Zoom In 
Think about it. What makes a great narrative or descriptive piece of writing interesting? What makes a book a 'page turner' ? It is being able to see, hear, think, smell, touch even taste with the characters in the story. Essentially, it is being able to experience mentally, everything the character does. But how is this done? Good writers do this by 'zooming in.'
Zooming in means that the writer slows down on a particular scene in the writing, and uses showing sentences to describe it. Through the use of showing sentences, the writer creates a vivid picture in the mind of the reader, almost as if he/she is right there, watching the scene unfold. This is what captivates readers.
(Source: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/FREE-Writing-Strategies-Poster-Show-Dont-Tell-Poster-Anchor-Chart-3966517)
Learning about this particular strategy has made me more intentional as a writer, to make use of more showing, rather than telling sentences when writing my narrative pieces. It is also a strategy that students will benefit from learning, to help them improve the quality of their stories.
When searching for more information on this strategy, I stumbled upon another blog where the author offers tips on how to 'zoom in' when writing. If you get a chance, check out the blog below
https://livinglifetwice-alwrite.blogspot.com/2012/10/learning-how-to-zoom-in-when-writing.html
Hey Shevon, I also appreciated the 'Zooming in' technique. This has already helped me to improve in my ability to show rather than tell when writing naratives.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing the link to the livinglifetwice blog. One point I appreciated was the need for teachers to provide authentic examples from Children's Literature, our own writing and writing by students as a way for them to clearly grasp how to 'Zoom in'.
I found an example of 'Zooming in' in Children's Literature in a story entitled "Jabari Jumps", that your students may enjoy. Let me know what you think about it. Here's the link to the story. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XJc8jybWYLU
Hey Erica, thanks for sharing this story. After listening to it, I can see what you mean. The author's use of the 'zooming in' strategy, really brought the story to life, and made it believable and exciting. I can't wait to share this story with my students, I just know they will enjoy it too.
ReplyDeleteI am happy that you found the story exciting. Let me know what your students think about it when you try it with them.
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ReplyDeleteHello ladies, I share the same viewpoint that the 'Zooming in' technique has tremendous benefits to both students and teachers. Personally, the session on 'Zooming' has contributed to a heightened awareness of the effectiveness of using more showing sentences in my writing rather than telling.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Shevon for sharing the link to the blog livinglifetwice. It was quite insightful with several pertinent points that stood out. Firstly, interesting to note that the strategy 'Zooming in' can be referred to as 'exploding a moment’ ‘magnifying a moment', ‘hotspot’ ‘snapshot’, ‘adding detail’, or ‘slowing the action.’ Secondly, a teacher can help students conceptualize the strategy, with the use of children's literature, their writing, and writing by students. Thirdly, I was reminded to always to provide opportunities for practice in the classroom.
Also, special thanks to Erica for sharing the story "Jabari Jumps". In my judgement, the book is a perfect example that can show students how to zoom in as they create pieces. This book will definitely be added to my collection
As the saying goes the lens captures it all so too the eyes of the reader. The essence of ones writing can be captured by the reader as you rightfully stated through Zooming (Show, Don't Tell sentences).
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