Limit the Number of People

One or two people is usually enough for a story.  Too many people make things hard to imagine.

Limit the Amount of Time

Have the example take place over a short time. That makes it easier for the reader to “see” it.

Remember, the example is best if it is ONE day long or, better, a few minutes. Do not summarize a bunch of examples.  Use ONE.

Task 2.6.2 – Individual

So far you should have something like this:

I had a problem with a talking dog.

I have always loved dogs. For example, I used to have a red lab named Rusty. One day, it – 

In one sentence, tell what the dog did or what happened to it.

Use Action Words

Including action words helps listeners feel they are in the scene.

Weak: There was a rattlesnake on a rock.

Better: A rattlesnake slithered hissing across the rock.

Task 2.6.3 – Individaul

Choose ONE day that shows how you felt in the second sentence you created in Task 2.  You will now have something like this:

I had a problem with a talking dog.

I have always loved dogs. For example, I used to have a red lab named Rusty. One day, he – 

Task 2.6.4 – Individual

Close your eyes. Relax.  Let yourself see what happened in the example. What things do you see? What do you hear?  What do you smell?  What kind of physical feelings do you have, such as something touching your skin? What kind of emotional feelings do you have? Exactly what actions take place?

Task 2.6.5 – Tandem

When you open your eyes, you, your teacher or parent, or your classmate will ask you questions, such as

• What happened?
• Where were you exactly?
• What kind of weather was it?
• How did you feel about what happened?
• What did the people or animal look like exactly?

Write down the answers or have someone else do it.

The result will look like a grocery list. 

I loved Jackson, my golden retriever. He was crazy about catching Frisbees.  One day, it