It’s All in the It’s All in the Details…Details…Linza ToddLinza Todd

Why use details?Why use details?

They help you as an author do They help you as an author do your job; which is to describe your job; which is to describe with your words so that the with your words so that the reader can visualize what you reader can visualize what you are talking about.are talking about.

Details make writing Details make writing exciting!exciting!

Why use details?Why use details? Just a few details in your writing make all the Just a few details in your writing make all the

difference in the world.difference in the world. Readers want lots of details so they can picture Readers want lots of details so they can picture

things in their minds.things in their minds. Be sure you explain what you mean.Be sure you explain what you mean. Don’t assume someone will know what you mean.Don’t assume someone will know what you mean.

Why use details?Why use details? The point of writing is to make your The point of writing is to make your

reader see the same exact picture reader see the same exact picture that you had in your head when you that you had in your head when you wrote the words. So, if you just wrote the words. So, if you just mention a "dog," how are they going mention a "dog," how are they going to know the color, size, and to know the color, size, and personality of the dog you envisioned personality of the dog you envisioned if you don't tell them specifically? if you don't tell them specifically?

Let’s see details in action…Let’s see details in action… Here is a sentence without any specific details. Here is a sentence without any specific details.

Can you visualize what I am picturing?Can you visualize what I am picturing?

I walked up to the house and I walked up to the house and knocked on the door.knocked on the door.

What kind of house did you visualize?What kind of house did you visualize?

Let’s try it again…Let’s try it again… Here’s my Here’s my revisedrevised sentence. Using sentence. Using

specific details, can you visualize this specific details, can you visualize this house better?house better?

I skipped up to the small I skipped up to the small white cottage and tapped white cottage and tapped on the faded red door.on the faded red door.

Let’s see details in action…Let’s see details in action… Here is another sentence without any specific Here is another sentence without any specific

details. Can you visualize what I am picturing?details. Can you visualize what I am picturing?

I did a lot of fun stuff on my I did a lot of fun stuff on my birthday.birthday.

What kind of “fun stuff” did you visualize?What kind of “fun stuff” did you visualize?

Let’s try it again…Let’s try it again… Here’s my Here’s my revisedrevised sentence. Using specific details, sentence. Using specific details,

can you visualize this birthday better?can you visualize this birthday better?

On my birthday, I had dinner at On my birthday, I had dinner at my favorite restaurant Olive my favorite restaurant Olive Garden and then went to the Garden and then went to the movies with my friends to see movies with my friends to see Hunger GamesHunger Games..

Now for a paragraph…Now for a paragraph… Here is a paragraph without any specific details. What Here is a paragraph without any specific details. What

do you think?do you think?

Our school is a great place to get an Our school is a great place to get an education. We do many things to learn at education. We do many things to learn at school. We play and have fun and do special school. We play and have fun and do special things in all of our classes. Our teachers things in all of our classes. Our teachers help us learn so we can have a good future.help us learn so we can have a good future.

Here’s the same paragraph, Here’s the same paragraph, but revised with specific but revised with specific details…details…

Our school is a Our school is a great place to get an great place to get an education. We do education. We do many things to learn many things to learn at school. We play at school. We play and have fun and do and have fun and do special things in all of special things in all of our classes. Our our classes. Our teachers help us teachers help us learn so we can have learn so we can have a good future.a good future.

B.B. Harris Elementary is B.B. Harris Elementary is an an incredibleincredible place to get place to get an education. My an education. My amazingamazing teacher lets us play a teacher lets us play a baseball game on the baseball game on the board that teaches us new board that teaches us new vocabulary words, such vocabulary words, such as as conservationconservation. It’s a . It’s a blast. During recess we blast. During recess we play kickball, football, and play kickball, football, and tag. My teacher will do tag. My teacher will do whatever it takes to help whatever it takes to help us learn and have fun!us learn and have fun!

Tips to Remember for Tips to Remember for adding Details…adding Details…

Make them Make them specificspecific. Here’s the difference:. Here’s the difference:

NOT specific: NOT specific: We play and have funWe play and have fun..

Specific: Specific: We play science games that We play science games that teach us about the solar system.teach us about the solar system.

Tips Continued…Tips Continued… Use your Use your sensessenses to describe things: to describe things:

SightSight SoundSound TasteTaste TouchTouch SmellSmell

ExampleExample: : The room was a pale yellow with The room was a pale yellow with beige carpet and smelled like sour milk.beige carpet and smelled like sour milk.

Final Tip…Final Tip…

Writing Task…Writing Task…Playing or having fun can Playing or having fun can mean a variety of things. mean a variety of things.

Listen to the following Listen to the following paragraph…paragraph…

On Saturday afternoons, my friends and I meet On Saturday afternoons, my friends and I meet under the giant old oak tree near the park. We ride under the giant old oak tree near the park. We ride our bikes through the woods and look for animals. our bikes through the woods and look for animals. Sometimes we stop and climb a gigantic tree that Sometimes we stop and climb a gigantic tree that has wooden slats nailed to it to form stairs. I like to has wooden slats nailed to it to form stairs. I like to sit way up top and hold on to the rough branches. sit way up top and hold on to the rough branches. Other times, my friends and I use Benny's metal Other times, my friends and I use Benny's metal detector to hunt for buried objects. Once, we found detector to hunt for buried objects. Once, we found a silver charm bracelet that belonged to Mrs. a silver charm bracelet that belonged to Mrs. Reynolds. I don’t get to see my friends much during Reynolds. I don’t get to see my friends much during the week because we go to different schools, but the week because we go to different schools, but we sure have a ton of fun when we get together on we sure have a ton of fun when we get together on the weekend.the weekend.