxes and once pecked by an attacking raven, but I have never seen by foxes and once pecked by an attacking raven, but I have never seen anything rivaling the madness that seems to infect a large portion of the anything rivaling the madness that seems to infect a large portion of the moose family.moose family.

I first witnessed this insanity when I was twelve, in northern I first witnessed this insanity when I was twelve, in northern Minnesota. I had just started hunting with a rifle. Back then there were none Minnesota. I had just started hunting with a rifle. Back then there were none of today’s modern hunting weapons and I was, to put it mildly, financially of today’s modern hunting weapons and I was, to put it mildly, financially disadvantaged. I worked hard at setting pins in a bowling alley, selling disadvantaged. I worked hard at setting pins in a bowling alley, selling newspapers in bars at night and laboring on farms in the summer (hoeing newspapers in bars at night and laboring on farms in the summer (hoeing sugar beets for eleven dollars an acre and picking potatoes for five cents a sugar beets for eleven dollars an acre and picking potatoes for five cents a bushel) to make enough money to buy clothing and supplies for school. There bushel) to make enough money to buy clothing and supplies for school. There was little left for fancy weapons, and after saving for a long time I finally was little left for fancy weapons, and after saving for a long time I finally managed to come up with enough money for a Remington single-shot .22 managed to come up with enough money for a Remington single-shot .22 rifle. It was bolt action, with a twist safety on the rear of the bolt, and had to rifle. It was bolt action, with a twist safety on the rear of the bolt, and had to be loaded for each shot by opening the bolt, which extracted the empty shell be loaded for each shot by opening the bolt, which extracted the empty shell if you had just fired. Then you put a new cartridge into the chamber by hand, if you had just fired. Then you put a new cartridge into the chamber by hand, closed the bolt and fired. It was a long process and the end result was that it closed the bolt and fired. It was a long process and the end result was that it forced the shooter to pay attention to his first shot and make certain it was forced the shooter to pay attention to his first shot and make certain it was accurately placed. It also made the hunter careful not to waste his shot. accurately placed. It also made the hunter careful not to waste his shot. Within a short time I was very accurate with this little rifle and was steadily Within a short time I was very accurate with this little rifle and was steadily bringing home rabbits and ruffed grouse, which I cleaned and cooked. bringing home rabbits and ruffed grouse, which I cleaned and cooked.

Expository WritingExpository Writing

is meant to is meant to informinform the reader the reader

Expository WritingExpository Writing

Very different from either fictional Very different from either fictional stories, which use imagination, or stories, which use imagination, or persuasive writing, which depends persuasive writing, which depends upon a well-formed argument to upon a well-formed argument to convince a reader of an argumentconvince a reader of an argument

Expository Writing canExpository Writing can

Center on recounting an event in an Center on recounting an event in an organized mannerorganized manner

Explain a processExplain a process Describe a favorite place or person Describe a favorite place or person Anything else which requires logical Anything else which requires logical

organization in its presentationorganization in its presentation Transitional words are often usedTransitional words are often used

Let’s PracticeLet’s Practice

Choose one of the following writing Choose one of the following writing prompts to write a piece of prompts to write a piece of expository writing – this will be expository writing – this will be collected on Friday, April 30collected on Friday, April 30

REMEMBER: Use strong voiceREMEMBER: Use strong voice

Writing PromptsWriting PromptsChoose one of the following prompts:Choose one of the following prompts: Explain how disappointments can have a good Explain how disappointments can have a good

sideside Explain why someone you care about is Explain why someone you care about is

important to youimportant to you Through the years new inventions have changed Through the years new inventions have changed

the way we live. Think about one invention that the way we live. Think about one invention that has had an impact on the way you live and has had an impact on the way you live and explain how this invention has changed your life.explain how this invention has changed your life.

Write about something you do that has to be Write about something you do that has to be done in a certain order or follow a specific done in a certain order or follow a specific process – what is the process?process – what is the process?