|
|
|
IWW
Practice-W Exercise Archives
Exercise: Nature Writing (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: Pam Hauck
Posted on: April 24, 2004
Reposted on: May 8, 2005
Reposted, revised, on: June 17, 2007
__________________
Exercise: In 400 words or less, create a scene in
which the natural world plays an
important part. Show us how nature affects you or your character,
paying attention
to descriptive details and sensory imagery, color and texture.
__________________
"Nature Writing" begins with observation of the natural world, and
shows how nature
influences human experience or understanding. It
uses all the senses
in painting the
scene and becomes personal as the writer shows how those observations
make an
impact in some way.
You might chronicle a walk in the woods that leads to a profound
insight, show how
seeing pecking pigeons on a city windowsill brings wisdom of some sort
to your
protagonist, or let a night sky filled with stars or storm clouds on
the horizon lead
you or your character to some new understanding.
To see more details about nature writing, and some
examples to prime your pen,
click here. That
site demands an "upbeat" ending
for the work it publishes, but
in this exercise nature's impact may turn out to be
negative as well as positive.
__________________
Exercise: In 400 words or less, create a scene in which the
natural world plays an
important part. Show us how nature affects you or your character,
paying attention
to descriptive details and sensory imagery, color and texture.
__________________
Critiques: Can you "see" the writer's observations? Was the narrator's
style
distinct and personal? Would you have done anything differently?
Web site created by
Rhéal Nadeau and
the administrators of the Internet Writing Workshop.
Modified by Gayle Surrette.
| | |