How They Do That? High Pass Filter

Hi Everyone... It's Jenn (jk703) here to show a sneaky easy peasy tutorial to sharpen with a slight pop for your photos! Plus, we are going to learn another filter that is available in Photoshop and Photoshop Elements. We are going to look at the High Pass Filter today...

The High Pass Filter adds a little pop to your photos within seconds and is really easy. The filter allows you to control the awareness and emphasis of the edges of objects that are in your photos. It is also used to sharpen your photos when they might just be a tad out of focus. Here we go...

Here is a Colin... my model for this tutorial! lol! My image is unedited and hasn't been processed at all.

1. First, save your image so the original will be available in case there are any problems. Duplicate your photo onto a new layer. (PC Ctrl-J and Mac Cmd-J).

2. Working on the new layer, choose Filter > Other > High Pass.

3. Set the radius of the pixels somewhere between 3 and 12. Click on Apply. I know that is a large range, but play with it, you can always undo! For my example, I used a radius of 4.7.

4. Now, in the Layers Palette, you are going to change the blend mode of the duplicate image, the one that is grayed out. Choose Overlay.

5. Play with the opacity of the overlay, and you will see slight differences in the edges in your photo. This brings out some of the color and allows for an easy simple pop.

Tips:

• To sharpen the photo without a color pop, try the Soft light or Hard Light blend modes.
• Adjust the sharpness based on what you will be doing with the photo - print or web versions.
• Try creating different layers, and changing the blend modes, and opacity to see what you like the best.
• Try it out on your layouts before uploading to the galleries! A little sharpness goes a long way!

Another example is my sandwich, yes... my life-like magnet sandwich! Looks realistic, right?!

Before High Pass:

After High Pass:

See the top of the sandwich and edges -- they are a little more defined with just a tad of a pop added to the color.

There you have it - an easy pop and sharpen! Hope you enjoyed this tutorial! I'd love to know what you want to see here on Chelle's blog - so be sure to tell us in the comments! Enjoy the rest of your week!

Thanks for visiting!

Jenn (jk703/The Typative Scrapper)

How To: Add A Watercolor Effect

Hi everyone! It's Jenn, aka jk703 here for a visit! I've had a rough week already, so it is nice to be able to check out the forums, and pop into the blog here and share a fun technique!

We are going to delve into the Filters that you have in Photoshop! I know, you are probably repeating what I said when I first heard of Filters. "Fil... what - is that another tool in Photoshop?" The first one that I am going to show you is the Watercolor Effect. This is a part of the Artistic submenu in your Filters Menu.

First, here is Colin... don't mind the pic... it was taken after a bad haircut recently, lol!

OK... First things first. Open your image, and edit as you need. Save the file with a new name. This way you have the original to fall back on if there are any problems.

Next, in your layers Palette, duplicate your background image (your picture), and then turn off that layers visibility. Using the Eraser Tool, you will slowly erase the edges of your image, and with each pass, get a little closer to the main subject. Removing the image can allow for focus, as well as a cool option in the end!

Here is my Eraser's settings when I erased my picture edges.

Here is Colin, less the pesky edges. :) Below Colin, you can see my Layers palette and what yours might look like up to this point.

Up next is the fun filtering! In the top menu toolbar, you need to choose Filter > Artistic > Watercolor.

After you click on Watercolor, a big screen will pop up, and then your photo will appear -- a rather large version! I made mine smaller and started to play with the filter. First, here are just some of the filtering effects you can play with, and under each subheading are more! You have to try them all out!

On the right of the menu you can see the list of the filters that you can play with on your image. Next to that, on the right, there is a small area with different levels and options you can change. This potion will change for each filter.

So, for my example, I click on Watercolor and this is what I came up with:

It is a little hard to see, so I've added a closer view:

A nice little effect to change up your photos. That is it... nice, and simple! Remember above, I said to turn off the visibility of your original picture.... well, here is what happens when you turn it back on. I've added the picture of Colin close up again, so you might be able to really see the detail.

Take a closer look at the meeting point between the areas that I had erased and the areas that are watercolored. There is a slight blend of the original and the Watercolor Filter. Looks pretty cool! I know it is a close up, but on something a little more focused, I think this will look really cool.

Some final tips with the Watercolor Filter:

• For the best results - erase most or or all of the background before applying the filter.
• Lighter colored photos give a delicate feel, while darker colored photos will provide a moody after effect.
• If you lose a lot of details, duplicate your original photo and layering the duplicate on top of the Watercolored Filter layer. After moving it above, choose the Multiply Blending mode, adjust the opacity, and this will allow you to bring those details back.

