Writing

We are learning to 'show not tell' when we are writing. 
The following information is taken from a website
 http://www.suzanne-williams.com/show.htm.

HOW TO “SHOW,” NOT “TELL”

1.     Use descriptive details.  (Think: 5 senses.)

        Examples: 

                   The air smelled of pine and sagebrush and juniper and dust.     

                   The dust rose into my mouth and nose, making me sneeze.

                   A rabbit hopped as a pinecone crunched under my foot.                  

                   I grabbed a jacket, and stuffed my flashlight into my pocket.

                   I was so sweaty, my shirt stuck to my back.

2.     Use action.  (Think: strong verbs.)

        Example:

                   I let go of the screen door.  Ol’ Red must’ve heard it squeal, ‘cause all of a sudden he streaked by.  Almost knocked me over as hepushed it open and leaped outside.

3.     Use dialogue and character thoughts.

        Example:

                             And the more I thought about it, the madder I got, until finally I just sort of boiled over. 

                             “You treat ‘Ol Red better than you treat me!” I yelled.  Correcting my manners, and making me work all the time.  And I hate wearing shoes.  I WANT TO BE A DOG!”

HOW TO “SHOW,” NOT “TELL”

1. Use descriptive details.  

(Think: 5 senses--Ask yourself: What do I and/or my characters see, hear, smell, taste, feel? How can I paint a picture inside readers’ heads?)     

  2.  Use action.  
(Think: strong verbs. Ask yourself: What are people doing?)      
3. Use dialogue and character thoughts. 
(Ask yourself: What are people saying?  What’s my main character thinking?

       

SENSORY DESCRIPTION

SIGHTS are everywhere. 

           Use nouns in action. (e.g.  Marci shoved a load of clothes inside the washing machine and set the dials.)

SOUNDS

To produce a sound an object must move (e.g. the clatter of a garbage can rolling down the road).

Words to describe sounds: boom, bang, roar, buzz, crackle, chug, gurgle, snuffle, squish, tinkle, whistle, crunch, scrape (of a shovel).

SMELLS

Most of the time it is enough just to identify smells, or even list them. (e.g.  The living room smelled of furniture polish, apples and camphor.)

Words to describe smells: damp, sweet, musty, rotten, acrid, sharp, perfumed, wet

TASTES

Write about how it tastes (cold, sweet, bitter, sour) and how it feels in your mouth.  Some “taste” words:  suck, chew, spurt, crush it, sticky, sink in teeth, squeezes between teeth (mashed potatoes), bubbles burst in throat and nose (soft drink), tongue, throat, inside of cheek.

TOUCHES

Write about how you touch things (squeeze balloons, pop bubbles, roll

clay between your palms, rub satin against your cheek, crush a wad of cotton, let sand run through your fingers.  You feel snow with your nose, frost with the tips of your ears.)

Words to describe touches: prickly, rough, sharp, smooth, wet, chapped, etc.

You can combine sounds, feelings and tastes.  Poets do this a lot.  (e.g.  What is the color of a whisper? or  Heat was happy.)

Think of sights, sounds, smells, tastes, touches for each scene. (ie. a rainy day, a snowy morning, a windy street, a school cafeteria)