writing

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Part One:

For this exercise, write a two-paragraph scene that is rooted in emotion. You may choose any emotion you’d like or a collection of emotions. You may also choose any point of view for this exercise. 

In creative work, one of the greatest skills that a writer can possess is the ability to make the reader feel something. If you can engage readers on an emotional level, you’ll have them hooked.
 
Think about it: Most of the books, poems, movies, and TV shows that you love are the ones where you forge an emotional connection. The characters were your “friends,” so you felt for them. You felt with them.
 
Sounds easy, but emotionally-charged writing can be a complex and difficult endeavor.
 
Rules of the Road:
 
To engage a reader, we have to create scenes that are so vivid they seem real, even if they are not. Through scenes, imagery, and dialogue, writers can emotionally engage readers with what’s happening on the page.
 
Show, Don’t Tell (A phrase I hate, but one that is true in creative work):
 
The best writing shows a reader what’s going on instead of telling them. If a character is sad, you don’t write: Kate was sad. You write: Kate lowered her eyes and swallowed hard, choking back a sob and blinking away the tears that were welling up in her eyes.
 
Use Imagery:
 
Using imagery goes hand in hand with showing rather than telling. Instead of writing Jack’s heart was broken, use a compelling image to show the reader that Jack has a broken heart: Jack stood in the street with his hands clenched at his sides as he watched her walk away. She didn’t care anymore. His entire body shook as tears streamed down his face. It was over.
 
Try Dialogue:
 
Feelings can be revealed through dialogue, and dialogue can also incorporate imagery. When you use imagery and dialogue together to show the reader what is happening and to reveal the emotional aspects of a situation, the reader visualizes the action and becomes a part of it, often experiencing the characters’ emotions right along with them.
 
Part Two: 

Write a two-page scene using the information you wrote in Part One as a guide. Expand on your use of emotion, and try to make the reader feel something with your words. Do not worry about sentimentality; instead, write into the place that scares you (or your character). Commit to the emotions, whatever they may be, and try to leave everything on the page. You may use any point of view for this assignment. 

Part One Length: Two paragraphs

Part Two Length: Two pages