ShmoopTube
Where Monty Python meets your 10th grade teacher.
Search Thousands of Shmoop Videos
ELA 5: Writing a First Draft of a Narrative 166 Views
Share It!
Description:
First drafts are an important first step in writing anything decent. In fact, they're also the first step in writing anything at all. No matter what, the first time you write something it's a first draft. Easy peasy.
Transcript
- 00:04
[Coop and Dino singing]
- 00:13
Any piece of writing starts with a first draft.
- 00:16
Harry Potter had a first draft… [Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's New Groove book]
- 00:18
Little House on the Prairie had a first draft…
- 00:20
Even your dad's last birthday card to you had a first draft… [People at a birthday party]
Full Transcript
- 00:24
And just because you’re going to revise the heck out of that first draft doesn’t
- 00:27
mean you shouldn’t give it your best shot.
- 00:29
The whole point is to lay a strong foundation that you can improve on. It’s not something
- 00:33
to rush through so that you can go get a snack.
- 00:35
We suggest eating a snack before you start. …and many more while you write…and maybe [Boy eating a snack]
- 00:40
a couple when you're done… But enough snacking…
- 00:42
Naturally, your first draft should contain all of the stuff that's expected in any good
- 00:46
piece of writing.
- 00:47
We're talking an introduction that grabs the reader’s attention, good descriptive details, [People running away]
- 00:53
interesting dialogue, and an ending of some sort.
- 00:56
Because as much as you might want to keep writing and writing and writing, we have dinner plans. [Man using a mobile phone]
- 01:01
Style is important, too: make sure there are no spelling errors, the dialogue is correctly
- 01:06
punctuated, and the sentences are complete.
- 01:09
And, for bonus style points, wear a cool Hawaiian shirt when you turn it in. [Boy wearing a haiwaiian shirt and grass skirt to school]
- 01:12
Given how much work you'll be putting into your first draft, you might wonder why it's
- 01:16
a first draft and not just… you know, the only draft.
- 01:19
Well, one of the main benefits of a first draft is that once you finish it, you can [Boys playing guitar hero]
- 01:23
stop, take a break, and come back to it with fresh eyes before handing it in.
- 01:27
No matter how good your first attempt is, when you look at it a second time, you'll [Boy sitting down and using computer]
- 01:30
definitely find things that you could improve upon.
- 01:33
The same goes for you and your older brother.
- 01:35
And seriously, even the best writers wouldn't be caught dead turning in their first drafts. [Person scribbles out new groove and writes stone]
- 01:39
So get crackin' on those first drafts!
- 01:41
Also, maybe run away from your big brother… he doesn't look too happy… [Little brother playing guitar hero and big brother looks angry]
Up Next
Check out the best bias video ever made, courtesy of the most awesome and amazing educational website in existence.
Related Videos
No, this isn't a terrible new mint-peach bubble gum flavor...though it does tend to leave a bad taste in people's mouths.
Those settlers in Jamestown really should have settled down with all that land-stealing. Tobacco's bad for you anyway.
Being born out of multiple wars doesn't quite seem to fit the peaceful, polite Canadians we know and love today...oh wait, they were called The Bea...
Not every cartoon is meant to entertain small children while their mother gets some "Mommy time." There are also political cartoons, which are mean...