Writing topic: Writing about fiction

To write about fiction, you have to really understand what you are reading. Reading closely allows you to actively and critically engage in what you are reading. There steps that you can use to actively read your text. The first step is highlighting your text. Don't over use the highlighter, only highlight key phrases. When you highlight something, make sure that you are making notes in the margin. Another step is annotating the text. Write any comments, questions or critical thoughts in the margin. Keeping a notebook to do freewrites is also a step when reading closely.

Avoid the following pitfalls when writing about fiction. Plot summary syndrome is when you recall the story in details. Right answer roulette is when the writer attempts to guess the "right answer" instead of applying critical thinking and ideas. The everything is subjective shuffle is another pitfall. It is the need to have prove each idea to specifics of the text. The how can you write 500 words about one short story blues. This is when you just write the essay without applying critical thinking or ideas to the text. This will lead to repeating the same ideas in different words.

When developing your thesis, use your notes. Write about your questions and ideas and answer them. Once you have found your answers to the questions, you have your thesis. You can use activities to help with drafting your essay. Review, freewrites, research and evaluation is a way to prepare yourself when doing a draft essay. Technieques such as inserting quotes, summarizing and paraphrasing can be used when writing the essay. Quotes are used to make an important point on the thesis, paraphrasing is putting the author's text in your own words, and summarizing is summing up the large text into smaller sentences.

I plan on taking good notes when I read. I find that it is helpful and allows me to get the true meaning out of the stories I read. I also plan on using quotes more often. I will use only quotes that will give strong support to my thesis. When I write, I am going to put more critical thinking into my work. I tend to be the victim if pitfalls. Specifically, the right answer roulette. I have to understand that there is no right answer and I have to make sure that I express my thoughts, ideas and critical thinking questions.