Well... that is a fun technique... I hope you liked it! If there is something that you would like to see, just leave a comment. :)

Happy Wednesday to you all!

Jenn (aka jk703/The Typative Scrapper)

Resize Right and a Transforming Ta-Da!

Hello everyone! It's Jenn (jk703) stopping in today for a quick post about resizing/scaling photos, or digital scrap items. My card example below uses Chelle's awesome baby bundle: Beary Cute Baby Boy Combo, and some Stampin' Up paper supplies.

Re-sizing....

I always have to re-size photos, and many time the elements that I include on my layouts. Going larger, going smaller... I want to make sure I resize correctly. This is an incredibly easy subject for Photoshop users, but I sometimes see layouts that have skewed images or elements.

First, to resize images in Photoshop, you first want to make a duplicate of the original photo so that you can always re-use its original size if need be. You can do this quickly by selecting Image > Duplicate in the menu bar. If you don’t duplicate, you can select File > Save As to save a copy of the resized image.

To resize and image, click on Image > Image Size. This will bring up the Image Size Menu, and show you all the little features for this function.

The Image Size Menu box is divided into two main sections - Pixel Dimensions and Document Size. Another important part of this box has to do with constraining the proportions and re-sampling the pixels of a selected image. When you change the width of the photo, Photoshop will automatically adjust the appropriate image height. If the Constrain Proportions is not checked, the dimensions of your image might become skewed.

Here are some basic facts about re-sizing:

• If you change the pixel dimensions, then you will affect the physical size, but not the resolution.
• If you change the resolution, then you will affect the pixel dimensions, but not the physical size.
• If you change the physical size, then you will change the pixel dimensions, but not the resolution.

There's something you need to keep in mind though when it comes to resizing your image and image quality. The basic idea is that it's usually okay to make your image smaller without losing much in the way of image quality. However, many times you will lose image quality if you try to make your image larger.

Scaling...

One of the most basic transformations Photoshop is capable of is scaling. Scaling allows you to enlarge or contract, say an element around a reference point. To scale a graphic, we go to Edit > Transform > Scale. A set of handles will appear around our selected layer. By moving anyone of these handles, we can adjust the size of the object. To apply the transformation, hit Enter.

Most times it will be necessary to constrain the proportions of your images when scaling. We don't want to change the size of the image, and end up with skewed images. This can be achieved by Holding Shift while dragging one of the handles. You can also scale from the center reference point by Holding Alt (Option on Mac), or combine the two by holding shift and alt at the same time while scaling. The little chain links in the menu bar can be clicked to keep the proportions correct.

To Rotate an Object in Photoshop, go to Edit > Transform > Rotate. Handles will appear as they did with a Scaling Transform, but no dragging, your cursor should be just outside of the item until you see a curving arrow icon. Simply drag left or right to rotate the selected object. Once again, you must finish the transformation by pressing Enter.

The next 3 transformations are all similar, because they are all controlled by dragging those handles. You can apply a Skew, Distort, or Perspective Transformation from:

Edit > Transform >

• Skew: Skew transformations slant objects either vertically or horizontally.
• Distort: Distort transformations allow you to stretch an image in ANY direction freely.
• Perspective: The Perspective transformation allows you to add perspective to an object.

The Warp Transformation is quite a bit different compared to the other transformations. The entire shape of the object can be modified, making this transformation useful for several different effects. To use a Warp Transformation go to Edit > Transform > Warp. A grid will appear over your object that you can adjust by dragging any where on the image or on the control points, and lines. You can additionally apply a preset warp from the options bar.

I hope this was a little helpful! Let me know if you have any questions! I'd love to hear what you want to see for a tutorial - so leave a comment! Have a great day and thanks for visiting!

Jenn (jk703)

Basic Template Start

Hi Everyone! Jenn (jk703) to give you a tutorial today! Woot! So excited to share a tutorial for basic template use! These instructions should work well for Photoshop and Photoshop Elements users! I heart me some templates, and they are just a great starting point for many of my layouts! Plus, they are a great time saver!!! So here we go....


Templates -- Basic use.


First and Foremost... with any template that you use, follow this rule:
Click on File, and Save as. By saving your template with a new name, you preserve the orignal template so you can use it over and over again, and it is in the original form!


I have decided to start with the background basics with Chelle's Askew Templates from the DSD Grab Bag! Love the style! If we can get to know the background and clipping, it will be a great start!





