1. Melissa Shields Birmingham City Schools Summer 2017
A Picture
WRITES
a Thousand Words!
Melissa Shields
Birmingham City Schools
Summer 2017

2. glum (adj.) dejected, sad Picture: Sentence:
Synonyms: unhappy, depressed
Antonyms: happy, enthusiastic
(adj.) dejected, sad
glum
Sentence:
Don’t be so glum about your bad grade. You’ll do better next time.
Picture:

3. JOURNAL: Vocab. Prompt 1
Write about a time you were GLUM. Use GLUM in your story, and circle it.

4. Picture: mulligrubs (noun) low spirits; state of depression Sentence:
Synonyms: grumpiness
Antonyms: happiness, euphoria
(noun) low spirits; state of depression
mulligrubs
Sentence:
Ever since my dog died, I’ve had the mulligrubs.
Picture:

5. “ An ineffective writer sees broad impressions that evoke vague labels; a powerful writer visualizes specific details that create a literary virtual reality.”
Harry R. Noden
Image Grammar

6. “ An amateur writer tells a story
“ An amateur writer tells a story. A pro shows the story, creates a picture to look at instead of just words to read. A good author writes with a camera, not with a pen.”
Novelist Robert Newton Peck
Secrets of Successful Fiction

7. Painting with Six Basic Brush Strokes
The absolute
The appositive
The participle phrase
Three participle phrases
Adjectives shifted out of order
Action verbs

8. TWO ABOLUTE BRUSH STROKES
Absolutes – a two-word combination – a noun and an –ing or –ed verb added
Engine smoking, gears grinding, the car chugged into the parking lot.

9. The mountain climber edged along the cliff, hands shaking, feet trembling.
Hands shaking, feet trembling, the mountain climber edged along the cliff.

10. Absolute #1

11. Absolute #1

12. Absolute #1
Absolute #1

13. APPOSITVE BRUSH STROKE
Appositive – a noun that adds a second image to a preceding noun
The car, a 1936 Ford, chugged into the parking lot.

14. The raccoon, a scavenger, enjoys eating turtle eggs.
The raccoon, a midnight scavenger who roams lake shorelines in search of food, enjoys eating turtle eggs.

15. Appositives #2

16. Appositives #2

17. Appositives #2

18. PARTICIPLE PHRASE BRUSH STROKE
Participles – an –ing verb tagged on the beginning or end of a sentence
Sliding on the gravel, the car chugged into the parking lot.

19. Participle Phrase 3

20. Participle Phrase 3

21. THREE SHORT PARTICIPLE BRUSH STROKES
Three Participles = three –ing verb at the beginning or end of a sentence
Clunking, screeching, and sputtering, the car chugged into the parking lot.

22. 3 Part. Phrases #4

23. 3 Part. Phrases #4

24. ADJECTIVES OUT OF ORDER
Adjectives out of order – amplify the details of an image
The coal-black car, dented and rusty, chugged into the parking lot.

25. The large bull, red-eyed and angry, charged the intruder.

26. Adj. Out of Order # 5

27. Adj. Out of Order # 5

28. ACTIVE VERB BRUSH STROKES
By eliminating passive voice and reducing being verbs, writers can energize action images.

29. Active Verbs # 6 Passive: The baby was held by the proud father.
Active: The father proudly cradled his first daughter in his arms.

30. The runaway horse was ridden into town by a blond haired beauty.
The blond haired beauty rode the runaway horse into the town.

31. The gravel road was on the right side of the barn.
The gravel road curled around the right side of the barn.

32. Active Verbs # 6

33. Active Verbs # 6

34. Appositive #2, Active Verbs # 6, One of your choice (Write 3 sentences in any order.)

35. Active Verbs # 6

43. Adj. Out of Order # 5

44. Adj. Out of Order # 5