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Sna+s"#ts
Rational:?ne #f t"e main +r#blems students face in .ritin' '##d
st#ries is t"at t"ey fail t# add interestin' details/:"is less#n
.ill "el+ students t# t"in2 ab#ut details and add t"em in im+#rtant
secti#ns #f t"eir st#ries/
Objective::"e student .ill analy5e a st#ry "e@s"e "as .ritten
and find +laces t# add s"ar+ +"ysical details/
Strategies:
Lecture- E+lain t"at .riters are li2e cinemat#'ra+"ers .it" .ide
an'le lenses and 5##m lenses/ :"ey #bsere life
in fine, minute detail, +ull #ut t# ma2e s.ee+in'
'enerali5ati#ns, and t"en 5##m bac2 in t# ma2e t"#se'enerali5ati#ns
c#me alie .it" detail/ :"is tec"ni6ue is called a sna+s"#t/
Read s#me eam+les #f sna+s"#ts #f c"aracters and +laces/
&ere are s#me0
Characters and actions
!a 2issed t"em b#t", and tuc2ed t"e c#ers in ar#und t"em/ :"ey
lay a."ile, l##2in' at !aAs sm##t", +arted "airand "er "ands busy
.it" se.in' in t"e lam+li'"t/ &er needle made little clic2in'
s#unds a'ainst "er t"imble andt"en t"e t"read .ent s#ftly, s.is"B
t"r#u'" t"e +retty calic# t"at =a "ad traded furs f#r/From Laura
Ingalls Wilder'sLittle House in the Big Woods
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Far #ut in t"e c#untry t"ere .as an #ld Ne'r# .#man .it" "er
"ead tied in a red ra', c#min' al#n' a +at" t"r#u'"t"e +ine.##ds/
&er name .as ="#eni Dac2s#n/ S"e .as ery #ld and small and s"e
.al2ed sl#.ly in t"e dar2+ine s"ad#.s, m#in' a little fr#m side t#
side in "er ste+s, .it" t"e balanced "eainess and li'"tness #f
a
+endulum in a 'randfat"er cl#c2/ S"e carried a t"in, small came
made fr#m an umbrella, and .it" t"is s"e 2e+tta''in' t"e fr#5en
eart" in fr#nt #f "er/ :"is made a 'rae and +ersistent n#ise in t"e
air, t"at seemed meditatie,li2e a c"ir+in' #f a s#litary little
bird/
S"e .#re a dar2 stri+ed dress reac"in' d#.n t# "er s"#et#+s, and
an e6ually l#n' a+r#n #f bleac"ed su'ar sac2s,.it" a full +#c2et
all neat and tidy, but eery time s"e t##2 a ste+ s"e mi'"t "ae
fallen #er "er s"#e-laces, ."ic"dra''ed fr#m "er unlaced s"#es/ S"e
l##2ed strai'"t a"ead/ &er eyes .ere blue .it" a'e/ &er
s2in "ad a +atternall its #.n #f numberless branc"in' .rin2les and
as t"#u'" a ."#le little tree st##d in t"e middle #f "er
f#re"ead,but a '#lden c#l#r ran underneat", and t"e t.# 2n#bs #f
"er c"ee2s .ere illuminated by a yell#. burnin' under t"edar2/
9nder t"e red ra' "er "air came d#.n #n "er nec2 in t"e frailest #f
rin'lets, still blac2, and .it" an #d#r li2ec#++er/From "A Worn
Path" by Eudora Welty
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It came #n 'reat #iled, resilient, stridin' le's/ It t#.ered
t"irty feet ab#e "alf #f t"e trees, a 'reat eil '#d, f#ldin'its
delicate .atc"ma2erAs cla.s cl#se t# its #ily re+tilian c"est/ Eac"