OK! We've got a template ready to go! Next, have some papers on standby to be added in a bit. First, we will be adding a background paper, which is the darker grey on the template above. I've decided to use the Happy Papers for my background! You can find it HERE!





Scroll in the layers palette until you see the Background layer. Click on that layer to highlight it. Check that you are in Move Tool mode. If not, click on the move tool. You will be placing your paper ABOVE this background layer! (Select, Copy and Paste with Ctrl+A, Ctrl+C and then Ctrl+V or Drag and Drop works well too!)


Your chosen background will become the background of the template! Presto Chango, lol!
Below, you can see that I now have the white, yellow and red star background behind all the blocks! Also, you can see that my background layer is ABOVE the previous background layer.





For every layer that you want a paper on, you will have to click on that specific layer, and then bring your paper in. When you have your paper in above the shape, you are going to "clip" the paper to the shape layer. Here is how:


Open your paper and have it layered above the shape you'd like to clip it to. It should look like this:



When you have your screen similar to this you are now going to clip the paper to the layer (shape). Here is what you will see if you right click on the red background paper:

Choose Create Clipping Mask which is about halfway in the menu. By clipping the paper to the layer, it will automatically make the paper the EXACT shape of the layer below. See here:





Now... you can duplicate the red paper for every layer that you want red paper. To duplicate, right click on the red paper, and choose duplicate paper. Then you will find the layer that you want to clip it to, and click and drag the new red paper above and clip. Just cause that seems confusing... here are some photos. Duplication of the red paper:



and after moving/clipping to multiple layers, it will look like this:

When you have completed the clipping of all the layers, your page will look something like this...but with the papers you chose! Boy, that is a lot of moving and clipping, lol!





By knowing how to move and clip in a template will allow you the basics of template use. In my opinion, being able to move and clip can allow you to use any template, and then learn how to change it up and make it yours!


Design Change:
Re-sizing all the layers for the paper blocking pieces. Select all layers, and with the Move Tool selected, and the apect ratio set, you can make those squares larger or smaller. Deletion/Hiding of layers is another great way to mix op the template and change it. is an example of smaller, and then larger with a twist:






Now all you have to do is bring some elements in, and your photo! Add some shadows, and make it shine! I hope this gets you off to a great start with templates.


Next time I'm up for a blog post, I will delve a bit deeper into templates, adding the elements, and alphas! So much fun!


Thanks for stopping by today, and have a great day!
Jenn (jk703)

Wre-vise, Wre-write, Wednesday: Lists

The number of examples you use in a sentence or a story has meaning.

The Number One: Declare It
That girl is smart.
In this simple sentence, the writer declares a single defining characteristic of the girl, her intelligence. The reader must focus on that. It is this effect of unity, single-mindedness, no-other-alternativeness, that characterizes the language of one.
Call me.
Here's Johnny.
I do.
Read my lips.
Tom Wolfe once told William F. Buckley Jr., that if a writer wants the reader to think something the absolute truth, the writer should render it in the shortest possible sentence. Trust me.
The Number Two: Compare It
We know that girl is smart, but what happens when we learn:
That girl is smart and sweet.
The writer has altered our perspective on the world. The choice for the reader is not between smart and sweet. Instead, the writer forces us to hold these two characteristics in our mind at the same time. We have to balance them, weigh them against each other, compare and contrast them.
Mom and dad.
True or false.
The Number Three: Surround It
The dividing magic of number two turns into what one scholar calls the "encompassing" magic of number three.
That girl is smart, sweet, and determined.
As this sentence grows, we are influenced to see the girl in a more well-rounded way. Rather than simplify her as smart, or divide her as smart and sweet, we now triangulate the elements of her character. In our language and culture, three seems to give us a sense of the whole:
Beginning, middle, and end.
A priest, a minister, and a rabbi.
On your mark, get set, go.
At the end of his most famous passage on the nature of love, St. Paul writes to the Corinthians: "For now, faith, hope, and love abide, these three. But the greatest of all is love." The powerful movement is from trinity to unity. From a sense of the whole to an understanding of what is most important.
The Number Four or More: Count It
That girl is smart, sweet, determined, and anorexic.
We can add descriptive elements to infinity. Four or more examples create a list, but not a complete inventory. Four or more details in a passage can offer a flowing, literary effect.
So good writing is as easy as one, two, three ... and four.
In summary:
Use one for power.
Use two for comparison, contrast.
Use three for completeness, wholeness, roundness.
Use four or more to list, inventory, compile, and expand.

