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Show not tell strategy
- 2. STRETCH THE MAIN EVENT! Instead of writing about too many things, focus on one event and stretch it. To do this: 1. Describe the action using the Show, Not Tell strategy. 2. Add action and suspense. 3. Add dialogue. 4. Add thoughts and emotions. Adapted from Dr Cheah Yee Min’s “Write It Well!”
- 3. SHOW, NOT TELL! • A method to inform your reader about your characters, action and other story elements “Janet was short and plump with curly brown hair” is telling the reader. Instead of telling, demonstrate through events in the story that Janet was was short and plump with curly brown hair.
- 4. SHOW, NOT TELL! 1. What is good to show? The horrible accident that cost John his left leg. 1. Use dialogue to show. Instead of you telling, get your character to talk to another character.
- 5. SHOW, NOT TELL! 3. Use action to show a quality your character possesses e.g. mischievous. 4. Show by description. Describe what you can see, hear, smell, taste or touch/feel. Engage the some of the five senses. Tell: The room was in a mess. Show: Clothes were strewn all over the room. The bed was unmade and a smelly pillow stained with dark patches of grease was on it.
- 6. STRETCH THE ACTION Summary (Tell): The lift was jammed. Sam was trapped inside. (Show) The lift jerked as it began moving to the tenth floor of Sam’s flat. Grunk…grunk…it went as it inched its way to the fifth floor. Sam was too exhausted to pay attention to the noise. He just wanted to get home. Once the display showed “9”, the lift gave an extra loud, shuddering sound and stopped suddenly – GRONK! It was as if it took one last breath. Before Sam could react, the lights went off and everything was pitch dark. He could not see anything. “Argh!” he let out, feeling extremely annoyed. He reached his hand to touch the lift panel, hoping to find the emergency button that he could press for help.
- 7. USE YOUR FIVE SENSES AND EMOTIONS. FOCUS ON 2 OR 3 SENSES, NOT ALL. See Touch Feel Hear Speech/Dialogue Emotions The lift jerked as it began moving to the tenth floor of Sam’s flat. Grunk…grunk…it went as it inched its way to the fifth floor. Sam was too exhausted to pay attention to the noise. He just wanted to get home. Once the display showed “9”, the lift gave an extra loud, shuddering sound and stopped suddenly – GRONK! It was as if it took one last breath. Before Sam could react, the lights went off and everything was pitch dark. He could not see anything. “Argh!” he let out, feeling extremely annoyed. He reached his hand to touch the lift panel, hoping to find the emergency button that he could
- 8. WHICH ARE THE SENSES? His father rose while it was still very dark to go to work and his mother was awake as well to fix him whatever was available for breakfast. They had stayed up late last night discussing the 'friend' Charlie had told his mother about. Mr. Bucket had finally decided that Mrs. Bucket was right and he didn't have the heart to forbid Charlie's exchanging waves with the stranger. He kissed his wife warmly and opened the door to leave for the toothpaste factory, only to stumble over a basket that lay just outside. It was a rather large basket. Curious as to what it could contain, he brought it back inside. "What is that, dear?” "I don't know," Mr. Bucket answered his wife truthfully. She turned from where she was working to come see what he had. The first thing they found was that the cloth that covered the basket was actually a blanket, a large, woolen blanket, very warm and soft and pink. Never had they touched such soft wool. As Mrs. Bucket rubbed her cheek against it, she discovered that it was not the least bit scratchy as wool
- 9. WHICH ARE THE SENSES SHOWN? His father rose while it was still very dark to go to work and his mother was awake as well to fix him whatever was available for breakfast. They had stayed up late last night discussing the 'friend' Charlie had told his mother about. Mr. Bucket had finally decided that Mrs. Bucket was right and he didn't have the heart to forbid Charlie's exchanging waves with the stranger. He kissed his wife warmly and opened the door to leave for the toothpaste factory, only to stumble over a basket that lay just outside. It was a rather large basket. Curious as to what it could contain, he brought it back inside. "What is that, dear?” "I don't know,” Mr. Bucket answered his wife truthfully. She turned from where she was working to come see what he had. The first thing they found was that the cloth that covered the basket was actually a blanket, a large, woolen blanket, very warm and soft and pink. Never had they touched such soft wool. As Mrs. Bucket rubbed her cheek against it, she discovered that it was not the least bit scratchy as wool frequently was. Dialogues Sight Sight Touch Emotions https://www.fanfiction.net/s/2607422/6/Chocociology
- 10. TRY STRETCHING THE ACTION WITH 2 OR 3 OF THE 5 SENSES WITH EMOTIONS & DIALOGUES! What do you…? • see • hear • taste • smell • feel (touch) What are the…? • emotions • dialogues