1. Fun with Imagery and Sensory Detail!
(not really)

2. Imagery
Appeals to one or more of the senses (sight, smell, touch, taste, sound)
May be literal or figurative (simile, metaphor, personification)

3. THIS IS HOW YOU SHOW, NOT TELL!

4. Literal Imagery Concrete, specific nouns
Strong, action verbs in active voice (not passive voice)
Sensory modifiers

5. Concrete Nouns Not Concrete Concrete Pride Love Enthusiasm Respect
Attitude
Table
Thunder
Gasoline
Vanilla
Fur

6. Specific Nouns General More Specific Most Animal Dog Golden Retriever
Person
Woman
Mrs.
Martin
Apparel
Shoe
Ugg
Boots

7. Getting rid of SOB verbs
Sometimes you can just take them out with easy adjustments…
He was walking slowly along the path.
He walked slowly along the path.

8. Getting rid of SOB verbs
But usually, you will have to do a little more work. For example, all of these are stupid..
She was outgoing and talkative.
She outgoing and talkative.
She outgoes and talks.
She lives outgoing and talkative.

9. Getting rid of SOB verbs
Be sure the sentence isn’t passive. If it is, change it to active voice:
The car was washed by Joe.
Joe washed the car.

10. Passive v. Active Voice Passive Voice: Active Voice:
The car was washed by Joe.
(The subject is having the action done to it)
Active Voice:
Joe washed the car.
(The subject is doing the action)
In general, you should use the ACTIVE voice! It makes your writing more powerful.

11. Getting rid of SOB verbs
Change the tense of your vignettes from past to present:
He was walking slowly along the path.
He walks slowly along the path.
BE CAREFUL! If you change to present tense, make sure you are consistent!

12. Getting rid of SOB verbs
Rewrite the sentence (look for modifiers or even nouns that could be verbs)
She was outgoing and talkative.
She chatted happily with anyone.
He was a boring lecturer.
He lectured until our eyes glazed over.

13. Using Modifiers sparingly and make them sensory!
If you have strong nouns (specific, concrete) and verbs (specific action), you should need few modifiers. Too many modifiers means either your nouns and verbs are weak or that you are overwriting…

14. Using modifiers sparingly…
Charles slowly and with attitude walked into the room.
Charles sauntered into the room.
Cammie abruptly and harshly touched the head of the small, curly haired dog with floppy ears.
Cammie rapped the poodle’s head.

15. Using modifiers sparingly…
The sweetly fragrant flora of the garden were beautiful and perfect crimson, burgundy, and hot pink damasked cups on long, dark stems with sinister, clandestine spikes of pain.
The roses in the garden were dark red.

16. Figurative Imagery Figurative language Sound techniques Etc. Simile
Metaphor
Personification
Sound techniques
Alliteration
Etc.

17. How do I get figurative language in my paper?
You put it in!
(It does not happen by itself!)