Today's tip courtesy of Poynter online. To see the complete article: click here

Wre-vise, Wre-write, Wednesday: Tell your story in a list.

Pick a memory spark or topic and just start making a list. When editing try to make each item in your list the same format. For example the elements in my list begin with a verb ending in ING. I did add a short summary sentence on the end. Give it a try!
Describe your hometown…
Running around barefoot on the sod fields in the twilight waiting for the fireworks to start.
Cuddling under a polyester patchwork quilt, sipping slushies, watching the men’s softball game—cheering on our dads.
The sweet smell of freshly cut alfalfa, the pungent odor of freshly spread “sunshine”.
Knowing your neighbors—yes, everyone in town, and how everyone is related to everyone else.
Hiking Trenton hill the Saturday before Easter to roll your eggs down the hill. Cheering when the shell and whites fall apart, but the little yolk bounces on and on.
Riding your bike up to the park to catch the bus for summer swimming lessons.
Mosquito repellant and calamine lotion.
Waving as you pass the 12 yr old driving the tractor down the road.
Squinting through the clouds of smoke to pick out some penny candy at Merrill’s Market.
Toilet papering houses with your best friend while her Dad goes inside to “do his home-teaching”
Chasing frogs along the ditch bank.
Going to the CO-OP to get a pop.
Living in Trenton is in my blood: both of my parents were born and raised in this tiny little farming community. In 2007 I proudly added my name as a permanent resident when we built our home…in my home town.

What's your story?

Formatting your story...

Besides adding variety, some stories lend themselves better to different formats. Both my dh and I asked our parents some questions about when we were born, and how they chose our name.

His story fit better in a Q&A format:

credits, credits

Mine fit better in a paragraph/story format:

credits, credits

What's your story?

One of my favorite photos

This is my nephew--we were playing peek-a-boo in the play house--he just peeked around the shutters. I wish it looked better--it does in person, but for some reason looks blown out here.

If you are interested in improving your photos, check out Jessica's new photo editing class found here

Wre-vise, Wre-write, Wednesday: Interview

Try writing a story by interviewing someone. My dh called his mom and asked her these questions, taken from the Cherish Bound Birth Story Starter. (need one? Email me)
Tell me about our family before I was born.
Dad and I were going to UofI. We lived in a small apartment on Oregon Street across the street from Leal school. We rented the upstairs apartment from a Jewish couple—they lived downstairs. Dad worked at the library on campus. We had dinner Christmas day with his boss.
When and how did you find out you were pregnant?
I knew I had missed a cycle, but I was feeling very tired and run-down. I went to the McKinley Health Center to see why I was sick.
What was your reaction to the news?
I was stunned…but happy. Dad was happy too.
Did you have any weird food cravings?
I craved tart things, sour things-like lemons.
What advice were you given?
Grandma Hattie told me babies had to wear undershirts.
Tell me about when I was born?
We went to the hospital late on Christmas Day. Dr. Huffman came straight from a Christmas dinner in his suit. He calmly flung his suit coat over a chair, put on his surgical gown, and washed up with betadine. You were born at 3:30 AM on December 26th. You had apgar scores of 10 and 10. They immediately laid you on my chest.
How did you feel when you held me for the first time?
I was nervous. I had never held a baby before. I was worried about your soft spot and supporting your head.
How did Dad feel when he held me for the first time?
He was very relaxed about the whole thing. That helped me remain calm.
How did things go once we went home?
We stayed in the hospital for 4 days—that was typical then as they didn’t make you get up and walk around. Dad took us home. I remember felling very blessed to have you. You were such a beautiful baby. I was so worried about hand washing and sanitation—I made your Dad wash his hands before touching you.
Tell me about my room/bed?
You slept in a small crib in our room. We lived in a one bedroom apartment.
Did anyone come to help you?
Bea came for the first week—she slept on the couch. When you would wake up, your Dad would get up and bring you to me so I could feed you. After a couple days he would say he was “losing his mind” because of lack of sleep. When he did, Bea would swipe at something in the air. Then “hand” Dad his “mind.”
Anything else you remember?
At six weeks old your were sleeping through the night.
You grew so fast. Dr. Greenwold was alarmed by your weight gain. You went from 8 lbs to 12 lbs that first month. He was afraid of obesity, so when we could feed you cow’s milk, he had us put you on 2% rather than whole milk.

