DAY EIGHTEENDAY EIGHTEEN

FeracoFeraco

Creative WritingCreative Writing

9 July 20109 July 2010

Inspired by the DetailsInspired by the Details Using Using ONLYONLY a description of a person’s hands, a description of a person’s hands,

describe the following personalities, conditions, or describe the following personalities, conditions, or character traits. character traits.

You may have the hands doing something, holding You may have the hands doing something, holding something, or just describe their appearance. You will something, or just describe their appearance. You will want to give as much detail as possible. want to give as much detail as possible.

Use the following sentence to launch your description Use the following sentence to launch your description (more than one sentence):(more than one sentence):

““I settled into my seat on the plane and looked I settled into my seat on the plane and looked around. Between the seats in the row in front of me I around. Between the seats in the row in front of me I could see a woman’s hand on the armrest. I could tell could see a woman’s hand on the armrest. I could tell she was __________ because…”she was __________ because…” richrich dyingdying nervousnervous artisticartistic intelligentintelligent athleticathletic beautifulbeautiful dumbdumb

Inspired by the DetailsInspired by the Details Like the “boring word” exercise we did with poetry, Like the “boring word” exercise we did with poetry,

the same thing applies to descriptions in short the same thing applies to descriptions in short stories, particularly when applied to character stories, particularly when applied to character development. development.

Use the basic structure of the following sentence and Use the basic structure of the following sentence and alter its diction to create the following characteristicsalter its diction to create the following characteristics

““The man picked up his car keys and walked out the The man picked up his car keys and walked out the front door.”front door.” meanmean nicenice suspicioussuspicious crazycrazy conceitedconceited immatureimmature excitedexcited paranoidparanoid enragedenraged satisfiedsatisfied

Favorite Characters!Favorite Characters! Choose a favorite character from a movie, Choose a favorite character from a movie,

book or TV. book or TV. Why do you like them so much? What Why do you like them so much? What

about him/her makes them a great about him/her makes them a great character?character?

Look at the list of characteristics we made Look at the list of characteristics we made a couple of weeks ago, and do a character a couple of weeks ago, and do a character sketch using the list we came up withsketch using the list we came up with

For example: Holden Caulfield – 16 years For example: Holden Caulfield – 16 years old – White/Caucasian – New Yorker – old – White/Caucasian – New Yorker – aspires to be the Innocence Keeper of the aspires to be the Innocence Keeper of the world, etc.world, etc.

The World Comes to LifeThe World Comes to Life Setting can be broken up into three main Setting can be broken up into three main

categories: location, time, and environment.categories: location, time, and environment. Location refers to any place the story occurs in. Location refers to any place the story occurs in.

It can be super-detailed (like the “writing room” It can be super-detailed (like the “writing room” exercise”) or a specific address, or it can be very exercise”) or a specific address, or it can be very general (like “the universe”). general (like “the universe”).

Brainstorm a list of all aspects of location.Brainstorm a list of all aspects of location. What about time? What about time?

Brainstorm a list of time elements.Brainstorm a list of time elements. Time can be clock time, day or night, century, date, Time can be clock time, day or night, century, date,

month, day of the week, etc. month, day of the week, etc. Environment can be like location, except it is Environment can be like location, except it is

more generalmore general For example, weather or “a forest” would be For example, weather or “a forest” would be

environmentenvironment You need one in order to establish the other You need one in order to establish the other

The World Comes to LifeThe World Comes to Life When creating a setting, you have four When creating a setting, you have four

options about what to write. options about what to write. Some place you definitely know Some place you definitely know Some place you kind of know Some place you kind of know Some place you could guess aboutSome place you could guess about Some place you don’t knowSome place you don’t know

First write about a place you definitely First write about a place you definitely know, concentrating on details and know, concentrating on details and descriptiondescription (Your bedroom, bathroom, or a place you (Your bedroom, bathroom, or a place you

spend most of your time in)spend most of your time in)

The World Comes to LifeThe World Comes to Life Next, write about some place you kind of Next, write about some place you kind of

knowknow This can be a friend’s house, a Starbucks, a This can be a friend’s house, a Starbucks, a

city you have been to on vacation, etc. city you have been to on vacation, etc. You should know enough to write You should know enough to write

knowledgably but you will have to make up the knowledgably but you will have to make up the little details..little details..

Then, write about some place you can Then, write about some place you can guess about. guess about. This could include a tribal hut in Africa, a This could include a tribal hut in Africa, a

deserted island, a cave in the mountains, an deserted island, a cave in the mountains, an Italian village, a medieval castle, etc. Italian village, a medieval castle, etc.

You may have never been to this place but you You may have never been to this place but you know enough to guess and fill in details.know enough to guess and fill in details.

The World Comes to LifeThe World Comes to Life Finally, write about some place you don’t Finally, write about some place you don’t

know. know. This may also be a place no one knows. This may also be a place no one knows. All fictional places fall into this category such All fictional places fall into this category such

as Oz or Narnia. as Oz or Narnia. Also included would be planets in space, the Also included would be planets in space, the

bottom of the ocean, inside a volcano, or other bottom of the ocean, inside a volcano, or other places that no one really knows about. places that no one really knows about.

Obviously, you will need to create details for Obviously, you will need to create details for these places.these places.