Date:

• In your St. Martin's Guide, read about describing (pages 491-502).
• Complete any of the three exercises that you can tie to the topic of your current paper.
• E-mail your work to the instructor.
• If you have trouble getting started with your writing--or keeping a draft going, look at the ideas suggested in Scott, Foresman, pages 54-60 or follow the Internet links listed under "writing processes."
• It's early, but choose a book from your second set of options; order it from the SUU bookstore or find it in your local library. You'll be needing the book by a week from Wednesday.

• Complete your essay draft. Don't spend too much time copy editing rough drafts, but do at least use your word processing program's spellcheck program to eliminate obvious errors that will make your draft difficult to read.

• E-mail your draft to the instructor.
• In Scott, Foresman, read about working on a draft collaboratively (beginning at the bottom of page 62 and continuing through 70) Pay especially close attention to the suggestions about summarizing your reactions after you've read a paper--that's exactly what you'll be doing tomorrow!

• Let me know that you're ready to critique someone else's response to this paper. I'll e-mail you a classmate's draft or give you directions about which Scriblerian essay to examine.
• After carefully reading the paper at least twice, analyze its strengths and weaknesses. As you answer each question, be careful to phrase criticisms in a positive way. Remember, the writer can't see your friendly face! So your words have to convey your helpful attitude.
  1. Which sections of the paper do you like best? Why?
  2. List three examples of parts of the paper where the language is especially concrete, descriptive, and interesting.
  3. What does the point/purpose of the paper seem to be? What main idea does it leave you with?
  4. Which sections of the paper seem a little abstract and vague; which might be expanded with more concrete description?
  5. Does the paper seem to "hang together" to make a point? Do any parts seem distracting or unrelated to the point or impression that the writer is trying to make?
  6. Post your comments to the instructor; be sure to make the subject line very specific--for example: JS's comments on Mike's story.

• In your St. Martin's Guide, read about revising, pages 51-53.
• Write out a plan for revising your paper; e-mail it to the instructor.