Wre-vise, Wre-write, Wednesday: Right Branching Sentences

Begin sentences with subjects and verbs, letting subordinate elements branch to the right. Even a long, long sentence can be clear and powerful when the subject and verb make meaning early.
To use this tool, imagine each sentence you write printed on an infinitely wide piece of paper. In English, a sentence stretches from left to right. Now imagine this: A reporter writes a lead sentence with subject and verb at the beginning, followed by other subordinate elements, creating what scholars call a "right-branching sentence."
I just created one. Subject and verb of the main clause join on the left ("A reporter writes") while all other elements branch off to the right. Here's another right-branching sentence, written by Lydia Polgreen as the lead of a news story in The New York Times:
Rebels seized control of Cap Haitien, Haiti's second largest city, on Sunday, meeting little resistance as hundreds of residents cheered, burned the police station, plundered food from port warehouses and looted the airport, which was quickly closed. Police officers and armed supporters of President Jean-Bertrand Aristide fled.
That first sentence is 37 words long and rippling with action. The sentence is so full, in fact, that it threatens to fly apart like some overheated engine. But the writer keeps control by creating meaning in the first three words: "Rebels seized control..." Think of that main clause as the locomotive that pulls all the cars that follow.
Today’s tip courtesy of Roy Clark found here:
I write lots of long sentences. I am going to work on using this tip.
What’s your story?

Wre-vise, Wre-write, Wednesday: perspective

Write your story to an inanimate object. I wrote this story on Monday, but while thinking about editing, I decided this approach would be best:

I’m sorry little monkey. You see, I’m not very good at video games, but we enjoy playing together as a family so much, that THIS is what I wanted to do for mother’s day—to play a MARATHON game with our family. I’m sorry that the anvil keeps hitting you on the head. I’m really just trying to get enough points to win the round. I’m sorry that your brain keeps getting fried in the wrecked airplane—I’m not very fast at pushing the red button. I’m sorry that the lion bites your head, and that the drumming monkey throws cocoanuts at you when I miss the beat. I’m sorry you fall out of the sky or into the water when I can’t aim, but you are the fastest at selecting the differently dressed hippo. And no one is quicker on the draw than you. I’ll keep trying and maybe someday you’ll be at the top of the tree.

Not all stories work with this method, but it is an option to consider.
What's your story?

Wre-vise, Wre-write, Wednesday: Use a conversation for your story

Conversations--either exactly word for word, or something very close to what may have been said, make great stories. Or just story starters: Here's a couple examples:

He’s going to get me on my birthday. What? Mr. Ashcroft—he’s going to get me for my birthday. He draws a mustache on every kid on their birthday... with permanent marker. Emily certainly talked as if she was dreading the face doodling, but the grin on her face when she got home, was proof otherwise.Emily’s birthday stretched over the weekend. On Friday she her friends came for a sleepover. On Sunday she opened her gifts. But the crowning event of the birthday? Her mustache and unibrow courtesy of Mr. Ashcroft.

Another example:
Dave and I stood next to the house craning our necks, gazing 34 feet in the air at the newly closed-in roof.
He broke the silence, “It’s too steep—and it’s way up there.”
“But roofing is on the list of things we agreed to do to save money.”
“I’m worth more per hour working, than I’m saving by roofing.”
“I thought you were going to do your parts early in the mornings and late at nights and still work.”
“If I fall off the roof, we can’t afford the house.”
Earl interrupted our argument, “I have a nephew who does roofing. He’s in college, but maybe he’d be interested. I can check and see what he’d charge.”The argument abated, and Earl’s nephew Joe agreed to a very reasonable price. In fact the roof came in at budget--$5000--because the shingles were less expensive through Lowe’s.

Now lets try a rewrite of Monday's spark using conversation--this time I think I"ll have to have one with myself-- a conversation of what was going on in my head:

On the first Tuesday in January I planned to finish entering the transactions for both businesses for the last two months of the year.
Clicking on Quickbooks, “What? Can’t find xyz.qbp? Nonsense.”
I shut down Quickbooks and opened it again. “Oh, maybe my external hard drive is off. That’s it.” I shut it off, turned it on and began again.
“Still no file found. Well I can find it then.” I quickly started looking in all the obvious places.
“That’s funny—I wonder where it should be.” “I’ll just search the J drive” Nothing. “Wrong file name?” Nothing—about this time a mild panic begins to set in.
“It’s got to be here somewhere. I got the new computer in August and I KNOW I’ve entered transactions since then. Now why won’t it find it? I couldn’t have erased it.”
“The only time I messed with anything was when I..cleaned…out…the…hard….drive…to make room for scrapping stuff!!!!” Now the major panic is setting in as I repeatedly, but fruitlessly explore EVERY file on the external drive. “I couldn’t have. Well, I could have, but I WOULDN’T have.”
“Nothing. There is nothing anywhere. I actually erased 10 months of transactions in SEVEN accounts. This is going to take forever to recreate. I should’ve kept my bank statements neater. I hope I HAVE all my bank statements. I think I have a headache. I need some chocolate and a nap.”

