Week 14 Lab: Writer's Write

Hands typing by Studio GOOD Berlin. Web source: Wikimedia Commons. 

This week I chose to explore the Writer's Write website for my lab. It was really fun to explore through the different articles, searching for writing advice.

75 Words that Describe Smells- A Resource For Writers

I started with this article simply because I was intrigued by the title. The article starts out with a brief discussion about how descriptive language involving smells can add to writing. This made me think about some of the different books I have read over time. Some characters are described as having a specific smell. Other smells are associated with place, like all of the magnificent food in the Great Hall of Hogwarts. Even though I've never actually been to these places or met these people, descriptive writing has allowed me to have strong memories of them for many years. I've never thought about how smells can be incorporated into writing, so this is something I can keep in mind in future pieces and project.

Here are some of the words from this article that I found particularly interesting:
- Piquant
-Noisome
-Coppery


Cheat Sheets for Writing Body Language 

This article caught my eye because it is something that I often struggle with as a writer. In film and video, it is so easy to understand body language because it is completely visual. It does not need to be spelled out because it is happening in front of the viewer. In writing, this is not as easy. When writing body language, one has to be descriptive enough that the reader can actually picture what is going on between the characters. This article recommends using it to add depth of dialogue. I think that this is definitely the most natural way to explain how characters are using their actions to communicate with one another, along with their words. Without body language, I think that dialogue often falls flat. It is more difficult to understand the scene of a story when you are not aware of how the characters are moving.

Here are some of the body language phrases that I liked from this article:
- Palms to forehead
- Smile with eyes
-Narrow eyes

I think that this website will be a good resource for writing in the future.