Creative Writing Exercises For Dummies

Chapter 12

Getting Things Done: Describing Action and Activity

In This Chapter

Revealing character through individual behaviour

Creating exhilarating action scenes

Doling out violence – responsibly

Descriptive writing isn’t just about observing static objects such as a still life. You can also describe characters’ movements, actions and activities. The more you keep people on the move, the more you can reveal about your characters and the better you can take the story forward.

As I show in this action-packed chapter, you communicate loads about your characters when you provide descriptions of what they do and how they do it. I demonstrate how actions can express feelings and emotions, depict people at work and play, and result in choices and further consequences: the very stuff of drama. In addition, to help you when you’re writing scenes involving a large number of people, such as battles or demonstrations, I discuss ways of helping your readers to visualise an often confusing set of actions and keep them engaged throughout. I also show how taking care when picking your vocabulary allows you to add strength and specificity to your action scenes.

Watching Characters Tackling Everyday ...