Mt. Nebo Writing Class: Writing (Leadership Week)

Writing

Read through chapter 17 of Percy Jackson.

1. Write this paragraph in your books. Use your best handwriting.

I’d love to tell you I had some deep revelation on my way down, that I came to terms with my own mortality, laughed in the face of death, et cetera.

The truth? My only thought was: Aaaaggghhhhh!

The river raced toward me at the speed of a truck. Wind ripped the breath from my lungs. Steeples and skyscrapers and bridges tumbled in and out of my vision.

And then: Flaaa-boooom!

A whiteout of bubbles. I sank through the murk, sure that I was about to end up embedded in a hundred feet of mud and lost forever.

But my impact with the water hadn’t hurt. I was falling slowly now, bubbles trickling up through my fingers. I settled on the river bottom soundlessly. A catfish the size of my stepfather lurched away into the gloom. Clouds of silt and disgusting garbage—beer bottles, old shoes, plastic bags—swirled up all around me.

(Chapter Fourteen, I Become A Known Fugitive)

In this action passage, Percy plummets from the top of The Arch in St. Louis to the river below. The writing illustrates the author’s adept use of language.

“Et cetera” is the long form for etc. Et cetera is a Latin expression meaning “and so forth” or “and other things.” Et meaning “and.” Cetera meaning “the rest.” The phrase is often used after a continuation of some sort of series.

For example: We need different kinds of fruit: apples, oranges, bananas, etc.

There’s no need to include the word “and” before etc. (apples, oranges, bananas, and etc.) because the word “and” would be redundant. If translated, it would read: “applies, oranges, bananas, and and the rest.”

Also, it’s ET cetera not EX cetera. Some English speakers mispronounce it. Tsk. Tsk.

Notice the colons ( : ) after “My only thought was” and “And then.” Aaaaggghhhh! and Flaaa-boooom! (also, note the latter is italicized) are emotional or functional noises called interjections. Other examples are: Hey! Ugh! Agh! (and Riordan’s Aaaaggghhhh! is an elongated form of Agh!). Interjections can be sentences unto themselves, and when they are used writers don’t need to follow the conventions of normal grammar, such as verb agreement.

2. Write 2 pages in your handwriting books. If you need to catch up, spend some time each day writing so it's not overwhelming. You should have at least 30 pages done. Remember, the next time I ask you to bring them, you should not only have the books, but they need to be filled out. You will owe me $$$$$ if you come unprepared.

3. Follow the next 2 steps to writing your Autobiography! I can't wait to hear your life stories!

Step 6. Proofread.

After a brief layoff, begin proofreading. Yes, you should look for grammar mistakes, but more importantly, you should identify weak moments in the narrative and come up with constructive improvements. Think about what you’d look for if reading about another person’s life, and apply it to your own autobiography.

Step 7. Write Your Next Draft.

Write a second draft based on the notes you’ve given yourself. Then, when this second draft is complete, show it to trusted friends and your parents! Their outside eyes will give you a valuable perspective that you cannot possibly have on your own work.

4. Gratishift! Do it! I will bless your lives. Do your best to get all 3 elements done each day. The video, the statement and the writing.

5. Study these spelling words.