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2020 Writing with Tiff

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 Table of Contents

Introduction ------------------------------------- 4

Body Language --------------------------------- 5

Body Language Practice 1 ---------------------6

Body Language Practice 2 ---------------------7

Facial Expressions ------------------------------8

Facial Expressions Practice 1 -----------------9

Facial Expressions Practice 2 --------------- 10

Vocal Cues ------------------------------------- 11

Vocal Cues Practice 1 -------------------------12

Vocal Cues Practice 2 -------------------------13

Mixing It All Together ----------------------- 14

Mixing It All Together Practice -------------15

Thank You! -------------------------------------16

 Introduction

Show, don't tell is a very popular saying in the writing world, and for good

reason. Showing gives readers the chance to stretch their imagination

muscles and allows them to "see" your words. There have been many

heated debates on social media about how book characters "should" look in

the movie versions. And this is because those authors gently showed what

the characters looked like, and left the rest up to the imaginations of their

readers.

When we talk to people in everyday life, we don't say things like "She is

very happy." We would simply see her smile and know she was happy. We

look at faces and body language and use those cues to figure out what's

going on. This is what we want to get across in writing. Our goal is to paint

a picture that the reader will see, but by using our words.

If you aren't familiar with this concept, fear not, for I am here to save you

from your telling ways! By the time you complete this course, you'll be

showin' with the rest of the big-time authors out there!

Let's figure out a few ways to get those imaginations working...

2020 ©Writing with Tiff

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 Body Language
Body language plays a huge role in how we communicate on a daily basis.

An angry person might cross their arms while a sad person will sit hunched

over. Think about all of the ways you've gotten your emotions across using

only your body.

Tanya's fists were balled tightly by her sides as her boss yelled at her.

Would a happy person do that while being yelled at? Probably not. But an

angry or frustrated person would. From that sentence, you can gather that

Tanya is bottling up a bunch of not-so-great feelings. You can imagine the

scene because you know what it looks like to ball a fist, and you know that

is something angry people do. Plus, it's just plain more imaginative than

this:

Tanya's boss yelled at her and made her angry.

Yes, we know she's angry. She's being yelled at, of course she's angry!

However, you have to leave it up to your reader to figure that out after

giving them a few good clues that show them what's happening.

Think of some other ways people can show anger using their bodies. Angry

people stomp, their bodies get stiff... can you think of any others? What do

angry people do in movies?

2020 ©Writing with Tiff

On the next page, I want you to rewrite the sentences using everything

below the neck: body language.

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 Body Language Practice
Rewrite the following sentences to show feelings using body language.

Sienna was feeling sick.

Bradley was shocked by the surprise party.

Demi was confused.

Linda was nervous.

2020 ©Writing with Tiff

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 Body Language Practice
Now I want you to rewrite the sentences using telling instead of showing.

Joe shrugged his shoulders when I asked him where the bathroom was.

Layla tapped her pencil against the desk as she watched the clock.

Simone raised her arms after winning the race.

Morgan stomped away from the store.

2020 ©Writing with Tiff

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 Facial Expressions
As a writer, it takes a lot of creativity to show with your words. Sometimes,

you just want to throw in the towel and say "Jane was sad." But we can't do

that. We have to stretch our minds and try to deliver the best story possible

for our readers. Showing has a major part in doing that.

Using our faces is the most common way we express ourselves. Imagine a

little girl waking up on Christmas morning. Her eyes wide with anticipation,

eyebrows raised in excitement, a wide smile spread across her face. If you

were to see this scene in a movie, you would know the little girl is really

excited about opening those gifts. And that's just from a description of her

facial expressions. We recognize these movements and imagine them

happening as we read. These descriptions are relatable because we've all

done them or seen them.

That's what this is all about: writing in a way that is relatable, so the reader

can "see" what's happening.

She chewed on her bottom lip as she took the test.

We all know that tests can make people nervous. And what's something that

nervous people do? They bite on their lip. This creates a picture that we can

relate to. As opposed to:

She was nervous as she took the test.

There is nothing special about this because almost everyone is nervous

2020 ©Writing with Tiff

when testing. But when you add the lip biting, that stands out as different.

