Writing Practice and Meeting up with your MUSE
Writing Leap #54
Writing a Character Description
Hi Writers,
I belong to the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (S.C.B.W.I.) They have a new offering for their members. Write a 50 word description of a character for a children’s book, using the word wart. They will post it on their widely-subscribed website (scbwi.org) for agents and editors to see.
At first I dismissed the idea. I wasn’t inspired by warts. Then my closed mind decided to open up and I had an idea! Big lesson: Consider everything as inspiration for your writing. Don’t be an inspiration snob like me. Stretch!
Writing a 50 word description of one of your characters is great writing practice for showing not telling. Fifty words is a challenge to try and evoke, not describe, something about your character that is real. Try it Writers! It’s really satisfying, I found.
Here’s mine inspired by the word wart.
The plump Queen had a wart on her bottom. So embarrassing. Especially when she sat on her throne and cried, “Ouch!” Her round cheeks blushed cherry red, her round mouth resembled a doughnut and her round eyes opened as wide as two apple pies. She heard everybody giggling quietly.
Happy Writing Everybody,
LINKING THE ARTS
The Queen, trying her best.
A Favorite Word: Evoke, as in to summon or suggest. This is one of the jobs of our muse.
Thanks to you, Cynthia, I just signed up to a year’s membership with SCBWI.
And I do mean, “thanks to you.”
I think they are just what I need right now to take me by the hand and help me negotiate my way through the twisty turns of publishing and publicizing literature for children.
Bob
So glad Bob! They have great conferences and meetings, a NY city chapter and one forming in Westchester. I’ve learned so much through the SCBWI workshops.
Last year they held a big conference in Paris. We went. Not bad!