Title: Don’t Tell
Author: Owner
Last saved by: de Boer, Joanna
Company: School District 67 - Okanagan Skaha

The Tiny Narrative				Name: ________________
Goal: The goal of this activity is to get you writing. Rather than starting with complicated characters, plots, and twists, we’re starting with your own life. Focus on the writing, less on the creating an original idea. 

Requirements:
•	Write about an incident from your early life.
•	150-200 words.
•	Focus on using a variety of sentence lengths.
•	At least 5 lines of dialogue.
•	Hit the five senses, especially the ones we don’t normally get: sound, taste, touch, smell.
•	Enhance the most important moment with a metaphor.
•	Well proofread.
Grading
A+ - You met all of the requirements, your descriptions were excellent, and your metaphor was most visceral. Perfectly proofread. 
A - You met all of the requirements, your descriptions were excellent, and your metaphor was most visceral. Proofreading needs just a bit of help. 
B - You met all of the requirements. Your descriptions were pretty good, and you used a metaphor for your most important moment. You have some proofreading errors. 
C - You met most of the requirements. OR You didn’t meet the word length requirements. OR You need serious proofreading. 
D - You tried to meet the requirements, but then got bored or something, because you didn’t meet them all and the narrative is unfinished. OR You have numerous grammar mistakes. 
F - I can’t tell that you care about this assignment. 

Prompt:

Don’t Tell.  Show!

Directions: On a separate sheet of paper, make the following “telling statements” show.  You will change the sentences and add new things, but be sure to express the original idea. 

Examples

Telling: Tom didn’t want to go to school today.
Showing: Tom threw his books into his bag, crumpling his half-complete homework; he sighed.

Telling: Mike didn’t want to go find the lost puppy.
Showing:  When Mike’s mother asked him to find the lost puppy, Mike groaned, “Do I have to, Mom?”

Telling: Reading was Jay’s favorite class.
Showing: Jay waited the whole day to go to reading class and he always smiled when he got there.

1.	I was really mad.
2.	She was tired from having stayed up late.
3.	Alec wasn’t paying attention to the teacher.
4.	They were playing around during class.
5.	He was bored while she was telling her story.
6.	I was really happy.
7.	Both of the children were sad. 
8.	He was really good at playing basketball.
9.	Sammy was hungry.
10.	 The two boys were about to fight one another.  
11.	 My mom was disappointed.
12.	 His room was a mess.
13.	 The teacher was frustrated.
14.	 Tamika was nice to Rica. 
15.	 Max, our dog, didn’t like Mom’s new boyfriend.
16.	 The pizza was delicious.
17.	 Suzie was very depressed.
18.	 Vince was surprised when his girlfriend stopped by the store where he worked.
19.	 I have a crush on Shelia.  
20.	 Rick was excited when the newscaster announced that the school would be closed today.