l#.er le' .as a +ist#n, a t"#usand +#unds #f."ite b#ne, sun2 in
t"ic2 r#+es #f muscles, s"eat"ed eer in a 'leam #f +ebbled s2in
li2e t"e mail #f a terrible.arri#r/ Eac" t"i'" .as a t#n #f meat,
i#ry, and steel mes"/ nd fr#m t"e 'reat breat"in' ca'e #f t"e u++er
b#dyt"#se t.# delicate arms dan'led #ut fr#nt, arms .it" "ands
."ic" mi'"t +ic2 u+ and eamine men li2e t#ys, ."ilet"e sna2e nec2
c#iled/ nd t"e "ead itself, a t#n #f scul+tured st#ne, lifted
easily u+#n t"e s2y/ Its m#ut" 'a+ede+#sin' a fence #f da''ers/ Its
eyes r#lled, #stric" e''s, em+ty #f all e+ressi#n sae "un'er/ It
cl#sed its m#ut"in a deat" 'rin/ It ran, its +elic b#nes crus"in'
aside trees and bus"es, its tal#ned feet cla.in' dam+ eart",
leain'+rints si inc"es dee+ ."ereer it settled its .ei'"t/ It ran
.it" a 'lidin' ballet ste+, far t## +#ised and balanced f#rits ten
t#ns/ It m#ed int# a sunlit arena .arily, its beautifully re+tile
"ands feelin' t"e air/ From "A Sound o!hunder" by ay Bradbury
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Places
S"e c#uld see in t"e #+en s6uare bef#re "er "#use t"e t#+s #f
trees t"at .ere all a6uier .it" t"e ne. s+rin' life/
:"e delici#us breat" #f rain .as in t"e air/ In t"e street bel#.
a +eddler .as cryin' "is .ares/ :"e n#tes #f a distants#n' ."ic"
s#me#ne .as sin'in' reac"in' "er faintly, and c#untless s+arr#.s
.ere t.itterin' in t"e eaes/
:"ere .ere +atc"es #f blue s2y s"#.in' "ere and t"ere t"r#u'"
t"e cl#uds t"at "ad met and +iled #ne ab#e t"e#t"er in t"e .est
facin' "er .ind#./From"!he Story o an Hour" by $ate Cho%in
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!aniac "ad seen s#me ama5in' t"in's in "is lifetime, but n#t"in'
as ama5in' as t"at "#use/ Fr#m t"e smell #f it,"e 2ne. t"is .asnAt
t"e first time an animal "ad relied itself #n t"e ru'less fl##r/ In
fact, in an#t"er c#rner "es+#tted a f#rm #f relief t"at c#uld n#t
be s#a2ed u+ by ne.s+a+ers/
ans and b#ttles lay all #er, al#n' .it" crusts, +eelin's, c#res,
scra+s, rinds, .ra++ers -- eeryt"in' y#u .#uldn#rmally find in a
'arba'e can/ nd eery."ere t"ere .ere raisins/
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s "e .al2ed t"r#u'" t"e dinin' r##m s#met"in' -- an #ld tennis
ball -- "it "im #n t"e t#+ #f t"e "ead and b#unceda.ay/ &e
l##2ed u+ -- int# t"e lau'"in' faces #f Russell and =i+er/ :"e "#le
in t"e ceilin' .as s# bi' t"ey b#t"c#uld "ae >um+ed t"r#u'" it
at #nce/
&e ran a "and al#n' #ne .all/ :"e +eelin' +aint came #ff
li2e c#rnfla2es/
N#t"in' c#uld be .#rse t"at t"e liin' and dinin' r##ms, yet t"e
2itc"en .as/ >ar #f +eanut butter "ad cras"ed t#t"e fl##r
s#me#ne "ad '#tten a runnin' start, >um+ed int# it, and s2iied a
br#.n, #ne-f##t trac2 t# t"e st#e/ ?n t"etable .ere ."at a++eared
