Write Cook

Writing tools, tips, and tricks!
Writing tools, tips, and tricks!
NEW! Click on:
to purchase/download printables/reproducibles.
Also, Visit The Write Town
( www.thewritetown.wordpress.com)
for quirky writing exercises.
Let's Start Cookin'!
My students often tease me about the way I compare reading to eating and writing to cooking. Some even say I’m a little “kooky” (pun intended). Here's my reasoning: When we read, we “feed” our minds with the “appetizing” work of others, and when we write, we follow certain “recipes,” add “spicy” words and phrases, sprinkle a creative “pinch of this and that,” and -- voila! -- we end up with a “delectable dish” we can proudly “serve” to others. It may sound funny or silly, but I think food is a wonderful metaphor for the magic that results when we skillfully craft a work of writing. And I’m not the first or only writing teacher to think so. The following is an excerpt from Write Source, a writing guide published by Great Source Education Group:
“Writing is like cooking. You have eight basic ingredients, called the parts of speech. Take a cupful of specific nouns and add a tablespoon of colorful adjectives. Then blend in a pint of action verbs, seasoned with adverbs. Finally, mix in the pronouns, interjections, prepositions, and conjunctions, and you’ll be cooking with words!”
“Writing is like cooking. You have eight basic ingredients, called the parts of speech. Take a cupful of specific nouns and add a tablespoon of colorful adjectives. Then blend in a pint of action verbs, seasoned with adverbs. Finally, mix in the pronouns, interjections, prepositions, and conjunctions, and you’ll be cooking with words!”
And that’s exactly what this website is about:
cookin’ with words.
And that’s exactly what this website is about:
cookin’ with words.
Are you ready?
Are you ready?
Click on:
Click on:
Begin by clicking on the following documents
and perusing their contents,
and then simply follow my blog.
Begin by clicking on the following documents
and perusing their contents,
and then simply follow my blog.
Let’s start cookin’!
Let’s start cookin’!
(Reproducible versions of many of the following documents
are available through my TPT store:
(Reproducible versions of many of the following documents
are available through my TPT store:
1- Starting and Keeping a Writer's Notebook:
1- Starting and Keeping a Writer's Notebook:
A COOK'S NOTEBOOK (PDF — 323 KB)
A COOK'S NOTEBOOK (PDF — 323 KB)
2- Help from MR. HOT AND SPICY:
2- Help from MR. HOT AND SPICY:
MR. HOT AND SPICY (PDF — 3 MB)
MR. HOT AND SPICY (PDF — 3 MB)
3- Choosing and Using Yummy Words:
3- Choosing and Using Yummy Words:
The PARTS of SPEECH (PDF — 122 KB)
The PARTS of SPEECH (PDF — 122 KB)
NOUNS (PDF — 235 KB)
NOUNS (PDF — 235 KB)
Spelling Plural Nouns (PDF — 135 KB)
Spelling Plural Nouns (PDF — 135 KB)
Possessive Nouns with Key (PDF — 116 KB)
Possessive Nouns with Key (PDF — 116 KB)
TYPES OF PRONOUNS with Key (PDF — 94 KB)
TYPES OF PRONOUNS with Key (PDF — 94 KB)
Adjectives (PDF — 333 KB)
Adjectives (PDF — 333 KB)
10 Things to Know about Verbs (PDF — 178 KB)
10 Things to Know about Verbs (PDF — 178 KB)
Five Things to Know about Adverbs (PDF — 170 KB)
Five Things to Know about Adverbs (PDF — 170 KB)
Ten Things to Know about Prepositions (PDF — 236 KB)
Ten Things to Know about Prepositions (PDF — 236 KB)
Seven Things to Know about Conjunctions (PDF — 169 KB)
Seven Things to Know about Conjunctions (PDF — 169 KB)
Four Things to Know about Interjections (PDF — 172 KB)
Four Things to Know about Interjections (PDF — 172 KB)
Wonderful Colorful Words (PDF — 428 KB)
Wonderful Colorful Words (PDF — 428 KB)
MORE DOCUMENTS WILL BE ADDED THROUGHOUT THE SCHOOL YEAR.
MORE DOCUMENTS WILL BE ADDED THROUGHOUT THE SCHOOL YEAR.
4- Constructing Tasty Sentences
4- Constructing Tasty Sentences
Simple Sentences (the basics) (PDF — 108 KB)
Simple Sentences (the basics) (PDF — 108 KB)
Tasty Sentences (PDF — 1 MB)
Tasty Sentences (PDF — 1 MB)
SENTENCE FLUENCY (PDF — 464 KB)
SENTENCE FLUENCY (PDF — 464 KB)
5- The Cookin' (Writing) Process:
5- The Cookin' (Writing) Process:
THE WRITING PROCESS (PDF — 230 KB)
THE WRITING PROCESS (PDF — 230 KB)
Revising-Editing Checklist (PDF — 98 KB)
Revising-Editing Checklist (PDF — 98 KB)
Editing Checklist (PDF — 94 KB)
Editing Checklist (PDF — 94 KB)
6- Composing Appetizing Paragraphs:
6- Composing Appetizing Paragraphs:
A Buffet of Appetizing Paragraphs (PDF — 310 KB)
A Buffet of Appetizing Paragraphs (PDF — 310 KB)
Writing a Descriptive Paragraph. Prompt: Describe your family's favorite dish.
