RAFT assignment Outside Reading Project
Magnan English Creative Writing
A R.A.F.T. (role/audience/format/topic) writing is a unique and imaginative way to analyze your outside reading novel. It encourages creative thinking and motivates you to demonstrate understanding in a nontraditional yet informative writing format. It forces you to process information in a way that is more challenging and rewarding than traditional discussion questions or 5-paragraph essays. You get to creatively design the formatting for the writing and it involves you writing from a viewpoint other than your own, for an audience other than your teacher, and in a form other than a standard essay.
The choices are endless and the only limit is your imagination!
RAFT is an acronym for:
R= Role of the writer (Who are you?)
A= Audience for the writer (To whom are you writing?)
F= Format of the writing (What format/style will your writing assume?)
T= Topic to be addressed in the writing (What are you writing about?)
1) Choose a role for yourself. Pick a character or even an object from the novel and put yourself into their role. YOU become the character/object and will write from THEIR perspective- role playing! Choose a role that gives you some personality and will allow for strong voice.
2) Next, choose an audience. This may be another character in the story, or an outside audience.
This is who the writing is written for and puts purpose behind your writing. This is dependent on the format you choose.
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For example, if reading the book, The Outsiders, you could assume the role of Ponyboy, who is giving a eulogy for his two best friends Dally and Johnny. In this case the audience would be whoever is attending the funeral. Or, it is similar to the letter to
Hitler you wrote for the Night novel. The letter’s (format) audience was Hitler, the role you played was victim, and the topic was how you felt about what Hitler did to you and your people.
3) Then, you choose the format for your writing. See the list attached for possibilities. You are not limited to just these! Think outside the box! You may use whatever format or combination of
formats you wish to make your page limit. If you do think of a format not on this list, please let me know what you will be doing.

RAFT assignment Outside Reading Project
Magnan English Creative Writing
4) Finally, choose a topic relevant to the novel and the plot. Consider what the character would be interested in, or concerned about. Think about the perspective your role would have on the topic. Why would your role care about the topic? What parts of the book would give you more information about the perspective? What emotions might your role feel about the topic? Is this a role that might lead you to be in favor of, or against something related to your topic? Think carefully about options, being as creative and complete as you can be.
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Example: Here’s another RAFT about The Outsiders that demonstrates a unique topic.
Ponyboy (role) writes a how-to manual (format), for all kids who have lost both of their parents (audience) and are being raised by their older sibling (topic).
Project guidelines
Unless it is a poem or other non-standard format, it should follow MLA format as closely as possible. (Must have heading, be 12 pt font, be double spaced, have header)
It MUST be at least 3 pages in length. Do not make it more than 5 pages in length.
The novel you choose MUST come from the list provided. If you lose this hard copy, you can locate the lists on my website. Each person must read a different book within the same class, so reserve you title quickly by not procrastinating on getting the book and informing me of the title.
The brainstorming matrix must be handed in to me one week prior to the due date of the project. Matrix due date:_______________
RAFT DUE DATE: ___________________________
FORMAT Possibilities
Short story
Narrative poem
Sermon/prayers
Talk Show Script/Movie
Letter
Diary/ journal
News releases
Instructions
Thank you letter
Petition
Office memo
Recipe
Web blog Complaint
Public service announcement/ad Commercial
Book review Job interview
Newsletter
Brochure
Editorial (opinion)
Wanted posters
Posters/signs/billboards
Essay
Email , texts, or tweets
Eulogy/ farewell
Treaties
Last will and testament
Advice column
speech
Obituary
Travel Guide
Love letter
Script/play/skit
Facebook page
Telephone conversation
Newspaper article
Song lyrics or poetry
Lab report
Greeting cards
Psychiatrist report
??

RAFT assignment Outside Reading Project
Magnan English Creative Writing