As any typical aspiring writer would, I subscribe to emails from the folks at Writer's Digest. The emails include articles with tips for those of us who like words. One of the articles boasts The 5 Secrets of Great Storytelling.
"Secret" number four encourages writers to paint lovely images while describing the simplest of objects. The article, written by I.J. Schecter, reminds us to avoid cliches and all those lovely little things that bore readers to tears (oops -- a cliche!).
Instead, we should use original phrasing and create beautiful imagery out of even the most mundane things.
The Exercise: So, as per the article, walk around outside, stop, and pick out an object with your eyes. Describe it. Then, describe it differently; try to make it interesting. Then, test out some metaphors. Make the object come to life. Repeat five times.
This Mailbox Looks So Much Cooler Than Mine
Then I kicked it up a notch: Standing tall, hard and fast. Receptive. Protector of letters. Encourager of communication. Case of mysteries.
And finally, metaphorically speaking: House of letters. Fortress of exchanged ideas. White jewelry box full of scripted pearls. Steadfast messenger. Architecture of the American Dream.
Okay, so most of the descriptions may sound outlandish, even lame. But they will provoke your creativity and inspire you to wax poetic on your descriptions in future writing. And the better you get at creating images with your words, the easier it will be for you to entice your readers.
Pick an object and leave some beautiful imagery in the comments. :)
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