Writing Enhancers

1. MAGIC 3Giving three examples in a series is pleasing to the ear and adds support to
a point being made. sing modi!iers be!ore each item in the series can emphasi"e the
e!!ect.
A. "She blinked her blue-green eyes, chewed on a lacquered nail and frowned at the
interviewer.
B. "I! afraid to "u!#," said one chicken.
"$h, " said the others.
"%e too."
"%e three."
"%e four."
"&hat if we cant "u!# that far'"
"&hat if we fall in a ditch'"
"&hat if we get sucked into the !ud'"
(he chickens tutted, #utted, and flutted. (hey butted into the!selves and each other
until... )*elakoski+
,-ercise. &rite a #aragra#h about a far! ani!al using the %agic (hree to describe the
ani!als actions.
#. $IG%A&I'E (A)GAGE* Comparisons such as similes+ metaphors and
personi!icationscan bring interest+ humor and connection !or the reader.
"&hen the teacher asks us all to hold hands and &yatt reaches for !ine, this "olt of
electricity floods out of his fingers and ricochets through !y whole body like I! this hu!an
#inball !achine and &yatts the ball."
)Sonya Sones+
,-ercises.
%ake /our $wn Si!iles and !eta#hors
(hat girl was as skinny as000000000000000000000000.
(he chickens were as nervous as000000000000000000.
1rand!as hug was as war! as000000000000000000.
(he librarian was wound as tightly as000000000000000.
*e was as skittish as000000000000000000000000000.
*er sto!ach growled like000000000000000000000000.
(he howl ri##ed through the air like a00000000000000.
(he bree2e fro! the window was like000000000000000.
3ear crawled over hi! like00000000000000000000000.
4ractice 4ersonification. 4ersonify e-tre!e *ot or 5old. &rite about what the heat or the
cold does to you. (ry doing so without using the words hot or cold.
3. ,-ECI$IC .E&AI(, $/% E$$EC&sing speci!ic details that invo0e the senses help
the reader imagine the place or person being described more clearl1.
6(he s!ell rushed at !e as soon as I ste##ed inside. (he hallway had that !a!a-dont-
cook-nothin-without-onions s!ell. It lingered on to# of !usty cigarette s!oke, the kind that
never quite co!es out of the car#et, no !atter how long ago the s!oker left. %y ar!s ri##led
with goose bu!#s. Id been here before."
,-ercise. 7escribe a #lace in a barnyard or in a city you have seen. 8se s#ecific details
and a##eal to at least 9 of the : senses as you describe the scene.
2. %E-E&I&I/) $/% E$$EC&repeating 3ords or phrases can emphasi"e a point.
"I;! going away fro! this #lace. Away fro! !y disa##roving !other, away fro! !y gro#ing
brother and away fro! this infernal heat. )<eslie+
,-cercise. &rite a #aragra#h about your ty#ical school-day !orning. 8se re#etition to
e!#hasi2e a #articular thought or idea.
4. E5-A).E. M/ME)&,lo3ing do3n to expand a moment+ rather than rushing
through it+ can stretch out tension and 0eep 1our reader hanging on to ever1 3ord.
6(heir chicken ears heard a noise in back of the cave, and they grew very quiet.
3our da2ed chickens listened to a long, low growl. "I! afraid of growls," said one chicken.
"$hh, said the others. "%e too. %e three. %e four. &hat if its a big ani!al' &hat if its a
big, hairy ani!al' &hat if its a big, hairy, chicken cho!#ing ani!al'
So!ething crawled fro! the back of the cave. It was big. It was hairy. It looked at the
chickens and licked its li#s... )Big 5hickens+

,-ercise. &rite a scene where you wake u# in a dark house after hearing an odd sound.
,-#and the !o!ent to build sus#ense.
6. 7M/%=*aving fun with your writing !akes it interesting for both you and the reader.
"&e have chicken #ower> &e have chicken brains> &e have chicken guts>
,-ercise. &rite a #aragra#h that #laces a character in an environ!ent or situation you
wouldnt e-#ect hi! to be. ,-a!#le. A city boy in a ballet class or a #ig in a chicken coo#.
,-aggerate the circu!stances to create hu!or.
8. 79-7E)A&E. M/.I$IE%,,a1ing something in a di!!erent 3a1 can bring interest and
recognition o! ho3 something !eels. 71phenated ad:ectives o!ten cause the reader to ;sit
up and ta0e notice.;
"She rolled her eyes at her !other and turned her nose u# with a "god-I-cant-believe-
you-actually-said-that sniff."
,-ercise. &rite your own hy#henated !odifiers.
?. %o! and 7ad went in the back roo! for one of
their000000000000000000000000000000000talks.
@. (he !ost #o#ular girl in school threw !e one of
her000000000000000000000000000000000looks.
9. (he dog had a00000000000000000000000face.
A. *is fingernails were of the000000000000variety.
:. She #ut her feet into the 0000000000000shoes.
<. $((*CI%C(E E).I)G&o 3rap up a stor1+ tr1 repeating a phrase or idea that brings
the reader bac0 to an idea at the beginning o! a piece.
Beginning. "$ne day four big chickens #eeked out the coo# window and saw a wolf
sneak into the far!yard.
(he chickens #wocked, flocked and rocked. (hey knocked into the!selves and each
other until one by one they tu!bled out of the co#. (he door sla!!ed shut and the chickens ran
into the woods to hide."
,nding. "...(he chickens #icked, #ecked and #ocked. (hey ruffled, #uffled, and shuffled.
(hey shrieked, squeaked, and freaked, until...the wolf ran out of the cave."
)Big 5hickens+