Incurable Disease of Writing

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Recently I wrote about modifiers and as I did critique work this week, I was more aware of overuse and plain descriptions. This got me to thinking about my own work and I pulled out my trusty book, Writing Fiction by Janet Burroway.

One of the exercises she gives in the showing and telling chapter is a great one for improving descriptions. I’m sharing this exercise with you and hoping you’ll give it a whirl then return here let us know how you fared.

It’s in two parts and is for partners. If you don’t have a partner, just do the first part (a); it will stretch your descriptive muscles. If you do have a partner do both parts. If you’re looking for a partner, comment here and we’ll see if we can find someone to help you out.

Write down three adjectives (beautiful, aggressive, haughty) that describe a character in your story-in-progress. (Be sure the adjectives describe different qualities, not the same ones. For instance, handsome, well groomed, muscular are too similar, as opposed to handsome, talkative, and mechanically inclined, which show different aspects of the character.)

a. Without using any of these adjectives (or synonyms), write a half-page scene or passage that shows the character engaged in action and perhaps speaking some dialogue that will suggest the selected qualities.

b. Exchange exercises and read them over. Based on this depiction of the character, guess which three qualities your partner wished to convey. Point out the specific lines that created these impressions.

Go forth and write a scene.

Related posts:

1. Writing Challenge: Story Form
2. Writing Challenge: Point of View
3. Writing Challenge: Characters & the Narrative Stance
4. The Narrative Hook
5. Writing Challenge: Showing and Telling

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