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beware:

this

lab

contains

advanced

experiments

When your first draft is done, the real writing begins.  When you REVISE your story, it will become clearer, more engaging, and just plain better.  

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Click on the worksheets below to make your good story great.

READ ALOUD

There is no better way to see if your story is working than to hear it. You can read it aloud. Or have someone read it to you. You can even get your computer to read it!  When you hear the words, you can often find places that are awkward, or over-written, or don't even need to be there.  

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There's no worksheet for this one.  Just grab yourself a red pen and be merciless while you read or listen.  You don't need to solve the problems now, you can circle them and come back later with your thinking cap on.  Are there places you can cut words or paragraphs? Are there moments that aren't clear and need more attention?  Can you pick a better word for that?  You get the idea.  Read and circle...

REVISING

Lots of people break out in hives when they hear the word "revision." But don't fret.  All the hard work of getting your first draft is done. Now you get to fine tune and have fun!

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Click on the REVISION WORKSHEET below to walk through several passes on your manuscript to make it even better.

AT THE END OF THE RAINBOW

The journey your characters go on can also be called a CHARACTER ARC–that starts in one place and ends in a (hopefully) better place. We talked earlier about how your protagonist's transformation is what the story is all about.  Here is where you can make sure you are making good on that promise.  

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Click on the STORY ARCS WORKSHEET below to track how your protagonist changes throughout the story.  

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