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IWW
Practice-W Exercise Archives
Exercise: Who Am I? (Version 2)
These exercises were written
by IWW members
and administrators to provide structured practice opportunities for its
members.
You are welcome to use them for practice as well. Please mention that
you found
them at the Internet Writers Workshop
(http://www.internetwritingwor
kshop.org/).
Prepared by: Florence Cardinal
Posted on: Sun, 14 Oct 2001
Reposted on: Sat, 5 Oct 2003
Reposted on: Sun, 4 Jul 2004
Reposted, revised on: Sun, 6 Aug 2006
Reposted on: Sun, 26 Aug 2007
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Exercise: In 300 words or less, write a scene that includes the
physical description of
the viewpoint character while in that character's point of view. Use
first person
POV or third person limited POV.
_____________________
The viewpoint character is either the protagonist or simply someone who
tells us the
story. How do you draw a clear picture of the viewpoint character?
Letting the
character see a reflection in a mirror or store window (or even a pool
of water) is
overdone and frowned upon by many editors and publishers.
Try to be subtle; slip in the description while remaining in the first
person or third
person limited POV. We're looking for a "snapshot" of the viewpoint
character.
Here are some examples:
Example #1: First Person:
I spent an hour fixing my hair before Ricardo came. He told me he loves
the way I
braid my hair and coil it around my head. He doesn't know, but I just
about have to
do it because my hair is so thick. Sometimes I wish I was a blonde, but
my hair's
black as ebony, and I'm not about to dye it. He says it suits my
heart-shaped face.
Good thing. He likes my eyes, too; they're dark brown. If it weren't
for him, I think
I'd get a buzz-cut.
Example #2: Third person limited
Peter had counted on winning this race, but he certainly couldn't ride
with a broken
leg. Well, he would still win! She wrapped the strips of sheet tightly
around her
breasts, giving thanks for once that she wasn't buxom like her friend
Alice. Slipping
into Peter's jockey shirt, she tucked it into her pants. She considered
hiding her hair
under her cap, but it looked so much like Peter's--silvery blond and
collar
length--that she decided to leave it.
If you are at all perplexed about the meaning of point of view, or
interested in
considering subtleties, you can find help in all these locations:
http://carterj.homestead.com/WritingTips.html (no. 7 - a short summary)
http://www.awpwriter.org/magazine/writers/djauss01.htm (article)
http://users.wirefire.com/tritt/tip9.html (longer explanation)
http://www.writersdigest.com/articles/column/kress/know_it_all.asp
(omni v.
limited)
_____________________
Exercise: In 300 words or less, write a scene that includes the
physical description of
the viewpoint character while in that character's point of view. Use
first person
POV or third person limited POV.
_____________________
Points to consider when critiquing: Did the descriptive scene feel
natural, unforced?
If so, what specifically led you to this decision?
Did the POV character's description seemed obvious? If so, why?
How could the author have made the scene better?
Web site created by
Rhéal Nadeau and
the administrators of the Internet Writing Workshop.
Modified by Gayle Surrette.
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