Learning Outcomes:
-To explore how a writer chooses words to effect the reader
-To explore how a writer arranges sentences to affect the reader
-To illustrate how words and syntax help put pictures in the readers head : tone, voice, characters, setting
-To discuss the crafting of current work in progress
Syntax Definition:
The arrangement of words and phrases to create well-formed sentences in a language.
Learning how to use description better is every writers aim, in order to create a mental image for the reader to form just by reading your words, this is what brings your novel alive.
USE STRONG VERBS WHEN DESCRIBING ACTION. “She walked slowly across the room” “She crept across the room” “She shuffled across the room” By changing the verbs, notice how dull and lacking in vivid imagery the first one is compared to the next two. Items two and three give us a much more visual sense of how she walked slowly across the room.
- Try to appeal to all five senses
- Choose specific events to describe a long-standing situation
- Describe reactions rather than standalone emotions
- Be specific with dialogue
Gemma-Louise Costa 