Showing vs Telling (PowerPoint)

							     Showing vs. Telling




“Don’t just say the old lady screamed.
  Bring her on and let her scream.”
             ~ Mark Twain
Tell: It was a hot day.

Show: As Alicia stepped into the white hot
 light of noon, she felt her black hair attract
 the sun’s rays and begin to fry her head.
Tell: Charlie looked sad.

Show: Charlie's rear end sagged and his
 head drooped so low his ears dragged on
 the ground.
Tell: Mrs. Parker was nosy. She gossiped
 about her neighbors.
Show: Turning the blinds ever so slightly, Mrs.
 Parker could just peek through the window and
 see the Ford Explorer parked in the driveway.
 She squinted her eyes so she could get a better
 view of the tall, muscular man getting out of the
 vehicle and walking up to Mrs. Jones' front door.
 He rang the doorbell. When Mrs. Jones opened
 the door and welcomed the stranger into her
 home with a hug, Mrs. Parker gasped and ran to
 her phone.
Tell: The pizza was delicious.

Show: Steam rising up off the melted
 cheese made my mouth water. The first
 bite, my teeth sinking into the cheese
 through the tomato sauce and into the
 moist crust, made me chew and swallow
 rapidly. Even the cheese and tomato
 sauce, sticking to my fingertips, begged to
 be licked.
Tell: He is angry.

Show: Sitting at his desk, his jaw tightened.
 His eyes flashed heat waves at me. The
 words erupted from his mouth, "I want to
 talk to you after class." The final hiss in his
 voice warned me about his feelings.
Tell: The morning was beautiful.

Show: Behind the mountains, the sun
 peaked brightly, ready to start a new day.
 The blue sky remained silent yet showed
 signs of sadness. The wind whispered
 through the trees as the cheerful sun rose.
 The birds sang gently by my window as if
 they wanted to wake me up.
Tell: His uniform was uncomfortable. (about
  a soldier)

Show: His stock had rubbed permanent
 rawness under his chin, his shoulders were
 welted by the weight of his haversack, his
 feet slid inside boots misshapen into
 leather lumps, his gun was so heavy it had
 dug a groove in his palm and he'd been
 half-minded to throw it into the trees .
Tell: The passengers on the plane looked
 sleepy as they gathered their luggage.



Show: As the pilot announced the end of
 their six-hour flight, the passengers
 yawned and rubbed their eyes while
 stuffing stray personal items into carry-on
 bags.
Tell: The house seemed deserted.




Show: A floorboard creaked under my foot as
 I stepped over the threshold. Not even a
 curtain stirred at he open window as my
 eyes swept the room, and the ticking clock
 over the mantel echoed in the stillness.
Directions: Change the following paragraph
 from a telling paragraph into a showing
 paragraph.


I was afraid as I walked down the pathway. It
was dark outside and I felt nervous when the
wind began to move the plants and trees. Trees
were on both sides of the path and only a
single light stood halfway down the path.