I logged in this morning to post my writing prompt, and realized I’ve been falling behind on participating in my own writing exercises. So, I’m going to put some extra effort in this week to start scheduling some more interviews, as well as posting some more exercise drafts. Where is that coffee…?
This week’s exercise comes from a thought I had in my writing critique group last night (as well as a week of binge-streaming Daredevil on Netflix.) If you are a writer, I highly suggest finding a writing critique group (also if you are anyone, I recommend watching Daredevil). It may take a few tries to find the right one for you, but if you can do that, they are worth their weight in beta readers and fresh-eyed feedback. So, without further ado, here we go. Happy writing!
Exercise 12: Description and setting are hard – how does a writer choose what is important to the reader? How does s/he deftly direct the audience’s attention around the frame of their narrative? There are a few ways to accomplish this; here is one helpful exercise. Draft a short excerpt for a new work, or from a work in progress. Include description of your character’s setting using all of his/her senses — except sight. What does the air smell like? What does the rug feel like under bare feet? Are there birds singing? Fire sirens? What is your character’s physiological response? Get under the first layer of what things look like, and invite us in to a deeper description.
Good luck!
Captain says, Tell me a story!
