I’m starting up a new series of exercises and assignments that will help you on your way to becoming a better writer.
Today’s assignment: a one-paragraph description.
For this assignment, take a few minutes and pick a physical item that you can see from where you are currently sitting and write a description of it. Do not name the item. I’m not looking for catalog sales copy, but a description of the item that is complete and accurate enough that you could hand it to someone who is not present and they could identify the item. The description should be accurate and vivid enough that your reader can “see” or visualize the item.
After you have completed your description and rewritten it, find a reader to review and comment on your description.
Here’s my example:
“BOSS-Man” spelled out in stark white, above an equally clean and white star. The black canvas is stretched, but not taut. It appears forgiving, even pliant. The cat hair is evidence of comfort and dreams. With its blond wood frame and bright metal hinges there is unspoken promise of adventure, remote locations, sunsets to be ridden into, and stars. From this seat, one could direct the course of events or call for their end with a single barked order.
You may leave your completed assignment in the comment section below.
The Become A Better Writer – Practice and Writing Assignments by Randy Murray, unless otherwise expressly stated, is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.
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Hey Sir, I’ve just written a tiny document on my blog. Though it’s about how to become a popular blogger, it contains a lot about writing it up.
Its bulk surprised her. Most in this category were lower, sleeker, less imposing than hers that seemed to take up more than its fair share of space in her bedroom. For how treasured these pieces usually are, she felt little attachment to it, wondering why she didn’t let her sister have it all those years ago when they fought over who would get it. But then it seemed like a collector’s item, with its gold and amber streaked wood, sprinkled with black knots here and there and a wonderful, rich cedar scent inside. It wasn’t in perfect condition, needing a little love and care to get rid of the spots of bubbles across the top where the polyurethane saw too much sun. Not surprisingly, she never had the time, money, or inclination to fix its flaws. So here it sits, in the same condition as when she found it at the estate sale thirty years ago, now filled to the brim with cast off clothing and unused blankets, effectively guaranteeing it will never be opened. She wonders if it’s worth keeping. If she ever gets to remodel her bedroom with a window seat and bookshelves then there really won’t be anyplace to put it. She’d have to find space in another room, space that is increasingly difficult to come by in this house.
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