Page 213

Writing ■ Creating the First Draft

Beginning ■ Introduce the problem in an interesting way and then state the focus of your letter. Douglas introduces his letter by stating his reason for writing. Here are three other attention-grabbing strategies to consider:

• Ask a question.
  

  Shouldn’t our school start times reflect the sleep patterns of students at different ages?

• Quote someone.
  

  “I’m usually not even awake until I hit third hour,” said Liam Bell. And he’s not alone.

• Share an experience.
  

  Yesterday in homeroom, the teacher just told everybody to take a 15 minute nap.