As fiction writers we are constantly told to “show and not tell”. One of the best ways to do this is with vocabulary. The words you use can turn a peaceful walk in the forest into a sinister adventure fit for a thriller.

Today your mission, “if you choose to accept it” <grin>, is to write a paragraph describing a scene where your character takes a short walk along a beach. This scene is to be serene so use vocabulary that enhances the scene and allows the reader to feel the calmness your character feels. Next use that same scene, and by changing the vocabulary allow your reader to sense the fear and foreboding that your character feels as she walks along that same stretch of beach which has now a menacing appearance.

This entry was posted on Thursday, September 5th, 2002 at 6:00 am and is filed under Creative Exercises. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Responses are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site.