Writing Ideas

The Job/Trait Story
1. Pick a working person (carpenter, pharmacist, mortician etc.)

2. Characterize the person with an adjective that begins with the same letter as the job (e.g. angry architect; kinky kindergarten teacher, quirky quarterback, etc.).

3. Describe the person, demonstrating how the quality dominates the person's personal and professional life.

Start by answering these questions:
First impression?
Body language?
Clothes?
Favorite book?
Dream vacation?
Nightmare?
Awards?
Favorite quote?
Enemies?
Work habits?

4. Imagine an event at work that changes your person from being so completely dominated by the trait.

5. Tell the story of the change. This could be a first person account by the person or it could be a first person account by someone who knows the person or it could be a third person account.

Samples of this appear in Student Writing.

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