Lively Writing! Lessons in good Written Expression

1. Lively Writing!Lessons in good Written Expression No one wants to be bored in life. The same is true of writing.

2. The person who reads your work (whether for grading or publishing) will be bombarded with papers.

3. So make yours stand out! Make your paper scream, “Remember me” with colorful words and sentences.

4. Tip 1: Use Adjectives—Sense/Mood Words There are several categories of sense words that you can use: Color Texture Smell Sound Shape Mood

5. Color/Sight Words blurry bright dull rose lime pale ruddy flushed golden silvery metallic turquoise crimson fuchsia ebony fiery opaque colorless transparent shadowy sparkling translucent multicolored

6. Texture/Touch Words thick bushy tangled matted fine rough smooth sharp biting feathery icy bubbling parched slimy hairy damp leathery velvety tingling mushy muddy sticky rubbery

7. Smell/Taste Words earthy loamy sweaty clean fresh spicy moldy mildewed piney stuffy stale sour musty rancid fishy smoky sugary burned tangy rank meaty sweet flowery

8. Sound/Hearing Words gasping silent hushed squawking muted piercing deafening roaring rattling musical whispering shrill lapping humming gurgling whistling sloshing crunching slurping whining moaning buzzing chanting chirping

9. Shape/Touch Words drooping cupped swollen hollow sunken grooved jagged rounded dimpled crumpled lumpy baggy bulky angular spherical round square triangular cone-shaped

10. Mood/Attitude Words cheerful lonely kind mournful morose angry ecstatic pouting tranquil pushy belligerent goofy depressed haunting stern refreshing

11. Don’t’ say: The car sped past us. The boat sailed across the ocean. The class decorated the room with streamers. The snow covered the streets. Be vivid by writing this: The sleek black car sped past us. The gigantic boat sailed across the rough, black ocean. The active class decorated the dreary room with colorful streamers. The slushy, melting snow covered the streets. Elaborating with Descriptive Adjectives

12. Adjective Exercises Spot the Vivid Adjectives 1 Spot the Vivid Adjectives 2

13. Tip 2: Use Adverbs Adverbs tell us: How? When? Where? How Much? How Many Times?

14. actually frequently slowly afterward gracefully softly angrily happily soon awkwardly later stiffly before loudly strangely boldly nastily stupidly brightly neatly suddenly brilliantly nervously surprisingly powerfully thoroughly crazily quickly today earlier reluctantly tomorrow easily sadly violently everywhere secretly wearily excitedly seldom wisely fiercely sheepishly yesterday carefully cautiously occasionally suspiciously

15. Adverb Exercises Elaborate with Expanded Sentences Answering Questions to Elaborate Sentences

16. Tip 3: Use Strong, Active Verbs You can’t get your reader’s attention by saying “am, is ,are, was, were,” etc. Throw out some action!

17. Try some of these: bark grow slammed bash gulp slashed belched gunned slaughter blew gush slice hammer slobber break bolt hiss slug burn hit smash burst hurl sneered choke jog sped chop jot spit chomp kick split clobber kill spring collapse leap sprint crack moaned stab cruise multiply stormed crumple murder streak crunch ooze stretch cut peeled surf dart played swirl destroy pollute teach devour pounded throw discuss pour tore divided pry torture dodge raced tumble dreamed ram twirl drown rip twist dunk roar electrocute scamp wail expel scorch screech whipped fight scream whimper fumbled shot zap glaze skim zoom vomit fall yell shatter wave fling

18. Active Verb Exercises Discover Strong Synonyms for Weak Verbs Replace Overused Verbs with Exciting Verbs How Many Different Ways Can It Be Done

19. Tip 4: Show don’t tell! Create a picture in the readers’ minds by writing sentences that show what happened rather than telling what happened. Remember, a picture tells a thousand words (so use more words to paint your writings).

20. Don’t’ tell us: The little girl looked in the window. I climbed the fence. The table was decorated for Valentine’s Day. She felt embarrassed when she fell. Show readers: The little girl pressed so close to the window that her breath fogged the glass. I climbed up the ragged wooden fence and got a splinter in the palm of my hand. Bright-red ribbons, dimly-lit candles, and a heart cloth decorated the Valentine’s table. She tripped and fell backward in front of the Senior boys, then stood up with blushing cheeks and shaking hands. Showing versus Telling

21. Showing Versus Telling Exercises On your own paper, rewrite the following sentences into showing paragraphs. The roller coaster was scary. The room was messy. ______ drives me crazy. Yesterday was disaster. The pizza tastes good.

22. A few more useful tips: Do not use any word more that 7 times in a five paragraph paper Use synonyms i.e.: class, classroom, learning environment, learning facility, school, educational building, room, etc. Add in similes and metaphors i.e.: The class was like a zoo. I could hardly deal with the animals in the room as I tried to study. Have a variety of sentences—In other words, all of your sentences should be a different length Make some long and some short so your paper does not sound like the “Clear eyes” guy on the commercials

23. This presentation was created by Erica L. Basnight-Johnson, Henrico Co. elbjohnson@henrico.k12.va.us