Not all stories can use a conversation, but sometimes it's a great way to tell the story. Try it!

REALLY good book

I just received my copy of "Your Words Your Story". EXCELLENT book for scrapbookers who want more than the name, date, place type of journaling. I've just read a little here and there...more to come later.

Wre-vise, Wre-write, Wednesday: free writing

Free writing…what to do BEFORE you need to edit. Don’t worry about spelling, punctuation, grammar…just write. Imagine a good friend sitting on the couch next to you—or out to lunch. Write as if you were telling her your story. Imagine her asking questions—(write them too if you like). If you write as if you are talking to a friend, your writing will sound comfortable, familiar—it will sound like you.

Wre-vise, Wre-write, Wednesday: What are you trying to say?

I’ve mentioned before that my writing is most successful when I decide ahead of time what I want to convey. Today I want to elaborate. For example: This is my daughter’s last 100 point parade.
The school is usually calm.
This is a wild and crazy and noisy event that the whole school participates in.
The last one is most important. I decided the best way to convey this was to create a scene: to describe the event as if you were watching it happen, rather than just give a summary after. I needed to start with the calm, go to the craziness, and back to the calm. I think it worked for this story:
The halls are quiet. The few students not in class are walking quietly with their hands at their sides. At precisely 2:45 Mrs. Bott reaches for the intercom microphone and announces the beginning of the 100 point AR parade. All the classrooms are emptied as excited students pour out into the hallways. They line up, some with noisemakers as they prepare for the parade. Emily and the other 100 point-ers move quickly to the office in their brightly colored Lewiston Leopard Reader shirts and line up behind the principal. When everyone is ready, he turns the siren on and heads down the first hall. Teachers bang on noisemakers and ring cow-bells, students shout and cheer as the paraders run by. The only time it is OK to run in the halls is when you are following the principal in the 100 point parade. Four hundred and fifty high-fives as they run by each of the kids. They exit the building and return in the next hall. Out the back door, and into the next building. Past the 5th graders, some who are tall enough to make tunnels with their arms, the runners dash and dart. Three short minutes later it’s all over-except for the lunch room, where parents and students line up for their “picture with the principal for the wall-of-fame.” The calmness returns to the halls.
Mr. Thomas started the 100 point parade when Emily was in 1st grade, and when he left, Mr. Baker continued the much loved tradition. Most years Emily read enough AR books to earn a spot in the parade. This year as her last at Lewiston, was also her last 100 point parade. She chose the bright pink shirt-the most popular this year-even with the boys. We are so proud of her!
Here’s my finished LO:

Thank ol’ Mrs. Anderson for this one.
Mrs. Anderson was my seventh grade English teacher who insisted the class adhere to every motherlovin’ grammar rule… no matter how archaic. Or stupid.
As as result, everyone learned to write dreadful passive prose. I don’t know about you, but I’ve seldom met a passive sentence I liked. Chances are good you’ve got a Mrs. Anderson in your past, too. Exorcise that demon’s teaching immediately.
Examples of passive sentences:
The awards presentation this year will be emceed by Wink Martindale.
My daughter was given a turtle by my sister-in-law.
Notice how the subjects of the sentences are receiving the action? Blech. Here’s how to fix them: Wink Martindale will emcee this year’s awards presentation.
My sister-in-law gave a turtle to my daughter.
Here, the sentence subjects are performing the actions. Subjects — not to mention your readers — yearn for action. Don’t disappoint them.
This is the best sample of this I could find. Most of my editing involves more than one tip, but this one has a lot of active rather than passive sentences:
The sunrise was obscured by the clouds The steely gray clouds obscured the sunrise as I made my way over to the site. I shivered in my coat that was too small. I shivered in my coat that began refusing to zip up about 40 pounds ago, and my thin knit pants. Any indian summer warmth from the sun’s rays was swallowed up by the clouds. A cold front had brought in a storm. Heavy with moisture, they’d arrived over night on a cold front that was still trying to blow away every last leaf clinging to the nearly bare trees. I was sitting in my chair looking for the excavation guy. Perched on the edge of the ditch-bank in my camp chair, I scanned the roads, eyes peeled and ears perked for signs of the earthmoving equipment. As I tugged the jacket around my waist, I contemplated the irony of the situation.

