Sweet.

1. Description!By Mr. O and other nice people from HRHS.(Like his teacher aide) Oh, and the internet. Sweet. • Adapted from http//wwwmontanalifecom/writing/descriptive_writing_techniques.html

2. “… everything in life is writable about if you have the outgoing guts to do it, and the imagination to improvise. The worst enemy to creativity is self-doubt.” ~Sylvia Plath

3. Show, Don’t Tell • Don’t tell readers what you want them to see, rather, describe the event or scene using active verbs and vibrant adjectives. • “Don’t tell me the moon is shining; show me the glint of light on broken glass.” ~Anton Chekhow • Use five senses: see, hear, taste, touch, smell

4. If You’re Stuck, Sketch • Draw a picture of what you’re writing about • Visualize it in your mind, or look at. • Explore the details • Don’t worry about being an artist. • “Sketching the object gives you a creative outlet for when you are struggling with putting pen to paper.”

5. Decide What’s Important • Too much description can overbear your reader, and you! • Stop when the “picture is painted.” • Let the story unfold in a timely fashion. • Don’t let your reader think, “Okay! I’ve got it already!!!”

6. Write. Be patient. Write again. • Great ideas take time • Write often and about many topics • Use your journal to “scribble” ideas • Forget fears • Open your heart and mind.

7. Is There More Info? • Of course, but let’s be realistic, we have an entire semester!

8. Here’s a Picture of Shel Silverstein- one of my favorite poets. I hope my beard looks like this someday!