Writing Application
Learn
Close reading is not just for understanding what others have written - it is a powerful tool for improving your own writing. In this lesson, you will learn how to apply close reading techniques to your own drafts and use insights from published texts to strengthen your writing.
Reading Like a Writer
When you read like a writer, you pay attention to how an author achieves effects, not just what they say. Ask yourself:
- What techniques does this author use that I could try?
- How does the author organize their ideas?
- What word choices create the strongest impact?
- How does the author handle transitions between ideas?
- What makes this opening/closing effective?
The Reading-Writing Connection
Strong readers make strong writers. Here is how close reading skills transfer to writing:
| Close Reading Skill | Writing Application |
|---|---|
| Identifying main idea | Crafting clear thesis statements |
| Analyzing word choice | Selecting precise, powerful vocabulary |
| Noticing text structure | Organizing your own paragraphs logically |
| Recognizing figurative language | Using metaphors, similes, and imagery effectively |
| Evaluating evidence | Supporting your claims with strong evidence |
| Understanding author's purpose | Writing with a clear purpose and audience in mind |
Close Reading Your Own Writing
Apply the same analytical lens to your own drafts that you use when reading published texts:
Step 1: Distance Yourself
Wait at least a few hours (ideally a day) before revising. This helps you see your writing with fresh eyes.
Step 2: Read Aloud
Reading your work aloud helps you catch awkward phrasing, run-on sentences, and missing words.
Step 3: Annotate Your Draft
Use the same annotation techniques you learned earlier:
- Circle vague or weak words that could be more specific
- Underline your strongest sentences
- Put question marks where ideas are unclear
- Star moments where you could add more detail or evidence
- Draw arrows to show where ideas might need reordering
Step 4: Ask Critical Questions
- Is my main point clear from the beginning?
- Does each paragraph have a clear purpose?
- Have I supported my ideas with evidence or examples?
- Are my transitions smooth between paragraphs?
- Does my conclusion do more than just repeat my introduction?
Learning from Mentor Texts
A mentor text is a piece of writing you admire that can teach you techniques to use in your own work. When you find a mentor text:
- Read it multiple times, each time focusing on a different element
- Identify 2-3 specific techniques the author uses
- Try imitating those techniques in your own writing
- Reflect on what worked and what you want to keep developing
Examples
Example 1: Learning from a Mentor Text
Mentor Text (Opening):
"It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen." - George Orwell, 1984
What makes it effective:
- Starts with sensory details (bright, cold)
- Creates immediate intrigue with an impossible detail (clocks striking thirteen)
- Signals that something is "off" about this world
Student imitation:
"It was a quiet Sunday morning, and my phone was ringing in colors."
The student kept the structure (It was + normal description + unexpected detail) but created their own original opening that signals something unusual is happening.
Example 2: Close Reading Your Own Draft
Original draft:
"The dog was big. It was really scary. I didn't know what to do so I just stood there. The dog came closer. I was very scared."
Self-annotation:
- "big" - vague, how big? compared to what?
- "really scary" - weak, show don't tell
- "very scared" - repeats earlier idea, need variety
- Sentences are all short and choppy - need variety
Revised draft:
"The dog stood taller than my waist, its muscles rippling beneath matted gray fur. My feet turned to stone as it fixed me with yellowed eyes. Each slow step it took toward me made my heart pound louder until I could hear nothing else."
Improvements: Specific details replace vague words; showing fear through physical sensations instead of stating it; varied sentence length creates tension.
Example 3: Strengthening Evidence
Original draft:
"Social media is bad for teenagers. It makes them feel bad about themselves. Many people agree with this."
Self-annotation:
- "bad" - vague claim, needs to be specific
- "feel bad" - what kind of bad? be precise
- "Many people" - who? need specific source
Revised draft:
"Excessive social media use can harm teenagers' mental health. A 2022 study by the American Psychological Association found that teens who spent more than three hours daily on social media had double the risk of anxiety and depression symptoms."
Improvements: Specific claim with defined terms; credible source cited; concrete data provided.
Practice
Complete these exercises to strengthen your reading-writing connection.
Practice 1: Identify Mentor Techniques
Read this opening paragraph and identify two techniques you could use in your own writing:
"I am an invisible man. No, I am not a spook like those who haunted Edgar Allan Poe; nor am I one of your Hollywood-movie ectoplasms. I am a man of substance, of flesh and bone, fiber and liquids - and I might even be said to possess a mind. I am invisible, understand, simply because people refuse to see me."
- Ralph Ellison, Invisible Man
Task: List two techniques and explain how you might use them.
Practice 2: Revise for Specificity
Revise this vague paragraph to be more specific and vivid:
"The room was messy. There was stuff everywhere. It smelled bad. Someone needed to clean it."
Practice 3: Show, Don't Tell
Rewrite each "telling" sentence to "show" the emotion through actions, sensations, or details:
- "She was nervous about the test."
- "The birthday party was fun."
- "He was angry at his brother."
Practice 4: Strengthen Transitions
These two paragraphs need a better transition. Write a transition sentence to connect them:
Paragraph 1: "Recycling programs have become common in most American cities. Many households now separate their plastic, paper, and glass before putting out their trash."
Paragraph 2: "Some recycling actually ends up in landfills anyway. Processing facilities cannot handle all the materials they receive, especially when items are contaminated with food waste."
Practice 5: Annotate Your Own Writing
Take a paragraph from something you have written recently. Apply these annotation marks:
- Circle at least 2 words that could be more specific
- Underline your strongest sentence
- Put a ? where ideas could be clearer
- Star places where you could add evidence or detail
Then rewrite the paragraph addressing your annotations.
Practice 6: Imitate a Structure
This sentence uses a "rule of three" structure:
"Government of the people, by the people, for the people." - Abraham Lincoln
Task: Write your own sentence using the rule of three about a topic of your choice (school, sports, friendship, etc.).
Practice 7: Vary Sentence Length
Revise this paragraph to include varied sentence lengths (mix short punchy sentences with longer complex ones):
"The storm arrived around midnight. It brought heavy rain with it. The wind was very strong. It knocked down several trees. The power went out in our neighborhood. We had to use candles for light. It was a long night for everyone."
Practice 8: Strengthen a Claim
Revise this weak claim to make it more specific and arguable:
"School lunch should be better."
Then write 2-3 sentences of evidence that could support your revised claim.
Practice 9: Create an Effective Opening
Write three different openings for an essay about "a time you learned something new." Try each of these approaches:
- Start with action (in the middle of the moment)
- Start with a question
- Start with a surprising statement
Practice 10: Write a Conclusion That Extends
Read this essay body paragraph:
"Learning to play chess taught me that patience is a strategy. In my first games, I moved quickly, wanting action, wanting to capture pieces. I lost every time. My grandfather showed me that sometimes the best move is to wait, to think three moves ahead, to let my opponent make mistakes."
Task: Write a conclusion that extends the idea beyond chess (connects to a bigger life lesson) rather than just summarizing what was said.
Check Your Understanding
1. What is a "mentor text"?
2. Why is "waiting before revising" a recommended strategy?
3. "Reading like a writer" means:
4. Which revision strategy helps you catch awkward phrasing?
Answer Key
1. B - A mentor text is admired writing that teaches techniques
2. B - Distance allows more objective revision
3. B - Focus on how authors create effects
4. A - Reading aloud reveals awkward phrasing
Next Steps
- Choose a mentor text and analyze it for 2-3 techniques you want to try
- Practice close reading your own writing before your next writing assignment
- Continue to the next lesson for hands-on editing practice