And the final draft...

It's as if those last seven days never happened...

Here's the final draft after submitting my writing to my editor (It does help to have someone read your work--someone who can tell you the parts that don't make sense or don't flow--even gramatical errors--AND especially if they can make suggestions to fix things. Find a writing buddy to help with this part--thankfully I have my sister--who obviously did not proof this paragraph :) )

I hopped out of bed and flew through the morning routine, singing my way around the kitchen. Finally. TODAY, I could start putting the rock on the house. Before I knew it, I was on the porch roof doing the prep work. Sweating, I wrestled with the long sheets of black tar paper and unruly chicken wire. I was as determined to finish prepping quickly as the chicken-wire was determined to stay in a curled up roll. It took most of the morning to prep for the upper level rock…frustration. But now it was FINALLY time to put the rock on! With slightly renewed vigor, I loaded the tractor bucket with an assortment of rock sizes and colors and maneuvered it into place. I mixed my first batch of cement to attach the rocks and crawled out onto the porch to begin—just as it began to rain. Determined, I started anyway. It wasn’t raining THAT hard. I was working on the south side of the upper level portion, right under the valley of the front roof. Before I’d finished even three rocks, the run-off from most of the south side of the roof was pouring down on me. Dejectedly I gathered my tools and the cement and crawled back inside to wait out the rain.
After a couple of hours the sun came out. To learn the “trade”, I’d helped the Welkers with their rock work—square rocks only. I thought arranging my round rocks would be simple—compared to the Welker’s but it soon proved difficult to find rocks to fit. Nevertheless, I was excited as I quickly finished the south side—about 5 square feet. It looked so awesome! Now for the mortar. Even with Dave’s special tools, I just couldn’t get the sticky cement to stay in place! I worked near the top—but it didn’t look any better. I worked near the bottom—still no improvement. The fast-drying cement seemed to be sucking all the happiness out of me! I wanted so badly for my mortar to be smooth and beautiful, but I just couldn’t make it look right. The 1100 more square feet of rock that was all going to be a mess seemed to squash any determination I had left. The more I messed with it, the worse it looked—there were gaps around the rocks and the cement was far from smooth. I crumpled in my still damp clothes and cried. I called Dave (my husband) who called Dave (my contractor) who didn’t have time to do it, nor did we have the money to pay him. But he did offer to teach me AGAIN. I had dried my tears and slowly begun attaching rocks to the front of the house when he found the time to come teach me. It made a lot more sense as we worked on it together and I quickly caught on to how to seal the concrete to the edges of each rock and then smooth everything out. My spirits soared as I watched it come together right before my eyes. After school, Dad came to help. I was working up high, with room on the ladder for only 2 or 3 rocks. That meant I was traversing the ladder every couple of minutes to haul more rocks. Having him hand me rocks in the right color and shape sped up the process drastically. Every so often we switched places.Then next morning I didn’t hop out of bed. I was still excited about the rock, but my arms felt as if they might fall off. Too much lifting 50 lb bags of mortar mix, and 35 lb buckets of cement, but mostly too much lifting 5 lb rocks above my head. Three days later at 10 pm, we finished the upper floor portion so the porch could be roofed. But the rock work had just barely begun…

Wre-vise, Wre-write, Wednesday: emotions

Writing techniques that help convey feelings:

• Describe how your body reacts to emotions
• Show how feelings translate into behavior
• Dramatize the emotion of the moment by capturing it in a scene--describe it like a movie.

I rewrote my story from Monday--it hardly sounds like the same story. I wanted to share the emotion--giddy to begin, exasperation with the prep work, dejection at the rain, and complete despair with the mortar, but slowly coming out of it.

