My friend, Marlene Cullen, used the simple word 'green' as a writing prompt on her blog today. It started me thinking about the big role color plays when we write. I am old enough to remember when technicolor movies were only made for musicals. It took a while before the rest of Hollywood films were all shown in color.
When we write, designating a color helps the reader see what we're saying. If I say, 'The flowers waved in the spring breeze.' the reader will imagine a field of flowers moving, but if I say, "The white and gold daisies waved in the spring breeze.' the image is sharper. If I say, "Her dress fit perfectly.' the reader sees a woman in a dress, but if I say, "Her violet dress fit perfectly.' the image instantly changes to something more defined.
The nice part about using color in our writing is that, while each color has a name, there are many other words that designate the color itself. Take yellow, for example. You could use golden, gold, sunny, blonde, or flaxen. Without saying the word 'yellow' your reader sees the color. If the color of something is important, and you use it two or three times in one paragraph, you can vary the words but still give the same image.
Color can be soft, vibrant, or even harsh. Color is one of the most descriptive aids a writer has. Color adds to the story, essay, or poem. It enhances what you already have.
Look at the list of colors below. For each one, find other words that convey the same meaning. Use the color in a descriptive paragraph.
A. blue
B. green
C. red
D. yellow
E. black
F. brown
G. beige
H. purple
I. lavender
J. pink
K. white
Use color when you write!
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