Anecdotes

Working with the Abstraction Ladder

Look back at Dr. King’s speech. Highlight ALL the concrete images and details

Where is Dr. King working on the abstraction ladder?

What effect does this have?

The #1 Rule: Show, Don’t Tell Abstract words are general ideas that

represent conclusions you have made.

Love Hate Serenity Nervousness Indecision Fear Passion

Use Concrete Images Instead of using these abstract words, use

concrete images to SHOW those ideas. Pick three of the following words and

write a descriptive sentence or two that conveys the meaning of that word without using the actual word.

• Content• Dependent• Violent

• Joyful• Lonely

This Also Works for Characters

If you have a character that is rich and flashy, you don’t say they are rich, you say:

“Her large diamond ring threw off darts of light like a miniature disco ball as she talked and gestured with her hands.”

Snapshot of A Moment “Dad took me ice fishing.”

“Dad knelt beside me by the ice hole, his hand in the icy water reaching for the perch that slipped back in.”

Your turn: Create a picture with words of a specific moment you have experienced.

Snapshot of a Place “It was a large room with no central heating

and a stone floor. There were five windows along one wall but no sun shining through the windows.”

“The room loomed large and cold and the gray light outside stopped where the windows began.”

Your turn: Create a picture of a specific place. You are not just describing a place, you are crafting a single, specific image.

Create a Mood

Using the place you just described, re-write your snapshot to create a

specific mood different from the one you already have. If the mood in the snapshoot is gloomy, make it happy or funny. Figure out which details you

need to add, remove, or change to create a different mood.

Use Your Binoculars Explode a moment. What does it

look, smell, taste, feel, sound like?

Don’t skip to the next day or hour. Really focus in.

Close your eyes and visualize. What was happening?

The Writing DVR Play Fast Forward

• Transitions like, “the next day” or “the next year”

• Careful, don’t lose your exploded moment Pause

• Freeze frame and get into it. Give your character a place to insert a thought or use sensory details

Rewind• Flashbacks. Use a memory!

USE DIALOGUE

You’ve got at least two characters. Make ‘em talk. We learn a lot about people from what they say and how they

say it.