Writing Challenge Wednesday: Sight
It’s all about the details. What do you want your reader to visualize while in the midst of your story?
Writing isn’t just about telling a story; it’s about bringing the readers into your world so they can experience it with you.
If you haven’t already, check out my posts, Using Your Senses in Writing: Part I: Characters
And Using Your Senses in Writing: Part II: Places for more information on the importance of using your senses in writing.
Now you’re ready to delve into the world of the sense of sight.
But how do you do that?
Get to know the sense of sight by paying attention.
Look closely. Get out your metaphorical microscope. Watch. And get the details.
Your writing challenge today is this:
Observe as many of these as you can with your sense of sight, and write about what you see.
I know there might be some of these that are difficult for you to complete, so I offered 20 different challenges to give you a variety to choose from.
A person who just got great news. What happens to their face? What body language do they exhibit?
An argument between two people. What body language do they exhibit? What do they do with their hands? How do they use the space around them?
Water flowing: Are you near an ocean? A lake? A swimming pool with people in it? A bathtub? A sink with a drain? What does it do?
The view from your moving car. (ONLY WHILE YOU ARE A PASSENGER- NOT AS A DRIVER!!) Statutory things, moving things. Do they blur as you pass them? What do you notice? What do you miss?
The night sky. What’s affecting it, if anything? Are you in a well-lit area or out in the country? What does the moon look like? How does the night sky affect your environment? (If the moon is bright, does it help light up what you can see in front of you? If you can’t visualize the moon, is it darker?)
The sunrise, the sunset. The day at noon. Describe the clouds, the colors, the way the light affects how you see the day.[image error]
A bruise. Bonus points if you can see a bruise/different bruises at various stages of healing)
A photograph from a previous generation (prior to the 2000s.) What stands out as different? Describe the clothing, the hairstyles, the environment.
A forest. Describe the trees, the animals, the plant life.
The hairstyle of someone you don’t know. Write enough details that someone reading it would know the style.
A place you go to frequently. Look at the details. What do you notice that you hadn’t noticed before?
A person with multiple tattoos. Where are the tattoos? Are they in color? Pick a tattoo and describe it.
Feet. Are they people you’re observing wearing shoes? What kind? Are they clean? Dirty? Well worn? What do you think a person’s shoes say about them?[image error]
The exterior of a broken down building. (FROM A SAFE DISTANCE AWAY) What makes it look broken down? What do you think caused it to look that way?
Hot food just out of the oven
A person over the age of 60. Describe his/her best feature. What makes it so amazing?
A person in the middle of working. Describe what they’re doing, how they look while doing it. Are they bored? Concentrating? Enjoying work?
Two people in love. How do they act with each other? How can you tell they’re in love? How does one person’s reaction affect the other?
A scary movie (or a clip from a scary movie). Watch a part in which the character is scared. Describe their facial features, their actions.
A dimly lit room. How do things look? How is it different than when the room is well lit?
That’s it! I hope you enjoyed using your sense of sight for this writing challenge. Stay tuned for next weeks challenge, the sense of sound!
Tell me all about your experience in the comments!
Happy Writing! -Penny
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