Mastering Colorful Language in Writing: A Guide by Priscilla Thomas

1. “ColorfulWhitePaintings” By Priscilla Thomas

2. Writing as Art • Writing is like painting a picture using words. 

3. Writing as art… • Would you do all of your paintings in black and white?

4. Would you always paint the same picture?

5. Of course not! So why use the same words over and over again in your writing?

6. How do I make writing interesting? • Use descriptive adjectives • Use descriptive verbs • Be exact and precise

7. Why use adjectives? • To describe nouns in detail • To describe people, places, feelings, situations, and objects in detail • To convey the writer’s attitude and set the tone • To make writing more interesting • To paint a picture with words

8. Adjectives Adjectives  Describe  Just nouns to make them Exquisite, Curly, Tedious, Interesting, Vivid, Exact, Special.

9. For example… “Neddy Gnathic sat tuxedoed at a lacquered black piano, sprinkling diamond-brightnotes through an elegant room.” Dean Koontz, From the Corner of His Eye

10. Why use descriptive verbs? • To create clear, visual images • To enhance and create interest

11. Descriptive Possibilities • talk (whisper, chat, mutter) • yell (shriek, scream, bellow) • jump (leap, hop, bound) • eat (gobble, nibble, taste) • see (peer, spy, witness) • close (latch, block, bolt) • laugh (giggle, snicker, chuckle)

12. For example… • “Celestina slammed the door, pressed the lock button in the knob, shoved-rocked-muscledthe dresser in front of the door, astonished by her own strength…’” Dean Koontz From the Corner of His Eye

13. Using Effective Description • Focus on a dominate impression to create mood or atmosphere in your paper • Use sensory description with sight, sound, smell, touch and taste to sketch an impression

14. Using Effective Description… • Instead of vague, general words, use concrete and sensory packed words • Use vividlanguage, not vague language

15. Using Effective Description… • Vary sentence structure • Retain only the most powerful words

16. What to Avoid • Do not overuse adjectives • Do not overuse adverbs • Do not overuse clichés

17. What to avoid…. • Adverbs that repeat verbs Example: She screamed loudly. • Weak adverbs Example: Use “raced” instead of “walked quickly” • Overused adjectives Examples: beautiful, lovely, wonderful, cute, pretty

18. What to avoid… • Clichés such as, • “big as a house” • “good as gold” • “as nervous as a long-tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs”

19. “Descriptive adjectives and verbs help develop colorfullanguage and facilitate interesting writing.”

20. Quiz • 1. Writing is similar to ___________. • 2. One way to make writing interesting is to use ________________. • 3. One reason for using adjectives is to ______________________________. • 4. Descriptive verbs are used to ______________________________. • 5. Instead of vague language, use _____ language.