Writing: Ideas
Elaboration Strategies -- 100 Reasons to Dig a Hole
Today's Snack: Dig a hole in a single-serving container
of chocolate pudding. Drop a whole grape in there, and cover it up. Now eat the
pudding and count how many "bites" you take before you scoop up and eat the
grape. Have a "whole" glass of milk, too.
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Supplies:
2 or 3
pieces of lined paper | Pencil
Optional:
print out the 1 - 100 list on this Treat
If you'd like to put more interesting details in your writing, to
make it more colorful and memorable, you have to learn to elaborate.
To "ee LAB or ate" is a big word for changing an idea to make it
slightly different. You may add a word or two, or more, to make an idea bigger
or smaller, fuller or more narrow, simpler or more complicated, plainer or more
embellished, and therefore different, more specific and unique.
And usually, better. Elaboration in writing is a great way to
enrich your writing and improve your reader's experience and enjoyment.
A writer must learn to put the obvious details in where needed. But
it's always good to have something new, unexpected, enriched, humorous or
eye-catching, too.
So let's practice with this wacky assignment:
List
100 reasons to dig a hole.
You can list the obvious, practical reasons. But the more creative
and way-out an idea is, the better you'll like thinking it up! Hints:
- You don't have to dig the hole
in DIRT.
- Who or what would have a reason
to dig a hole?
- What size(s) of a hole could be dug?
- What purposes or needs might a
hole have or fill?
- What happens better in a hole
than anywhere else?
- What could you put or do in a
hole that no one's ever thought of putting or doing in a hole before?
On a separate sheet of paper,
number from 1 to 100, skipping a line.
You may need two pieces of paper.
Use this to list your 100 reasons.
Here's a head start: your first 5
reasons!
Now write 95 more!
1. to make a tunnel to Disney World so
I can go whenever I want.
2. to bury my brother's TV so he'll
help
me do chores.
3. to find dinosaur bones and fossils.
4. to put my annoying rooster in it.
5. to get worms for my brother's hair.
6.
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100.
