tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6632249142954767681.post8252259892077145727..comments2023-08-04T06:26:40.308-04:00Comments on Avalon Authors: Show and tell--on a high school levelSandy Codyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02824301408180614516noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6632249142954767681.post-60313411148718351502009-05-21T12:47:33.693-04:002009-05-21T12:47:33.693-04:00Carol,
I'm even crazier than you think. I agreed...Carol, <br />I'm even crazier than you think. I agreed to do three periods next week at the local high school, no agenda, just be in the library. Luckily, my children are long out of the school, so there's no danger of embarrassing them, just me. Maybe I should bring the box.Joani Ascherhttp://www.joaniascher.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6632249142954767681.post-33286810635186053612009-05-21T11:10:17.696-04:002009-05-21T11:10:17.696-04:00Joani,
As a former high school teacher, I admire y...Joani,<br />As a former high school teacher, I admire you for volunteering for your friend's class. High schoolers are a hard audience.<br /><br />Your show and tell box might not have blown them away...but it was a great tool for a reality check. Like the idea.Carol Hutchenshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08779187615935129923noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6632249142954767681.post-40593884794518380052009-05-21T10:50:58.544-04:002009-05-21T10:50:58.544-04:00I had lots of "show and tell" practice in elementa...I had lots of "show and tell" practice in elementary school, but it took a long time to translate that to the "Show, Don't Tell" of writing. I finally started to get a handle on it when a fellow writer asked, "What does the emotion LOOK like?" I tell you I hate you, but what behavior, what facial expressions, what tone of voice completely reinforces what I told you? I like a book by Ann Hood called "Creating Character Emotions". She takes each emotion and presents examples of how to "show" it. <br /><br />By the way, I loved the box idea, Joani. I think it would work well as a reality check for writers. Then giving the flip side, the creative joy, the excitement of characters, would be an interesting presentation. Hm-m-m.LaVerne St. Georgehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07943062495313537655noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6632249142954767681.post-32497847662063997972009-05-21T09:17:16.653-04:002009-05-21T09:17:16.653-04:00Hmmm. I guess I took it for granted that people u...Hmmm. I guess I took it for granted that people universally had show and tell, which they start in pre-school here, as a background. It is, in some ways, an easy introduction into public speaking. But don't worry about it if you didn't do it as a child--it doesn't automatically make those who have experienced it know how to "Show, don't tell" in writing.Joani Ascherhttp://www.joaniascher.gmail.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6632249142954767681.post-34473311295512171102009-05-21T08:47:54.722-04:002009-05-21T08:47:54.722-04:00I don't remember the 'show don't tell' phrase from...I don't remember the 'show don't tell' phrase from school. I first heard it in relation to romance writing when I started reading articles about writing for the genre.<br /><br />We never had show and tell sessions at school either and neither did my children. In my day it was 'sit there and be quiet.'Elisabeth Rosehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10847216542954007974noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6632249142954767681.post-78471205357764649592009-05-21T07:48:04.716-04:002009-05-21T07:48:04.716-04:00I've only ever heard the sentence "show, don't tel...I've only ever heard the sentence "show, don't tell", when I started to delve deeper into writing (in English). From what I see, that concept is not taught in Germany. I thought it was a good sentence, though, that makes sense and makes it clear what is wanted. Now I sometimes find it hard to come back from all those moving eyebrows and to state simply that someone looks stunned. :-) I loved the idea with the box! It shows how much hard work went into that career!Beate Boekerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16299015488989360031noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6632249142954767681.post-3369725065403390812009-05-21T06:30:38.439-04:002009-05-21T06:30:38.439-04:00This is an oblique question, but to the best of my...This is an oblique question, but to the best of my knowledge there's no great tradition of show and tell in most schools around the world. I've only ever seen it on American tv shows, but I assume from your post it is a common thing. <br /><br />Now, many writers, including myself, struggle when they first come across the standard piece of writing advice to show and not tell and I've often wondered if that might be because for some of us it's not a concept that's been taught or a phrase that's in common use. Does this theory hold up? Did those here who are familiar with show and tell in school grasp the concept with ease when applied to writing, perhaps even recalling school sessions, or is this a pet theory I should quietly forget?I.J. Parnhamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08933834936324859175noreply@blogger.com