Or what could be in a letter? Inspired by the Letters About Literature Contest sponsored by the Library of Congress, we're going to be writing letters to authors Orson Scott Card and Suzanne Collins about the books we've just finished.
Today we looked at some winning letters from previous years and began pooling wisdom about what makes, or could make, a winning or inspired letter.
From the Pool:
- Successful letter writers relate their life to the work of literature--for instance, telling a story about a father--or about health issues.
- Writers write about experiences of personal growth--not just saying they grew but describing actual moments that reflect growth.
- Writers use strong visualization such as a detailed passage about a leg fracture (the right amount of detail).
- Writes use relevant quotes from the book.
- Writers describe an emotional response to the work of literature.
- Writers stay on topic.
This is a great start. We will continue to work on these in class. This batch with Mr. Card and Ms. Collins will be followed later in the semester by letters to an author of choice. And remember, hard work could pay off--literally. Look for actual prize amounts here.
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