Key Idea: Before you write, you read the text twice. Then you mark every choice the writer made and its effect. Those margin notes become your plan.
Reading and annotating for choices
- Read for gist — No pen yet. What is it about? Who is it for? What tone does it have?
- Hunt choices — Pen in hand, underline word choice, imagery, sentence length, structure and layout.
- Note the effect — Write one margin word next to each underline.
| Mark | Where | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Circle | A shift or turn: tone, tense or focus changes | These moments are rich for analysis |
An underline with no word in the margin is not finished yet.
How many times do you read the text? Twice: once for gist, once with a pen.
What does each annotation record? A choice AND its effect.
When do you pick up the pen? On the second read, not the first.
A paragraph suddenly changes tone. What do you do? Circle it. It is a turn worth analysing.