Material Change of Use
Welcome to today's writing challenge at the Author Gym. The materials we use in clothing holds centre stage. Please enjoy as you explore the quest to describe the folds, creases, look and feel of clothing.
Field Notes:
Observe how movements change the orientation of clothing on the wearer's body. Rising, falling, opening, closing, flapping (in the wind), revealing, loose, tight, clinging. Is it creased, crushed or in gentle folds? Rough, smooth, silky, cotton, expensive, worn? Bright, check, striped? Scrutinise how clothing reacts to people running, walking, dancing, jumping, crawling, hopping. The way that clothes rest or move on a person is an essential part of this next task. Be careful to show not tell in this one.
Clothing is used to decorate, protect, as workwear, as partywear. This is not an exercise in a fashion class. This is a high-tension mystery with helter skelter action beginning in a brief moment when two people are seen talking together. Clothing moves or is moved, revealing the key to what happens next.
WARM UP
10 minutes
Picture the incident you have in mind. What are the participants doing? What material is going to move that gives us the realization that things just got interesting? How will you do this in a clever way? How will you jolt your reader with the sudden change of pace? Maybe it’s worth imagining what may already have happened and what will happen next.
Write words or mind images into your Field Notes to help your brain/muscles warm up.
Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to create scene where a key to instigating action is revealed when an item or part of clothing moves or is moved.
WRITING
30 minutes
Write to target 350 words without interruption to your work. This is a target only. Now you should be looking for quality and quantity. They overlap a lot. Achieving both at the same time is near impossible. Write copiously, then add the quality once the story is in place.
COOL DOWN
10 minutes
Chill in a chair or somewhere comfortable in your cool down zone. Think of yourself as a reader, not the writer of the piece.
Will a reader be jolted at the key moment?
Could they make a good guess at what has happened in the lead up?
Did you like the way the writer portrayed movement of clothing as a major incident?
Which three words or phrases were used to bring in tension and/or change of pace?
Can you see your novel writing muscles and skills growing? Can you see yourself as a writer who publishes regularly? Feeling more confident in your writing?
Maybe now is the time to show your friends some of the pieces you have written. Be proud of your work.
See you soon. Enjoy the time you spend writing and creating.
Damon