I hopped out of bed and flew through the morning routine, singing my way around. Finally TODAY I was to start putting the rock on the house. Before I knew it I was on the porch roof doing the prep work. Sweating, I wrestled with the long sheets of black tar paper and unruly chicken wire. I was as determined to finish quickly (and get to the rock) as the chicken-wire was determined to stay in a curled up roll. It took most of the morning to prep for the upper level rock—frustrating, but now it was FINALLY time to put the rock on! I loaded the tractor bucket with an assortment of rock sizes and colors and maneuvered it into place. I mixed my first batch of cement to attach the rocks and crawled out onto the porch to begin—just as it began to rain. Determined, I started anyway—it wasn’t raining THAT hard. I was working on the south side of the upper level portion—right under the valley of the front roof. Before I’d finished even three rocks, the water was pouring down on me. Dejected I gathered my tools and the cement and crawled back inside to wait out the rain. After a couple of hours the sun came out. I thought arranging my round rocks would be simple—compared to the Welker’s square rocks I’d helped with to prepare—but it was a little difficult to find rocks to fit. Nevertheless, I was excited as I quickly finished the south side—about 5 square feet. It looked so awesome! Now for the mortar. I had Dave’s special tools, but I just couldn’t get the sticky cement to stay in place! I worked near the top—but it didn’t look any better. I worked near the bottom—still no improvement. My cement was drying fast and it was looking really crappy! I wanted so badly for my mortar to be smooth, but I just couldn’t make it look right. All I could think about was the 1100 more square feet of rock that was all going to be a mess. The more I messed with it, the worse it looked—there were gaps around the rocks & the cement was far from smooth. I sat in my still damp clothes and cried. I called Dave (my husband) who called Dave (my contractor) who didn’t have time to do it—nor did we have the money to pay him. But he did offer to teach me AGAIN. I had dried my tears and was attaching rocks to the front of the house when he had time to come teach me. It made a lot more sense as we worked on it together and I quickly caught on to how to seal the concrete to the edges of each rock and then smooth everything out. My spirits soared as the amount of “done” grew. Afterschool Dad came to help. I was working up high, with room on the ladder for only 2 or 3 rocks. That meant I was traversing the ladder every couple of minutes to get more rocks. Having him hand me rocks in the right color and shape speeded the process drastically. After a while we switched places.
Then next morning I didn’t hop out of bed: I was still excited about the rock, but my arms felt as if they’d fall off. Too much lifting 50 lb bags of mortar mix, and 35 lb buckets of cement, but mostly too much lifting 5 lb rocks above my head. Three days later at 10 pm, we’d finished the upper floor portion so the porch could be roofed. But putting the rock on had just barely begun…

Wre-vise, Wre-write, Wednesday: more details

Ok, so this may be part of writing the first draft--maybe not. After you've written, when working on a story, keep asking yourself questions that will connect and draw you further into the story and its context, like:
What year was this? How old was I?
Who else was there?
What do I remember about how I felt? The mood in the air?
What else (context) was going on in the world or in my family at the time?
Why did we do this thing?
What else can I remember about what my life was like at this time?
What is the strongest single thing I can remember about this?

Use the details you come up with to revise your story. Remember you don't need to include everything, but something you find here may help with the introduction, the transition, or the closing.

Wre-vise, Wre-write, Wednesday: Actions Speak Louder than Words

Actions DO speak louder than words.
Show, don’t tell. Too many stories seem flat and monotonous because their authors do too much telling. When you summarize and generalize, you suck the life out of your stories.
Telling: My dog had a way of cheering me up.
Showing: I arrived home tired and deflated. I walked to the door, and as I pushed the key into the lock, I could see through the window that Emma was crouching in anticipation on the other side. I threw open the door and she leaped out and danced on her hind legs trying desperately to jump into my arms. I bent and picked her up. A fluffy mound of excitement, she immediately began licking my face. I smiled despite myself, and suddenly things didn’t seem so bad.
Besides making your story more interesting, Showing makes it more believable. By showing you support your case that your brother was a brat. Readers like to form their own opinions based on the evidence you present.
Here’s my revision of Monday based on this editing tip:
“Get an orange for me,” Theresa called out as headed down the hall toward the fruit room. “OK, but you have to peel mine, then.” She could peel an orange in a few seconds—with the peel almost coming off in one piece. I took the sections from her and sat down with my math book at the kitchen table. Five algebra problems later, I put my school work away and plopped down in a bean bag chair. Gilligan was already in trouble with the Skipper, but since I’d seen this episode before, I knew what had happened. I was sure it was only 10 minutes later when not only had Gilligan’s Island ended, but also an entire episode of Bewitched. That was our cue to head down to the barn to get started on the chores…
Today’s editing tip is from “Breathe Life into Your Life Story” by Dawn and Morris Thurston. There is some great advice and excellent examples in this book. It is geared to writing your life history, but since scrapbooking is little snippets of a life history, I have found the information to be very useful. Four stars!
Let's hear how it worked for you: