writers paintbrush

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A Writer’s A Writer’s Paintbrush: Paintbrush: Participle Phrases Participle Phrases Inspired by Harry Noden Inspired by Harry Noden

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Grammar slideshow using mentor texts and visual prompts

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Page 1: Writers Paintbrush

A Writer’s A Writer’s Paintbrush: Paintbrush:

Participle PhrasesParticiple PhrasesInspired by Harry NodenInspired by Harry Noden

Page 2: Writers Paintbrush

Writer as ArtistWriter as Artist

A writer is an artist, showing the reader A writer is an artist, showing the reader the world through new eyes.the world through new eyes.

Brian Jacques, a well-known novelist, Brian Jacques, a well-known novelist, says, “says, “Paint. That’s the magic word. Paint. That’s the magic word. Paint pictures with words. The Paint pictures with words. The pictures will appear in the pictures will appear in the imagination so the person reading it imagination so the person reading it can say, ‘I see that.can say, ‘I see that.’”’”

Page 3: Writers Paintbrush

When an author lacks a visual eye, When an author lacks a visual eye, writing has no heart and soul: writing has no heart and soul: images lie lifeless like cadavers in a images lie lifeless like cadavers in a morgue.morgue.

Compare the following Compare the following descriptions of the same scene…descriptions of the same scene…

Page 4: Writers Paintbrush

Telling:Telling:

““It was winter. Everything was It was winter. Everything was frozen and white with snow. frozen and white with snow. Snow had fallen from the sky for Snow had fallen from the sky for days. The weather was horrible.”days. The weather was horrible.”

Page 5: Writers Paintbrush

ShowingShowingMossflower lay deep in the grip of Mossflower lay deep in the grip of

midwinter beneath a sky of midwinter beneath a sky of leaden gray that showed leaden gray that showed tinges of scarlet and orange on tinges of scarlet and orange on the horizon. A cold mantle of the horizon. A cold mantle of snow draped the landscape, snow draped the landscape, covering the flatlands to the covering the flatlands to the west. Snow was everywhere, west. Snow was everywhere, filling the ditches, drifting high filling the ditches, drifting high against the hedgerows, against the hedgerows, making paths invisible, making paths invisible, smoothing the contours of smoothing the contours of earth in its white embrace.earth in its white embrace.

Page 6: Writers Paintbrush

So what’s the difference?So what’s the difference?

TellingTelling the reader, nothing is left to the reader, nothing is left to the imagination: simply stated “it was the imagination: simply stated “it was snowing.”snowing.”

To To show show the reader, give them the reader, give them observable details: “the air was 32 observable details: “the air was 32 degrees, wind howled in the trees, degrees, wind howled in the trees, and frozen precipitation fell from the and frozen precipitation fell from the sky.” sky.” ShowingShowing lets the reader lets the reader inferinfer the facts and the facts and visualizevisualize the scene. the scene.

Page 7: Writers Paintbrush

So how do I show, not tell?So how do I show, not tell?

There are five basic “brushstrokes” that There are five basic “brushstrokes” that writers can use. writers can use.

Each brushstroke is a sentence Each brushstroke is a sentence structure that helps readers to see in structure that helps readers to see in their minds’ eyes.their minds’ eyes.

The first of these is participles.The first of these is participles.

Page 8: Writers Paintbrush

What is a Participle?What is a Participle?

The simple definition: an –ing verb The simple definition: an –ing verb tagged on to the beginning or end of tagged on to the beginning or end of a sentence.a sentence.

An example:An example: Hissing, slithering, and coilingHissing, slithering, and coiling, the , the

diamond-scaled snakes attacked their diamond-scaled snakes attacked their prey.prey.

Hissing, slithering, and coilingHissing, slithering, and coiling are are participles which let the reader see the participles which let the reader see the snake vividly.snake vividly.

Page 9: Writers Paintbrush

Participle Participle PhrasesPhrases

Writers can also add participial Writers can also add participial phrases—a participle along with any phrases—a participle along with any modifiers to complete the image.modifiers to complete the image.

Hissing their forked red tongues and Hissing their forked red tongues and coiling their cold bodies,coiling their cold bodies, the diamond- the diamond-scaled snakes attacked their prey.scaled snakes attacked their prey. This method creates an even more This method creates an even more

detailed image for the reader.detailed image for the reader.

Page 10: Writers Paintbrush

Earnest Hemingway uses Earnest Hemingway uses participlesparticiples

Shifting the weight of the line to his left Shifting the weight of the line to his left shoulder and kneeling carefully,shoulder and kneeling carefully, he he washed his hand in the ocean and washed his hand in the ocean and held it there, held it there, submergedsubmerged, for more , for more than a minute, than a minute, watching the blood trail watching the blood trail away and the steady movement of the away and the steady movement of the water against his hand as the boat water against his hand as the boat moved.moved.

Page 11: Writers Paintbrush

Some student-written examples:Some student-written examples:

““Flying through the air Flying through the air on the wings of a on the wings of a dreamdream, the Olympic , the Olympic long jumper thrust long jumper thrust the weight of his the weight of his whole body whole body forward.”forward.”

~Cathleen Conry~Cathleen Conry

Page 12: Writers Paintbrush

““The rhino, The rhino, caught in caught in

the tangled ropethe tangled rope, ,

looked for freedom.”looked for freedom.”

~Erika Schreckengost~Erika Schreckengost

Page 13: Writers Paintbrush

““The clown, The clown, appearing bright appearing bright and cheerful,and cheerful, smiled smiled and did his act with and did his act with unusual certainty for unusual certainty for someone who had someone who had just killed a man.”just killed a man.”

~Christi Flick~Christi Flick

Page 14: Writers Paintbrush

Use participle phrases to Use participle phrases to describe these scenes.describe these scenes.

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For more practice:For more practice:

Look for a picture at home: in the Look for a picture at home: in the newspaper, a magazine, the internet, newspaper, a magazine, the internet, etc. and write a paragraph describing etc. and write a paragraph describing what is going on in the picture, using what is going on in the picture, using participles.participles.