Ways to Express Yourself

You will find expressive writing all around you. You will read it in magazines and newspapers and write it in journals and letters. your writing is expressive when the focus is on you--what you experience, think, and feel. Here are some ways to develop expressive writing.

• In your journal, write about an event that happened to you because you were in a wheelchair.
• In an essay for a job application, write about a significant life experience.
• In a story, describe your grandparents' house to show how you feel about it.
• In an article for the school's humor magazine, write a funny description of the broccoli served in the lunchroom.
• In a letter to your cousin, compare your two best friends.
• In your journal, explore which you enjoy more, tennis or basketball.
• In an essay, evaluate the water quality in your neighborhood park's drinking fountains.
• In a letter to a friend, explain why the Dallas Cowboys are the best NFL team.

Choosing an Incident to Write About

When you write about an autobiographical incident, you tell of a particular event in your life that has significance for you. you often tell good friends about incidents in your life. how do you decide which incidents to write about?

Think about experiences that touched your feelings. Perhaps they were funn, sad, or scary. Or consider "first-time" events. For example, you may remember your first day at a new school, your first stage performance, or the first time you hit a home run. Finally, think about incidents that changed you in some way or that taught you something; during a family move for example, you may have learned how hard it is to say goodbye to friends.

Keep these points in mind when you choose an incident to write about.

• Write about something you remember well. You want to tell about and show your experience to readers. you can't if you don't remember details about it.
• Write about an incident that was important to you. It doesn't have to be a big adventure, but it should have meaning for you.
• Write about an incident you are willing to share. you want to be comfortable sharing the experience with others.