What should I write about???

We've spent some time warming up our blogs by posting about our rereading books, and now it's time to take the next step and start writing about independent reading.

Always make sure your blog post has a clear focus as well as supporting ideas.  Try to include evidence and examples from the text itself, as well as your own ideas about the book.

We've already discussed a lot of things you could write about if you aren't sure.  Here are some ideas:


1.   In life, conflict (and how it is dealt with) causes change in a person (for better or worse). Reading and studying characters and their conflicts helps us understand humanity on the whole.  

2. Protagonist-the main character in a literary work (not necessarily good or bad, which means you have to be a careful reader!)

3. Antagonist-the person or forces who oppose or contend with the protagonist (sometimes the antagonist can be like an inner voice or an unseen force…be a careful reader!)

.     4. Unpacking a “loaded sentence” - such as an "author's intrusion".

5. Noticing your protagonist’s archetypal journey: (task, quest, loss of innocence) interpret your protagonist’s emotional journey: 

• what positive people/events impacted him/her most?

• what negative people/events impacted him/her most?

• how is your character different now? What did he/she learn? What did the journey accomplish?

• extend your ideas to LIFE and humanity: what does this journey teach you about living in the world?

6. Noticing character patterns-archetypes

• The hero-displays courage, self sacrifice and is not perfect
•  The mentor-assists/guides the protagonist, symbolizing wisdom, knowledge, experience  
• The shadow-creates tension in story , represents the darker side of human nature  
• The shapeshifter-a character who keeps changing sides; can’t make up mind; represents uncertainty.

7. Theme: the statement about life that an author wants to share with the reader.  What does the author want us to think, feel, or know?

8.  Cross-book inquiry: Make connections between your book and another you’ve read

      9. Setting-what aspects of the setting are significant and symbolic?

      10. At the end of a book, you could approach your blog post like an appreciation: what did you appreciate in your book? What ideas are rolling around your mind now that you have finished the book?