Mr. George Smith, a children's book author, has been conductingwriting workshops at schools since 2004.Write Better Stories and Essays is his writing workshop published in the form of a workbook. It is designed to help students in middle school improve their writing skills. Key Benefits Explore different writing techniques Recognize common mistakes in writing Master creative techniques to improve writing Expand ideas into full length stories or essays Key Topics Covered Four Ways to Expand a Story Idea into a Story Creative Techniques for Using Words and Paragraphs Identifying Illogical or Incomplete Content, Inconsistent Voice (active or passive), Inconsistent Verb Tense (present and past) and Incorrect grammar Expressing the Emotions of a Character: Show, Don't Tell!! Using the Personification Technique Using the Flashback and Story Within a Story Techniques Using the Circular Text Technique Using the Five Senses Using the Persuasion Technique The Role of the Setting in a Story Presenting and Supporting Theories Techniques in Action: Stories and Essays Written by Middle School Students Detailed Answers Common Core State Standards Correlation Grading Rubrics Online Resources (QuillPad.org) Objectives The workbook has three objectives: The first objective of these workbook exercises is to give student authors practice in writing techniques that meet the standards for writing and language included in the Common Core State Standards Initiative (CCSSI). The second objective of these workbook exercises is to provide tools in the form of techniques that middle school student authors in grades 6 through 8 can use to improve the content of their narrative, persuasive, expository and descriptive writing. The third objective of this program is to create a platform for students to easily publish their writing online and get feedback from peers and educators. Writing is a skill that requires practice and mentoring. Children can become good writers through guided practice and constructive feedback. Please visit QuillPad.org to create an account and start publishing your stories and essays! More than 11,000+ Schools, 21,000+ Teachers, and 160,000+ Students use Lumos Learning Study Programs to improve student achievement.