Just Write

Use sensory detail and be specific.

I love gorgeous writing and wonder how authors produce writing so vivid you feel as if you are in their world.

One idea is to watch what people really do when talking, use sensory detail and be specific.

For example, author Rachael Herron creates believable fictional characters. There is so much to like about her writing. One tool she employs well is the actions her characters engage in while talking. The dialogue develops character and moves the story along. The action makes the characters believable. Here are some examples from “How to Knit a Heart Back Home.

Owen twisted the [plastic] spoon in his fingers. He would not rub the scar on his hip, which suddenly burned.

Lucy took the now mangled plastic spoon out of his hand and then threaded her fingers through his.

Dropping his eyes from hers, Owen watched Lucy’s pulse flicker rapidly in the hollow of her throat. For a moment there was no sound but the crash of the waves below.

Back to me. . . Oh, my. I can see and hear and feel . . . the mangled plastic spoon, feel the burning scar, see the hollow of her throat and hear the crashing waves.

Action: twisted, dropping, watched, threaded, flicker, crash

Specific: plastic spoon, hip

Sensory detail: burn, sound

Your turn: give us examples of exquisite writing that use strong verbs, is specific and employs sensory detail. Share your finds with us.

Write a scene or a vignette: a freewrite using action words (strong verbs), be specific (sycamore, not tree), sensory detail (sight, hearing, taste, touch, smell). Herron. How to Knit A Heart

Just write!

 

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  1. Pingback: Why should you use strong verbs? – The Write Spot Blog

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