Writing a Descriptive Paragraph. Prompt: Describe your family's favorite dish.
Sensory Details Graphic Organizer1 (PDF — 85 KB)
Sensory Details Graphic Organizer1 (PDF — 85 KB)
SENSORY DETAILS Graphic Organizer (PDF — 93 KB)
SENSORY DETAILS Graphic Organizer (PDF — 93 KB)
Planning a Paragraph (PDF — 168 KB)
Planning a Paragraph (PDF — 168 KB)
Hamburger Paragraph - 1st Draft (PDF — 36 KB)
Hamburger Paragraph - 1st Draft (PDF — 36 KB)
OUR FAVORITE FAMILY DISH (PDF — 156 KB)
OUR FAVORITE FAMILY DISH (PDF — 156 KB)
7- Building Delectable Essays
7- Building Delectable Essays
Go to the "Resources" page for sites containing graphic
organizers, student samples, rubrics, and prompts.
Go to the "Resources" page for sites containing graphic
organizers, student samples, rubrics, and prompts.
Steps to Writing a PAPER (PDF — 59 KB)
Steps to Writing a PAPER (PDF — 59 KB)
Ideas for Writing a Hook (PDF — 102 KB)
Ideas for Writing a Hook (PDF — 102 KB)
Methods of Elaboration (PDF — 98 KB)
Methods of Elaboration (PDF — 98 KB)
Paragraph vs. Essay (PDF — 85 KB)
Paragraph vs. Essay (PDF — 85 KB)
EXPOSITORY ESSAY - CHECKLIST (PDF — 6 KB)
EXPOSITORY ESSAY - CHECKLIST (PDF — 6 KB)
Color-Coded Expository Essay - Checklist (PDF — 6 KB)
Color-Coded Expository Essay - Checklist (PDF — 6 KB)
Model of Expository Essay (PDF — 72 KB)
Model of Expository Essay (PDF — 72 KB)
Color-Coded Model of Expository Essay (PDF — 73 KB)
Color-Coded Model of Expository Essay (PDF — 73 KB)
EXPOSITORY ESSAY (Plan and Final Copy) (PDF — 103 KB)
EXPOSITORY ESSAY (Plan and Final Copy) (PDF — 103 KB)
Essay Components - Quiz (PDF — 189 KB)
Essay Components - Quiz (PDF — 189 KB)
Essay Components - Quiz (PDF — 189 KB)
Essay Components - Quiz (PDF — 189 KB)
The Expository Essay Test (PDF — 86 KB)
The Expository Essay Test (PDF — 86 KB)
Five-Step Revision Process (PDF — 965 KB)
Five-Step Revision Process (PDF — 965 KB)
Expository vs. Persuasive (PDF — 63 KB)
Expository vs. Persuasive (PDF — 63 KB)
Persuasive Essay Checklist (PDF — 27 KB)
Persuasive Essay Checklist (PDF — 27 KB)
Persuasive Essay - the Process (PDF — 329 KB)
Persuasive Essay - the Process (PDF — 329 KB)
Model of PERSUASIVE ESSAY (PDF — 99 KB)
Model of PERSUASIVE ESSAY (PDF — 99 KB)
8- Creating Succulent Stories
8- Creating Succulent Stories
The Narrative (PDF — 188 KB)
The Narrative (PDF — 188 KB)
Narrative Checklists (PDF — 56 KB)
Narrative Checklists (PDF — 56 KB)
Ideas for Hooks (PDF — 52 KB)
Ideas for Hooks (PDF — 52 KB)
Planning the Setting (PDF — 20 KB)
Planning the Setting (PDF — 20 KB)
Planning Characters (PDF — 110 KB)
Planning Characters (PDF — 110 KB)
Incident Brainstorming (PDF — 52 KB)
Incident Brainstorming (PDF — 52 KB)
Fictional Narrative Brainstorming (PDF — 61 KB)
Fictional Narrative Brainstorming (PDF — 61 KB)
PN Plot Diagram (PDF — 37 KB)
PN Plot Diagram (PDF — 37 KB)
Story Diagram (PDF — 28 KB)
Story Diagram (PDF — 28 KB)
Narrative Rough Draft (PDF — 122 KB)
Narrative Rough Draft (PDF — 122 KB)
Revising the Narrative (PDF — 1 MB)
Revising the Narrative (PDF — 1 MB)
Chasing Iguanas PN (PDF — 108 KB)
Chasing Iguanas PN (PDF — 108 KB)
Back to School FN (PDF — 84 KB)
Back to School FN (PDF — 84 KB)
"A word in season, how good it is!" Proverbs 15:23
"A word in season, how good it is!" Proverbs 15:23