A Crow of His Own
by Megan Dowd Lambert (Author) and David Hyde Costello (Illustrator)
Booktalk: Clyde is the new rooster at Sunrise Farm. But he’s having trouble fitting in and replacing Larry—the beloved rooster whose wake-up calls were legendary. The cow, the gaggle of hens, and the sheep reminisce about Larry while poor Clyde fails to croon the farmyard awake with the same finesse.
Snippet: When Larry was called off to new opportunities, Sunrise Farm suddenly found itself without its prized rooster. The animals overslept and no one knew what to do.
Six Traits Mini Lesson
Trait: Organization The story begins with the inciting incident. Something has changed, and that causes a problem… So what happens next?
Snippet:
“Not to worry,” soothed Farmer Jay.
“We have a plan,” added Farmer Kevin.
Trait: Word Choice The word “said” is commonly used as a dialogue tag. It is so common that it is almost invisible. But “said” isn’t the only word choice a writer has. Consider the verbs used in this mentor text. The verb “soothed” is more evocative than the verb “said” because it adds emotion. The use of the verb “added” in the next sentence indicates that the conversation is continuing.
The word “said” would have worked just fine in both of these sentences, but using these other verbs adds another layer of meaning to the dialogue. This is why I consider word choice to be a small details trait. After you figure out your story’s Big Picture (with the ideas, organization and voice traits), looking at the story again (re-vision) and making simple word choice changes can add a new layer of meaning to the story.
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