Introductory Paragraph	Motivator Thesis Sentence
First Body Paragraph	Topic Sentence Specific Support Specific Support Specific Support
Second Body Paragraph	Topic Sentence Specific Support Specific Support Specific Support
Third Body Paragraph	Topic Sentence Specific Support Specific Support Specific Support
Concluding Paragraph	Reworded Thesis  Clincher

You can download a packet that has a bit more information about the basic 5 paragraph essay by clicking here. But, enough with the basics! It's time to learn how to 'frost' your essay. Here are some 'cooking' tips:

• Check out these famous leads. Are they luscious? Did you know where they came from? (Here are a few more if you want to challenge your family and friends).

• It takes a lot of work to write a luscious lead, but look at these alternatives to get an idea of how many different ways you can start the same story.

• Just in case you haven't reviewed them lately, check out our 'How to Hook Your Reader' page to read about lots of different ways to hook your audience into your story.

• How do you make your characters 'come alive'? What words do you use to describe an athlete, a bully, the class clown, a brainy friend? Click on the links below to get some character ideas.

  Serendipitous Character
  Funny Character Names

• How do your favorite authors describe characters? Take out your silent reading book or your literature circle novel and pick one character. Find two different places in the book that illustrate the particular characteristic of the person you picked. Share those passages with us.

• You already know that your setting should establish the place, time and environment of your story.

Place might include such things as a city, state, country, castle, cottage, playground, ship, mountain, or stadium.

Time might include clues that let us know it is the afternoon, evening, the future, colonial times, the 1990's, or clock time.

Environment might include details that describe the weather, the noise level, or darkness.

• Use the links below to develop settings from your real life and/or your imagination.

  Setting Serendipity 1	Crazy Illustration
  Setting Serendipity 2	Photograph
  Building a Setting

   

• A picture is worth 1,000 words. Can you describe a setting that is based on a famous painting? Give it a try.

• Let's learn more about the hidden meanings of words by talking about cars.

• Think of the word 'skip'. What can you assume about a person who is skipping? What images come into your mind? These assumptions and images are the hidden meanings that are attached with the work 'skip'. Practice this some more by doing the 'She Walked Into the Room' activity.

• There's a good review of effective word choice reminders on our How to Write Right: Word Choice page. Check it out.

• 10 Narrative Writing Prompts
• Random Story Starter Challenge