t# be t"e remains #f an aut#+sy +erf#rmed u+#n a lar'e bird,
+#ssibly a cr#./ :"erefri'erat#r c#ntained t.# f##d 'r#u+s0 mustard
and beer/ :"e raisins "ere .ere een m#re abundant/ &e
s+#tted
seeral #f t"em m#in'/ :"ey .erenAt raisins0 t"ey .ere r#ac"es/
From &aniac &agee by erry S%inelli
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Remind t"e students t"at di''in' dee+er f#r details .ill "el+
create verisimilitude f#r t"e reader ."ic" .ill en'a'et"e reader in
t"e st#ry m#re dee+ly/
Writin'-
If t"e students "ae a draft #f a st#ry, "ae t"em l##2 f#r +laces
."ere t"ey c#uld insert a sna+s"#t .it" m#redetail/ !ar2 a carat at
t"e s+#t/ ?n a se+arate +iece #f +a+er, "ae t"e students list #r
.eb 1 details ab#ut t"ec"aracter, +lace #r acti#n/ Write a
sna+s"#t/ S"are t"e sna+s"#t .it" a +artner and "ae t"e +artner as2
6uesti#nsab#ut m#re detail/ Re.rite t"e sna+s"#t and insert it int#
t"e st#ry/
If t"e students "ae n#t .ritten a st#ry "ae t"em t"in2 ab#ut a
+ers#n t"ey 2n#. .ell/ :"in2 #f a m#ment in timet"at t"ey remember
.ell, a sna+s"#t in t"eir mem#ry #f t"is +ers#n/ :"ey s"#uld
cluster details ab#ut t"is m#ment/
N#. t"ey s"#uld .rite f#r * minutes ab#ut t"is m#ment/ fter t"ey
"ae .ritten t"eir first draft, s"are t"eirsna+s"#t .it" a +artner/
Write d#.n 6uesti#ns t"eir +artner "as ab#ut t"eir +ers#n and
re.rite t"eir sna+s"#t .it"m#re detail/ Finally, "ae t"e students
dra. a +icture ab#ut t"eir +ers#n includin' all t"e details in
t"eir sna+s"#t/
Tuning Your Voice
:"e f#ll#.in' s"#rt .ritin' assi'nments .ill "el+ y#u tune y#ur
#ice/ 8escribe eac" #f t"e f#ll#.in' e+eriences,t"in's, #r
#b>ects fr#m a different +ers+ectie/ :ry t# assume t"e r#le #f
eac" +ers#n/ . .#uld "e #r s"edescribe t"in's7
1/ a +iece #f c"eese ca2e
a/ 8escribe it fr#m t"e +ers+ectie #f a +ers#n ."# is #n a
strict diet/
b/ 8escribe it fr#m t"e +ers+ectie #f a "un'ry lumber>ac2 ."#
"as been .#r2in' all day/
/ a deera/ 8escribe it fr#m t"e +ers+ectie #f a "unter/
b/ 8escribe it fr#m t"e +ers+ectie #f an animal ri'"ts
actiist
3/ a 'ame .innin' s"#t durin' t"e last sec#nd #f a bas2etball
'ame
a/ 8escribe t"e s"#t fr#m t"e +ers+ectie #f a fan fr#m t"e
.innin' team/
b/ 8escribe t"e s"#t fr#m t"e +ers+ectie #f a fan fr#m t"e
l#sin' team/
4/ t"e t#+ #f a bun'ee >um+in' +latf#rm
a/ 8escribe it fr#m t"e +ers+ectie #f a t"rill see2er ."# l#es
t"e adrenaline rus" #f suc" actiities/
b/ 8escribe it fr#m t"e +ers+ectie #f a first time
>um+er/
/ a "eay metal r#c2 c#ncert
a/ 8escribe it fr#m t"e +ers+ectie #f a seenty-year-#ld
'randm#t"er/
b/ 8escribe it fr#m t"e +ers+ectie #f a siteen-year-#ld
!etallica fan/
I li2e t"e ab#e assi'nment because itAs s"#rt en#u'" t# d#
seeral different scenari#s in class/ It als# +r#ides a'reat
#++#rtunity t# intr#duce #ice and s"are student .ritin'/
