Amplify
Randomly choose three successive sentences in any book. Or use the sentences in “Example” (below).
Add a sentence between each of them. You now have five sentences.
Between each of those, add one more sentence. You now have nine sentences.
Include at least one of the following: Dialogue. A switch between tenses (past, present or future).
Post your version in the comments below! Thank you.
Example
How is that minuteness demonstrated? Michael W stuck the silicon on a girl’s front tooth and asked her to say cheese. The close-up of a smiling mouth with a tiny blemish told the story.
– from Pictures On A Page, Harold Evans
Stage one (add two more sentences, and changed tense): How is that minuteness demonstrated? How will it be demonstrated in days to come? Michael W stuck the silicon on a girl’s front tooth and asked her to say cheese. Each time she opened her mouth, the silicon chip fell off, leaving a residue of glue. The close-up of a smiling mouth with a tiny blemish told the story.
Stage two (add four more sentences, and dialogue): How is that minuteness demonstrated? With a magnifying glass. How will it be demonstrated in days to come? By means of charts and graphs. Michael W stuck the silicon on a girl’s front tooth and asked her to say cheese. He was a circus acrobat at the time, living in Islington. Each time she opened her mouth, the silicon chip fell off, leaving a residue of glue. “You stupid girl,” he raved, blaming her for his own mistake. The close-up of a smiling mouth with a tiny blemish told the story.
Note
This seems like a very silly and pointless exercise, but it’s a wonderful way to practice giving more space to your own narrative. To show, not tell. To let stories breathe.