Smiley Face
Tricks
Tricks of the writing trade to help you
meet and exceed writing expectations.
Ideas developed by Mary Ellen Ledbetter
Powerpoint created by Gwen S. Thibadeau
Why use Smiley Face Tricks???
These writing techniques are
common tools that ALL authors
use.
They are proven to add personality,
voice, style, and reader interest.
Magic 3
A technique writers
use to list items-the
items must follow
the same
pattern. Technically
referred to as
Parallel Structure.
M3--Example
After school each day I
typically drive home
with my children,
complete homework,
and talk about the day.
Hyphenated Modifier
A technique writers use
to creatively describe or
rename someone or
something rather than
using plain one word
adjectives. A boring,
one-word adjective is
replaced by a phrase or
clause that might come
to mind when the
person is in that
particular situation.
HM--Example
Some of her students sat
in their why-do-I-have-tobe-here postures while
others exuded eagerness.
Repetition for Effect
While repetition
without careful
consideration can be
tedious and
ineffective, a carefully
selected word or
phrase repeated can
add incredible
emphasis!
RE--Example
That week, the teachers attended
three faculty meetings. They went to
two department meetings. They sat in
on one collaborative teaching meeting,
and they held training meetings. They
were ready to go back to class just to
get away from all of the meetings.
Specific Details
Also known as
imagery, this
technique appeals
to the senses and
includes enough
detail to allow the
reader to identify
with the
description.
SD--Example
Her car reeked of stale cigarette
smoke. The back seat was
speckled with charred black
holes where the cigarette ashes
had burned what used to be the
pale gray plush fabric.
Figurative Language
 This
technique finds new and
creative ways to describe people,
places, things, and ideas.
 Similes—metaphors—hyperbole—
personification
 It incorporates fresh and creative
similes and metaphors, not cliches.
FL- Example
She had graduated. It
wasn’t until then that she
had realized what freedom
really was. Finally, she was
soaring through the air,
wings spread wide.
Expanded Moment
This technique
involves the writer
leaving the main
story line to go into
the character’s mind
and explain a
related experience
or idea.
EM Example
After the car accident, I held my father’s
head cradled in my lap. I talked to him and
tried to keep him conscious for as long as
possible. I reminded him of the time we
went fishing, and as we tried to load the
boat onto the trailer, he slipped and fell,
scattering fish all in the mud on the edge of
the lake. I stood by the truck and laughed
as he struggled to stand up. Suddenly, I
heard the police sirens, and I told my father
as he struggled to keep his eyes open that
help was almost here. He died before the
police arrived.
Humor
Writers use humor for
many reasons... not
only to create a
connection with the
reader and cause
him/her to laugh, but
also to lighten the
mood in a tense or
serious situation.
H—Example
Sitting at the funeral home
waiting for the services to begin,
the old man knew what he would
miss most about his wife of sixty
years: her lying in bed waving the
covers up and down, giggling as
she vented her toot.
Full Circle Ending
Writers will often
begin a piece of
writing with a key
word or phrase,
develop the
piece, and will
bring the reader
back to the key
word or phrase at
the ending.
FCE--Example
She was fat and happy. The day she gave
birth to her first child was
amazing. Everything was perfect. The
child had a beautiful head of hair, all ten
fingers and toes, and slept rather than
crying like most babies do. Now, as an old
woman sitting in her favorite chair visiting
with three of her great grandchildren,
again she was fat and happy.
Practice Makes Perfect!!!
For the remainder of class
and for homework, write
one descriptive paragraph
about your day, and in
that paragraph, use at
least four smiley face
tricks. Come to class
prepared to share your
examples.