Week One: Sight
In week one, we will be looking at the sense of sight. We will discuss using it in your story, and how to describe color, texture, and movement. Ideas will also be suggested for using the sense of sight as inspiration for new stories.
Assignment: Complete a 600 – 1,000 word story using one of the options below:
Option A: Go for a walk and keep notes of what you see. Use these notes as a basis for your new story. For example, you see people shopping, waiting at the bus stop, or a cat in a tree. Use these observations in scenes in your story.
Option B: Start your story with these lines:
(Insert the name of character here) didn’t like the color red.
(Insert the name of character here) didn’t like the color yellow but (insert name of character here) loved the color blue.
Week Two: Sound
In the second week, we will be looking at sound and how this can be used to create a sense of atmosphere of what is happening on the page. For example, the sound of rain pattering on the window tells us there is a shower; however, say the sound of the rain is supported by the sound of thunder, then we know there is a storm. We will also look at how sound can be used to inspire your stories.
Assignment: Complete a 600 – 1,000 word story using one of the options below:
Option A: Stand in your back garden/yard or somewhere else safe. Close your eyes and listen to the sounds around you. Make a list of those sounds; try to describe them and the feelings/emotions they stir in you. Use these notes as a basis for a new story or as scenes in your story.
Option B: Start your story with these lines:
(Insert the name of character here) heard the owl screech, the fox cry, and the frogs croaking but (insert the name of character here) wasn’t scared...
Week Three: Smell
During the third week, we cover the sense of smell, how this can be used to stir memories for inspirational purposes, and how you can add life to your stories by adding smell as part of the scene.
Assignment: Complete a 600 – 1,000 word story using one of the options below:
Option A: Think of a range of smells and the memories you associate with them. For example: cut grass, freshly baked bread, or your favorite perfume. Ask others what memories are stirred by the same smells. Use your notes as part of your story.
Option B: Start your story with these lines:
(Insert the name of character here) breathed in deeply, “Mmm, that smells good,” said (insert the name of character here), “where can that lovely smell be coming from?”
Week Four: Touch
In week four, we discuss the sense of touch and consider what it is like to feel by touching with your fingers but also someone or something touching you. We explore how we sense the world around us by touch—for example, hot and cold. We also learn how we can use our sense of touch to stir memories, and how to describe this sense.
Assignment: Complete a 600 – 1,000 word story using one of the options below:
Option A: Gather together a range of objects, close your eyes and concentrate on what they feel like as you hold/touch them. Keep notes of your reactions and use these as a basis for your story. Also ask family and close friends to repeat the process so you can discover how they describe something, then compare to your description.
Option B: Start your story with these lines:
(Insert the name of character here) picked up his (insert a type of soft toy animal here, giving it a name if you wish). “What happened,” said (insert name of character here), “you feel all strange. You don’t feel like my (insert type of soft toy here, using the name if you wish) at all!”
Week Five: Taste
In the last week, we will discuss the sense of taste and look at how people’s reactions differ from one person to the next. For example, there are those of us with a sweet tooth and others who prefer savory tastes. We will also look at how taste can be described.
Assignment: Complete a 600 – 1,000 word story using one of the options below:
Option A: Over a period of a day concentrate on all the things you eat. Describe the taste, the sensation and any memories attached to these tastes. For example, did your grandmother make the tastiest apple pie you’ve ever eaten? What made her pie so special? Take notes and use these as part of your story.
Option B: Start your story with these lines:
“I can’t eat that,” said (insert the name of character here), wrinkling her/his nose in disgust, “it tastes horrible!”
Notes: Upon successful completion of payment, your name, email address, and contact info will be submitted to your instructor. She will contact you via email with detailed instructions and assignments.
