A Rainy Day Writing Exercise

Rainy Day

We know that putting emotion and sensory details in a story bring it to life. We're not merely telling a story but showing the story to the reader, bringing him/her into the story. 

Take a look at today's photo. It's a woman with an umbrella standing on a street corner in the rain. How can we make it more interesting for the reader? How can we let them feel what the woman is feeling?

First, let's give her a name. Melanie popped into my head when I first looked at her. So, I dub thee Melanie. Having her name brings her a bit closer to us; she appears more human to us.

Melanie has her hand out, and it's probably getting wet. It might also be cold. The sense of touch comes into play here.

What does Melanie hear? Maybe there is thunder above, coming in rolling waves. She probably hears the swish of the cars' tires as they pass along the wet street. It looks like the rain is coming down in more than a sprinkle, so she might hear the soft patter of the raindrops as they hit the pavement.

Does Melanie smell anything? It's possible she could get the scent of the freshness to the air that rain brings. Subtle perhaps but still there. But wait--maybe she is in an area where a coffee company is located. The aroma of coffee permeates the air. 

Can you include the sense of taste for Melanie in this scene? You could if she is still tasting the sliced onion on her lunchtime burger. 

What about the sense of sight? Easy enough if you mention the sun being blocked by dark clouds. 

If you add some, or all, of the above, you'll have the beginning of an interesting story. Sprinkle in some nice adjectives to make it even better. 

For a weekend writing exercise, study the photo above. Then start writing a story about this young woman. Name her whatever you like. Add sensory details to the scene. Create a situation for her. Where is she going? Why? To meet someone? To go to work? To the courthouse? Your choice. Let us see and feel what the young woman experiences. 

It's easy enough to do this in a few paragraphs. The trickier thing is to write like this all the time. The more you write including much or all of the above-mentioned parts, the easier it becomes. You'll establish a habit of writing in this manner. 

Have fun with this writing exercise.