Bright as a Button

Allen’s discussion of bringing subjects to life felt like a flyover, but I think she gave us a brief look at the important landmarks. For me, there were three main points that caught my attention.

First was her point of showing instead of telling. I have heard this mantra before and when I read a well shown story I do appreciate it more than a well-told story, but I have to admit, when I’ve tried to address this in my own writing I have felt a little like I was splitting hair. Finding a way to explain this idea to students who notice or create fine details in their writing I think might be a challenge because I know that, for me, sometimes “telling” feels an awful lot like “showing.” [For my part, I should probably practice a little more, too].

When Allen gave the “model a quickwrite, then revise,” I have to admit I cringed a little. I didn’t cringe because I disagree that it would be a good tool to use for students who are having trouble getting their MGRP started, but because I know how much I dislike doing it myself. My tendency has always been to lumber through a piece, sentence by sentence, making as many changes through the writing process as I can, reducing the revision process. However, I do see the value in this tool and do use it myself from time to time.

Last but not least, Allen implores us to kill clichés – to avoid them like the plague. She is dead serious and has a real bone to pick with these phrases which have been worn to a frazzle, and I agree – her point is as plain as the nose on your face. Though it may be an uphill battle, cutting these out of your writing does help with clarity and allows for the writers creativity to create depth for the reader. I know of a man, a prominent Christian preacher, who spent time as a young man writing out certain ideas in a hundred (literally) different ways, forcing himself to stretch his vocabulary and syntactic limits. Though this task may be dull as dishwater for many, he seemed to express that he was happy as a clam when he had finally found these new forms. In a nutshell, I think Allen’s heart to heart about avoiding clichés hit the nail on the head, and we should all keep a stiff upper lip with our cliché using students who are stubborn as a mule and won’t give them up.