Reminders for empathetic writing
Having empathy means identifying yourself mentally with
another person and understanding him or her. Atticus
teaches his children to have empathy for others when he
says ”You never really understand a person.. until you climb into his
skin.”
Remember:
 Write as though you are the character- a first person
narrative.
 Write using the past tense as though the events have
already happened to you.
 Use details and facts that you know from the text- the
more intricate and precise, the better.
 Write in the style of the character using their nuances
and habits.
 Use references to their personal lives, thoughts and
feelings, private details that have been exposed in the
book.
 Show emotions that you think the characters have.
 Don’t make up things that don’t fit with the character
and his/ her experiences.
 Use the character to show your understanding and
appreciation of key moments from the text, but write
from their perspective not your own!
 Even though you are writing from their perspective you
will not get away the poor spelling, punctuation or
grammar of a young child- Remember that Harper Lee
writes her narrative through Scout but this does not
limit her capacity for detail or expression.