Journal Activity 2.1 A:
Prewriting: What Makes a Good Story
write an evaluative essay in your journal. In this essay you'll state your opinion of a short story from this textbook or a movie you've seen and then support your opinion.
You'll write down your criteria for what makes a good story.
The textbook suggests making a cluster diagram, but you can just make a list.
You may find it useful to use a different font or text style for related ideas -- you can do this as you write or later when you read over your list.
PLEASE HELP IDK WHAT TO DO.
1. Write down what makes a good story.
2. Choose a short story from your textbook.
3. Write an evaluative essay stating whether you think the story is a good one. Does it meet your criteria for what makes a good story?
To complete this journal activity, you need to write an evaluative essay in your journal. The goal is to express your opinion about a short story from your textbook or a movie you have seen, and then support your opinion with reasons and examples.
To start, create a list of criteria for what you believe makes a good story. The textbook suggests making a cluster diagram, but you can also simply make a list. Each item on the list should represent a specific aspect of a story that you believe contributes to its quality.
Here's a step-by-step guide to help you complete this activity:
1. Choose a short story from your textbook or recall a movie you have seen recently that you want to evaluate.
2. Start brainstorming and consider what elements contribute to a good story. Think about aspects like character development, plot structure, theme, dialogue, writing style, and emotional impact. Write down each criterion as a separate item on your list.
For example, your list might look like this:
- Engaging characters with clear motivations
- Well-structured and suspenseful plot
- Thought-provoking theme or message
- Authentic and relatable dialogue
- Descriptive writing style that creates vivid imagery
- Emotional impact on the audience
Remember, this is just a starting point. Your list will depend on your personal preferences and the specific story or movie you choose to evaluate.
3. After you have your list of criteria for a good story, decide which one you want to focus on for your evaluation essay.
4. Begin writing your essay. Start with an introduction where you introduce the story or movie you are evaluating and state your overall opinion about it. You can also mention the specific criterion you will be focusing on in your evaluation.
5. In the body paragraphs, discuss each criterion in detail. For each criterion, provide specific examples or evidence from the story or movie to support your evaluation. Explain why and how the criterion contributes to making the story good or not so good.
6. Write a conclusion that summarizes your opinion and the main points you made in your evaluation. Provide a final reflection on the story or movie and the extent to which it meets your criteria for a good story.
Remember to support your opinion with specific evidence and examples. This will make your evaluation more convincing and credible.
Once you have finished writing your evaluative essay, review it to ensure it is clear, well-organized, and effectively presents your opinion backed up by your chosen criteria and evidence.