Introduction:
As a writer we have to find our voice. Voice is not the thing you shout down the hall, but it is something in our writing that makes us distinct from other writers. Particularly, we will be focusing on details, and our goal is to improve our voice by using details to allow our readers and audience to see what we want them to see, hear, feel, taste, or smell.
Use these three skills to help you make inferences.
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Inferences:
What can you tell from a picture, painting, object, or quote that will clue you into the meaning of that item?
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Van Gogh
What details allow you to make inferences about Van Gogh in this painting?
Look at what he is wearing, the colors of his beard, jacket, and other objects in the painting. Is he happy, sad, depressed? How can you tell? |
DETAILS: We use details to help us set a tone or help us show and not tell in our stories.
Attitude: Use details to show an attitude of a character or something that is living.
I do not like that black cat. The sound of its paws scratching against my door makes me want to cover my ears with pillows. The ratty hair that falls upon my blanket will never come off unless I yank it. The look in its eyes as it pierces through my glare. Its hissing makes me want to shoo it away as quickly as possible. I will never like that cat.
Discussion: How did I use detail to describe the cat. What details portrayed a mood? How did I make you feel as you read about the cat?
Discussion: How did I use detail to describe the cat. What details portrayed a mood? How did I make you feel as you read about the cat?