Everyone has their own nervous ticks. Show them in your writing!

I'd like you to test (get it?) your skills on the next page.

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 Facial Expressions Practice

Fill in the pyramids with all of the facial expressions that you can think of

for each word. For instance, someone who is satisfied may give a small

smirk or an eyebrow raise.

Confused

Bored Shy

Relaxed Sleepy

2020 ©Writing with Tiff

Embarrassed

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 Facial Expressions Practice
How can you show what someone is feeling? Use the facial expressions you

wrote on the previous page to help you write showing sentences about each

word.

Bored

Embarrassed

Shy
2020 ©Writing with Tiff

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 Vocal Cues

Another way we express ourselves is through our voices. Joy, anger,

confidence. Every emotion can be clearly expressed just from a sound

someone makes.

Frank was scared of dogs.

How do we show with this one? We'll use the voice. What kinds of noises

do scared people make? They scream, they yelp, they laugh nervously, they

ask for help. Let's try this one again.

Frank gasped and called for help when he noticed

a stray dog approaching him.

That's better! We are showing Frank making a startled noise and asking for

help when he sees the dog. Someone who loves dogs wouldn't make that

sound while yelling for help, so we can gather that Frank is either scared of

dogs, or he's really uncomfortable around them.

Confident people speak loudly. Shy people speak softly and may even

mumble. Excited people squeal. Bored people speak a little monotone. So

many sounds can express so many emotions.

Let's see what you can scream up (I'm on a roll!) on the next page...
2020 ©Writing with Tiff

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 Vocal Cues Practice

Think of the sounds people make to express themselves. Fill in the blanks

using vocal cues to complete these showing sentences.

Camilla _____________________________________ when the lightning

struck near her house.

Max _____________________________________ as she lowered her

body into the warm hot tub.

Jacob jumped out of his chair and ________________________________

when he learned he got the job.

2020 ©Writing with Tiff

Juan _____________________________________ after seeing that he

failed his test.

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 Vocal Cues Practice
What are people feeling when they make certain sounds? Write your own

showing sentences using the words below.

Groan Wobbly voice

2020 ©Writing with Tiff

Sigh Grumble

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 Mixing It All Together

You've practiced different ways to show readers what's happening in a

story, and now the time has come for you to start using them all together.

Every one of the previous lessons have prepared you for this. I believe in

you!

Sentences that mix different cues pack a powerful punch that really help

show what you're trying to say.

Amanda jumped back and screamed when a ghost

emerged at the haunted house.

We can relate to this. We've seen this in movies. Some of us have even

experienced a haunted house ourselves. And since we have seen it before,

this description allows us to use our imaginations and see it in our minds as

if we were there.

Telling sentences are boring. They do all of the work for us! Readers love

figuring things out by using clues in the words they read, so give them the

chance to figure things out! They'll thank you for showing them instead of

doing this:

Amanda was really scared at the haunted house.

Don't haunt (heehee!) your readers by telling! Practice mixing it all

2020 ©Writing with Tiff

together on the next page.

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 Mixing It All Together Practice

Think of all the ways people express themselves using their voices and

bodies and sounds. Mix up the sentences below and take them from telling

to showing.

Mia was tired. His room is really dirty.

Zach tried to avoid the sunlight. The kitchen was very clean.

2020 ©Writing with Tiff

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 Thank You!

You've reached the end of your journey with Show, Don't Tell! Thank you so much for

going on this ride with me. I know there's tons of curriculum out there, and I thank you

for giving mine a shot.

If you enjoyed using this with your students, please consider leaving a review at my

Teachers Pay Teachers store, it would really mean a lot. Plus, you'll get credit

towards a future purchase! Win-win for both of us!

A huge thank you to Cecille Alonzo-Solmerano, who helped me improve my covers

big time!

Page borders were provided by YoMe Art & Design.

If you'd like to look at more of my work in this Improve Writing Series, take a look at

Using Five Senses - Using The 5 Senses to Improve Creative Writing

Plotting A Story Made Easy - A Step-By-Step Guide to Plotting An Engaging

Story

If you have any questions or just want to chat, don't hesitate to email me at

[email protected]. Good luck, and thanks again!

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