Smiley Face
Tricks
Tricks of the writing trade to help you
meet and exceed writing expectations.
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.
 #1 - Magic 3
A technique writers use to list
items-the items must follow the
same pattern.
Technically referred to as Parallel
Structure.
“Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember.
Involve me and I learn." (Benjamin Franklin)
"Government of the people, by the
people, for the people."
(Abraham Lincoln)
Magic 3--Example
After school each day I
typically drive home
with my children,
complete homework,
and talk about the day.
 #2 - 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.
Hyphenated Modifier
Example
Some of her students sat in
their why-do-I-have-to-be-here
postures, while others showed
eagerness.
 #3 - Repetition for Effect
While repetition without careful
consideration can be redundant
and ineffective, a carefully selected
word or phrase repeated can add
incredible emphasis!
AVOID BEING REDUNDANT
If we are going to see the movie on opening night,
we will have to get there early. We have to get to the
movie early, because it’s opening night.
USE REPETITION
The man heard the instructor yell, “JUMP!” and he let
his feet slip off the platform. Before he knew it, he
was falling, falling, falling, into the mist.
Repetition Example
That week, the teachers attended
three faculty meetings. They went to
two department meetings. They sat in
on one collaborative teaching meeting.
They held training meetings. They
were ready to go back to class, just to
get away from all of the meetings.
 #4 - 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.
 #5 - 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.
Humor Example
A man walks into a bookstore. “Where’s the
self-help section?” he asks the clerk. She
shrugs and replies, “If I tell you, won’t
that defeat the purpose?”
 #6 - 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.
Figurative Language Examples
Hyperbole: My mom had a cow when she saw
my test grade!
Simile: She was as cool as a cucumber.
Metaphor: She was a bird, soaring through the
air, lunging towards the pool water.
Personification: the chair swiftly danced across
the room.
 #7 - 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.
Expanding the Moment
Example
SIMPLE
After the car accident, I held my father’s hands to comfort him,
telling him stories. He laughed. Then there were sirens and
my father passed away before the police arrived.
EXPANDED
After the car accident, I cradled my father’s hands in mine. 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.
 #8 - 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 cry
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!!!
Complete the  TRICKS
writing assignment,
making sure to use 5-7
tricks in your writing. Be
sure to highlight the tricks
and label them with a 