The document provides tips for writing by focusing descriptions on stretching out key events and using techniques like showing rather than telling, adding dialogue, thoughts and emotions, and engaging multiple senses. It encourages focusing a story passage on 2-3 senses along with emotions and dialogue to help readers visualize and connect with the scene. Sample passages demonstrate how to incorporate sight, touch, feelings and dialogue to bring a moment to life for the reader.

2. WATCH THIS!

3. STRETCH THE MAIN EVENT!
Instead of writing about too many things, focus on
one event and stretch it.
To do this:
1. Describe the action using the Show, Not Tell
strategy.
2. Add action and suspense.
3. Add dialogue.
4. Add thoughts and emotions.
Adapted from Dr Cheah Yee Min’s “Write It Well!”

4. SHOW, NOT TELL!
• A method to inform your reader about your characters,
action and other story elements
Subject
See
Touch
Emotions or
Thoughts
(Feel)
Hear
Taste
Smell
Dialogues
Adapted from Dr Cheah Yee Min’s “Write It Well!”

5. SHOW, NOT TELL!
1. What is good to show? The horrible accident
that cost John his left leg.
2. Use dialogue to show. Instead of you telling,
get your character to talk to another character.
Adapted from Dr Cheah Yee Min’s “Write It Well!”

6. SHOW, NOT TELL!
3. Use action to show a quality your character
possesses e.g. mischievous.
4. Show by description. Describe what you can
see, hear, smell, taste or touch/feel. Engage the
some of the five senses.
Tell: The room was in a mess.
Show: Clothes were strewn all over the room. The
bed was unmade and a smelly pillow stained with
dark patches of grease was on it.
Adapted from Dr Cheah Yee Min’s “Write It Well!”

7. SHOW, NOT TELL!
5. Add emotions or thoughts to show how
characters are feeling.
Emotion How the body shows this emotion
Anger Heavy breathing or deep silence
Clenched fists
Eyes flashing, nostrils flaring, red cheeks
Happy Eyes beaming
Wearing a grin from ear to ear
Laughing heartily
Terrified Body crouched
Hands covering face
Hands / legs trembling
Clammy palms
Adapted from Dr Cheah Yee Min’s “Write It Well!”

8. STRETCH THE ACTION
Summary (Tell): The lift was jammed. Sam was trapped
inside.
(Show)
The lift jerked as it began moving to the tenth floor of Sam’s
flat. Grunk…grunk…it went as it inched its way to the fifth
floor. Sam was too exhausted to pay attention to the noise.
He just wanted to get home. Once the display showed “9”,
the lift gave an extra loud, shuddering sound and stopped
suddenly – GRONK! It was as if it took one last breath.
Before Sam could react, the lights went off and everything
was pitch dark. He could not see anything. “Argh!” he let out,
feeling extremely annoyed. He reached his hand to touch the
lift panel, hoping to find the emergency button that he could
press for help.

9. USE YOUR FIVE SENSES AND EMOTIONS.
FOCUS ON 2 OR 3 SENSES, NOT ALL.
See Touch Feel Hear Speech/Dialogue
Emotions
The lift jerked as it began moving to the tenth floor of
Sam’s flat. Grunk…grunk…it went as it inched its
way to the fifth floor. Sam was too exhausted to pay
attention to the noise. He just wanted to get home.
Once the display showed “9”, the lift gave an extra
loud, shuddering sound and stopped suddenly –
GRONK! It was as if it took one last breath.
Before Sam could react, the lights went off and
everything was pitch dark. He could not see
anything. “Argh!” he let out, feeling extremely
annoyed. He reached his hand to touch the lift panel,
hoping to find the emergency button that he could

10. WHICH ARE THE SENSES?
His father rose while it was still very dark to go to work and his
mother was awake as well to fix him whatever was available for
breakfast. They had stayed up late last night discussing the 'friend'
Charlie had told his mother about. Mr. Bucket had finally decided
that Mrs. Bucket was right and he didn't have the heart to forbid
Charlie's exchanging waves with the stranger.
He kissed his wife warmly and opened the door to leave for the
toothpaste factory, only to stumble over a basket that lay just
outside. It was a rather large basket. Curious as to what it could
contain, he brought it back inside.
"What is that, dear?”
"I don't know,"
Mr. Bucket answered his wife truthfully. She turned from where she
was working to come see what he had. The first thing they found
was that the cloth that covered the basket was actually a blanket, a
large, woolen blanket, very warm and soft and pink. Never had they
touched such soft wool. As Mrs. Bucket rubbed her cheek against
it, she discovered that it was not the least bit scratchy as wool

11. WHICH ARE THE SENSES SHOWN?
His father rose while it was still very dark to go to work and his
mother was awake as well to fix him whatever was available for
breakfast. They had stayed up late last night discussing the
'friend' Charlie had told his mother about. Mr. Bucket had finally
decided that Mrs. Bucket was right and he didn't have the heart
to forbid Charlie's exchanging waves with the stranger.
He kissed his wife warmly and opened the door to leave for the
toothpaste factory, only to stumble over a basket that lay just
outside. It was a rather large basket. Curious as to what it could
contain, he brought it back inside.
"What is that, dear?”
"I don't know,” Mr. Bucket answered his wife truthfully.
She turned from where she was working to come see what he
had. The first thing they found was that the cloth that covered
the basket was actually a blanket, a large, woolen blanket, very
warm and soft and pink. Never had they touched such soft wool.
As Mrs. Bucket rubbed her cheek against it, she discovered that
it was not the least bit scratchy as wool frequently was.
Dialogues
Sight
Sight
Touch
Emotion
https://www.fanfiction.net/s/2607422/6/Chocociology

12. TRY STRETCHING THE ACTION WITH 2 OR 3
OF THE 5 SENSES WITH EMOTIONS &
DIALOGUES!
What do you…?
• see
• hear
• taste
• smell
• feel (touch)
What are the…?
• emotions
• dialogues