Snapshots and Thoughtshots Snapshots Show Dont Tell Maybe

Snapshots and Thoughtshots

Snapshots

Show, Don’t Tell… • Maybe you’ve heard this good advice from teacher. • Writing gets better the more we can zoom in on specific concrete details to make powerful feelings come alive.

• Don’t write about how bad your day was at school. • Instead, describe the inky pen stain on your pants, the scab forming on your grass-stained knee, the smashed peanut butter sandwich which was supposed to be your lunch, the crumpled chemistry test in your back pack.

Point and Shoot

• When a writer describes a place, it’s like a photographer slipping into a room with three loaded cameras her neck. • He/she points and shoots, and new details emerge from each angle and each click of the shutter.

Locate the EXPERIENCE portion of your personal essay • Read your experience at this point • Did you show or tell the reader about your experience? • Consider the following…can your reader tell: – Where was I? What did it look like? – Whom was I with? – What did I notice around me? – How did I feel before, during, and after the experience?

Thoughtshots

What about “Tell, Don’t Show”? ? • We’ve talked about “show don’t tell, ” but is there a time when it’s better to tell your reader rather than show your reader?

• There is a time in writing when it’s better to “tell, don’t show. ” When you do this, you go into the thoughts of how you feel, what you’re thinking, dreaming, imagining, etc. • These are called “thoughtshots. ” • In a thoughtshot, you let your reader see what’s going on in the head of your characters.

Hmm, how can I use thoughtshots in my writing?

Using Thought shots • Find your “Warrant, ” or the reflection in which you explain how your experience confirmed or helped to form your belief. • Ask yourself the following. Does the reader… – Does the reader know the thoughts that went through my head during my experience? – Does the reader know how I’ve grown as a result of the experience? – Does the reader see who I really am as a result of my thoughtshot?

Off you go!! • Add a Snap Shot to your experience • Add a Thought Shot to your reflection • Write these on separate paper OR on your draft. Be prepared to show what you revised! » Look at the examples from some popular stories for guidance!