Character Sketch blog

The end product of our show and tell activity will be to write character sketches portraying 3 of the presentations. One of the sketches will be written in the first person about your own presentation. The other two sketches will be written in the third person about two classmates' presentations of your choice. Be sure to show versus tell through action and dialogue. Keep in mind that all authors take creative liberties. You don't have to write dialogue exactly as spoken. Just capture the spirit.

Also, each character sketch must include an explanation how what literary techniques (remember the Walter Mosley reading?) you used to show versus tell.

So here's an example of the first person character sketch (on my catapult show and tell).

Sketch I
Smile big. When I'm in front of a crowd the fallback is always to smile because then you seem friendly, and maybe it will be infectious. I look out on the sea of blank faces and hope that my "amusing anecdote" about the whimiscal object in my had - a cardboard box containing a brown, plastic, toy catapult will make some waves (of laughter, perhaps) in that impassive body. I feel my left hand looping big circles in the air as a gesticulate. I am a very active talker as I chatter through explanations of my experiences in a Los Angeles improv class. "We got 'catapult' as a suggestion," I say, wishing my audience would reflect back the toothy grin I'm beaming at them, "so I flew onto the stage like I was launched from a catapult, and that got a big laugh." Pause for big laugh. A few chuckles. Oh well, I think as my voice trails off, at least that's done.

Explanation I
extended metaphor - sea, waves, body
action - hand looping circles in the air - shows nervousness or energy
sense words - sound of a few chuckles.

Sketch II
Kyle propped the small, goldish beanie on the desk, its legs dangling over the edge. Kyle faced the class with a playful demeanor as he affectionately caressed the bear. He held his hands behind his back and shifted weight between his feet. He introduced his "faithful companion," and concluded with a description of Bernard as his most active co-pilot. The audience applauded atKyle as he scooped up his compadre and returned to his desk.

Explanation II
active verbs - "scooped," "caressed"
detailed imagery of Bernard - legs dangling over desk
compadre - "idiomatic" language