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Modeling the Masters

Young artists can learn a lot about art by studying the work of famous painters. And you can learn a lot about writing by studying the work of your favorite authors. When you come across sentences that you especially like, try writing a sentence of your own following the author’s pattern. This process is called “modeling.”

Guidelines for Modeling

• Find a sentence (or short passage) that you especially like.
• Select a subject for your writing.
• Follow the author’s pattern as you write about your own subject.
• Build your sentence one small section at a time.

One Writer’s Experience

Cayla enjoys Roald Dahl’s stories, so every once in a while she tries to write like him. Here is a sentence from Dahl’s book Danny the Champion of the World:

   Grown-ups are complicated creatures, full of quirks and secrets.

Here is Cayla’s sentence about her own subject, but modeled after Dahl’s writing:

   Cats are peculiar pets, full of sleepiness and craziness.