Writing Your First Paragraph

Writing Your First Paragraph

Brainstorming

5W + 1H

How do we start writing?

• Well, first you'll have to figure out what you want to write about, which is called your 'topic'.

• It can be based on anything: your daily routines, your hobbies, so on and so forth.

• You can explain things, tell people about why Roblox is better than Minecraft, make suggestions, or anything else that comes to mind.

• The best writings are always written by authors who fell in love with their topics.

So, what will you write about?

• Remember, you're free to choose any topic you like.

• This process of figuring out what you want to write is called 'brainstorming'.

• Why? Probably because there's a ton of ideas floating in our brains that they start to look like storms.

Next, we'll need to answer a few key questions.

• The 5W + 1H

• WHAT, WHO, WHEN, WHERE, WHY, and HOW

For this part, we will need:

• A notepad and/or Microsoft Word

• To write down our answers to the key questions.

So, WHAT are you writing about?

Is it interesting to you?

WHAT example:

• Black holes are one of the most mysterious and powerful forces in the universe. A black hole is where gravity has become so strong that nothing around it can escape, not even light. The mass of a black hole is so compact, or dense, that the force of gravity is too strong for even light to escape

• This paragraph explains WHAT black holes are.

WHO are the people you will need to include in your writing?

Are there any special people that you feel are linked to what you're writing?

WHO example:

• The idea of the black hole was first proposed by two different scientists in the 18th century: John Michell and Pierre-Simon Laplace. In 1967, a physicist named John Archibald Wheeler came up with the term "black hole".

• This paragraph explains WHO were involved with black holes.

WHEN is the period of time you're writing about?

Are you talking about something in the past, present, or future?

WHEN example:

• The idea of the black hole was first proposed by two different scientists in the 18th century: John Michell and Pierre-Simon Laplace. In 1967, a physicist named John Archibald Wheeler came up with the term "black hole".

• Plus, this paragraph also explains WHEN the idea of black holes first came about and WHEN black holes were named.

WHERE did what you're writing about happen?

Was it in space? On our planet? Or somewhere else entirely?

WHERE example:

• Black holes are truly invisible. We can't actually see black holes because they don't reflect light. Scientists know they exist by observing light and objects around black holes. Strange things happen around black holes to do with quantum physics and space time.

• This paragraph explains WHERE black holes are, and how we can find them.

WHY is this topic important?

Do more people need to understand this topic?

Do people need to change their way of thinking?

Or do you think writing about it is fun?

All reasons are equally valid and good, and never let anyone tell you otherwise.

Can you guess WHY someone wrote the Black Hole article?

It's not written in the article, so we'll have to get into the mind of the author.

Lastly, HOW did this topic happen?

Can you explain what made your topic happen?

HOW example:

• Black holes are formed when giant stars explode at the end of their lifecycle. This explosion is called a supernova. If the star has enough mass, it will collapse on itself down to a very small size. Due to its small size and enormous mass, the gravity will be so strong it will absorb light and become a black hole. Black holes can grow incredibly huge as they continue to absorb light and mass around them. They can even absorb other stars. Many scientists think that there are super-massive black holes at the center of galaxies.

• Now, this way too long paragraph tells us how black holes come into existence.

Let's review our findings.

Tell me all your answers to the key questions.

Now that we've figured things out...

• It's time to write our own paragraph.

• A paragraph usually consists of a few sentences, around 3 or 4.

• But sometimes, paragraphs can take up a whole page.

• And at other times, a paragraph could be as short as 5 words.

But every paragraph must serve a purpose:

• Sometimes, the answer to the WHAT question could be a whole paragraph or even more.

• On other occasions, a single paragraph could answer all the 5W + 1H questions and use up only 3 or 4 sentences.

• Or, one paragraph could be used to answer the WHAT, WHEN, and WHERE, while another would be used to answer the WHO, WHY, and HOW.

• You can come up with all sorts of combinations, so experiment away!

Right then, are you ready to start writing your first paragraph?

You've got all the time in the world.

Good job!

When you write, don't aim for perfection, aim for fun!