Show Don’t Tell: A Descriptive Writing Game

Posted by Erica Warren on May 18, 2021

Descriptive writing enables the author to paint scenes and characters in the mind’s eye of the reader. Like an artist, carefully selected, colorful words can convey vivid imagery, but only if the author learns to "show" and not "tell" the audience. Learning how to use illustrative adjectives, action verbs, graphic adverbs, expressive metaphors, vivid similes, and showy personification is the key to writing engaging stories. What's more is that it makes the process of writing a lot more fun!

Show Don’t Tell descriptive writing game by Dr. Erica Warren with a verb spinner to build vivid language, expressive writing, and storytelling skills

Who Struggles with Descriptive Writing?

Concrete learners or students who struggle with visualization or language processing can find descriptive writing difficult to learn. They can also find the learning process tedious. As a result, I created a game to help make descriptive writing both enjoyable and memorable.

What is the Show Don't Tell Descriptive Writing Game?

Descriptive writing worksheet featuring a 2-minute lesson plan with adjectives, active verbs, adverbs, figurative language practice, and a scoring rubric for student writing activities

Show Don’t Tell & Show Don't Tell 2 Fabulously Fun Descriptive Writing Game, by Dr. Erica Warren, is a downloadable and printable activity that is available at Good Sensory Learning. The game will walk students through the process of descriptive writing and will make it enjoyable and memorable.. You will be amazed at the beautiful paragraphs that players of all ages will create.

Show Don’t Tell descriptive writing game strips with sentence prompts, used to help students transform simple statements into vivid, detailed descriptions

So if you want to help struggling writers find a way to join in the writing process, consider my product, Show Don't Tell!

Cheers, Erica

Dr. Erica Warren is the author, illustrator, and publisher of multisensory educational materials at Good Sensory Learning. She is also the director of Learning to Learn and Learning Specialist Courses.