Hemingway Project - Draft Four

Make sure you have completed Draft Three before attempting Draft Four. As always, please indicate the draft # on your heading.

Draft Four: Sentence length & Grammar

1. Keep your sentences short and declarative in your non-flashback section of the story. Remember dialogue sounds more realistic when you speak in short sentences or fragments.

2. In your flashback scenes, find moments where you digress and create long, complex sentences. Use em dashes (--) to indicate digressions. Use semi colons (;) to connect related clauses (but don't over use these). Use commas to make a simple sentence into a complex one. Use an ellipsis … to indicate trailing off. Use repetition of phrase (anaphora) to expand a comment.

Ex: Anaphora: “They knew who had shot their fathers, their relatives, their brothers, their friends…”;

Use conjunctions to add phrases to your independent clauses (and, or, but, etc.)

3. Try to find a rhythm in your writing. Most paragraphs start out with short sentences. This allows for a certain length of speed. Then as your sentences get longer and more complex, you can slow or speed the eye of the reader. Usually, you want important information to be delivered slowly. The use of repetition helps create a meter and rhythm for your sentence structure.

4. Spell check and proofread your work. Make sure the last draft is as complete as it can be (this version will be graded).

Turn in all four “drafts” of your story by Wednesday, Nov. 10.

HOMEWORK: Write enough to turn in ALL your drafts Wednesday. Check out and read Margaret Atwood's first two stories: True Trash & Hairball for next class. There will be a quiz on these stories.