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Explode the Moment!
One of my many roles as an educator involves teaching writing techniques to my third and fourth grade students. They often have wonderful ideas, but don’t yet know the art of storytelling. I remember when I first started teaching. It occurred to me that I didn’t quite know how to explain storytelling to children, maybe because I wasn’t totally comfortable with it myself. Luckily, we were presented with a teacher workshop that focused on concrete ways to improve student’s writing. We were forced to practice these strategies ourselves and were encouraged to share our samples with everyone else in the room. After groaning loudly, I jumped in. The task was to take a simple sentence such as, “I caught a fish.”, and SHOW what that meant instead of just telling. I closed my eyes and imagined what it would be like to do such a thing. I mentally put myself in a canoe on a river, froze the moment where I caught the fish, and played it back frame by frame as though I was watching a movie reel. I wrote and wrote with vivid detail. It was liberating! I would learn later that this particular technique, originated by Barry Lane, was called “Exploding the Moment”.
I share this because it is a technique I frequently use when I am journaling on my scrapbook pages. A photograph is a snapshot of a moment in time. Behind that fixed image is a story with lots of details. All you need to do to enhance your journaling is to stretch out that moment as though it is occurring in slow motion. Think about what you saw, heard, felt, what the background setting was like. Start with the very first action that occurs during that moment and build from there, following the sequence. Be sure to use specific and exact verbs when writing. For example, use raced instead of ran or leaped instead of jumped. Such a small technique can make all the difference in your writing.
On my layout about my son at the beach, I could have just written, “Nathan loves to play in the waves.”, but I wanted to capture that moment with more vivid detail so that I can better remember it as he grows older. Plus, I wanted my journaling to grab the attention of my reader. I stretched it out and included details involving the five senses.
Repeat by Stacey Michaud. Supplies:
Paper: Fancy Pants, October Afternoon, Brads: Making Memories, Grungeboard: Tim Holtz, Rub-ons: Prima, Stickers: Heidi Grace, Pen: Uniball, Paint: Delta.
Journaling:
You just adore the beach & can’t get enough of the waves. As one approaches,
you brace yourself. It hits & you yell, reacting to
the cold. Turning, you race back to the shore and do
it all over again!
Speaking of the five senses, focusing on what you see, touch, smell, taste and/or hear during a given moment can help you add depth to your writing. Think about catching that fish again. You can see the fish’s silver scales sparkling in the sun, feel the pull of the metal rod as the fish fights, hear the splashing water, and taste your mouth starting to water as you think about your delicious dinner. By including all five senses or even just focusing on one, you can elaborate your writing, making it more interesting. Jennifer’s use of detail involving the five senses makes you feel like you are at the blueberry patch with her family! By focusing on each one, she was able to share important information about the day without it being boring. She takes it a step further by cleverly incorporating her title right into her journaling.
Sweet Reward by Jennifer McGowan. Supplies:
Paper: Imaginesce, American Traditional Designs, Cardstock: Bazzill, Chipboard: Basic Grey, Ribbon: Doodlebug, Pen: Sharpie, Zig, Letters: Target, Labels: Luxe, Rhinestones: Michael's, Adhesive: Tombo, Gluedots.
Journaling: Hear the buzzing of the bees, Smell the fresh blueberries, Feel the heat of the July sun, See the berry-filled bushes, Taste the sweet reward.
Design note:
I used label stickers from Luxe to highlight the five senses words. I also traced a piece of paper I already had onto the blue polka-dot paper to add interested and variety. This page was done with scraps as well.
Sometimes the photographs on your layout match the stories told in the journaling, but that doesn’t always have to be the case. You can take a photo and tell a different tale than what may be shown. This works when you start with a general statement to introduce the situation you are describing. Then break the moment down by giving examples of what actually occurs. Stephanie’s layout illustrates this perfectly. She introduces her topic, followed by very specific details about her daughter’s behaviors, a technique which allows the reader to create a picture in his/her mind. She finishes up her writing with another general statement involving sisters. In the end, her journaling is humorous and easy to relate to.
Borderline Torture by Stephanie Howell. Supplies:
Paper: Daisy D's, Sassafras Lass, Letters: American Crafts, Journaling Card: Jenni Bowlin, Staples: Making Memories, Rhinestones: K
& Company, Other: Vintage buttons and flowers.
Journaling:
It seems so sweet at first glance. But as soon as I turn my back, you'll poke her in the eye, pull her by the feet across the floor, or jab her in the side. Oh...sisterly love!
Editor’s note:
Stephanie used a bird’s-eye perspective when taking her photo. The placement of her title further adds interest and draws the eye in.
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