Weekends Are For Texture Gathering

Three days off from work at your day-job! Now for the delightful research for the job that defines you – Author. Suggestion: keep a few three-by-five cards in your pocket and a pen. As you sit around the fire-pit, sharing barbeque with friends and family, take it all in, then jot down a few words worth keeping.

See – all of the colorful sights and save some useful descriptions for later use in your writing projects. Were the trees a special color? Have the flowers given over to later blooms? Is the sky a special hue worth remembering? Are your friends and family participating in interesting activities with the possibility of vivid descriptions?

Hear – does a dog bark distinctively in the distance? Is the sound of your loved one’s words especially poignant or humorous? Does someone tell a delightful story worth re-telling?

Touch – are the rose petals a unique texture? Does your daughter’s new sundress have a special feel? Is the hamburger as hot as . . .?

Smell – is the Vidalia onion especially mellow? Do the deviled eggs have a tangy yet sweet taste? Are the s’mores packed full of chocolaty sweetness mixed with crunchy graham cracker crumbles that crackle in your mouth?

Emotional feelings – does the presence of your grandfather conjure up feelings of . . . perhaps the melodic melancholy of summers past in the face of warm breezes without the deep base of his voice.
 
Descriptions – does someone answer with a familiar response in a colorful way?
 
Whatever your experience, mine the word-gifts in your backyard like golden treasures for the rich color they can add to your next story.  Happy gathering!

Doris

Doris Gaines Rapp
"God gives us stories that testify to His love. Let me tell you mine.”