Writing in Color

Spring is a great time for writers. Nature explodes in vivid array, as if to apologize for the drab winter. My house seems to come alive after a near-death experience. How are you doing at capturing color in your writing?

A good exercise is to use words to convey the idea of color as though you were describing it to a blind man. How can you make him see red? Blue? the contrast between yellow and black if he's never seen it?

Color is more than just visual. Study those red tulips above. How would you describe them in your writing? One way is contrast them with the green lawn. They stand out against the carpet of smooth grass like bright feather balls.

Connect color with the other senses. Imagine what they feel like, smell like, how they would taste. The yellow bushes huddle against the porch like fat ducks in a row.

Go outside and look around. Spend a few moments absorbing the texture of the air, the smells drifting over your face, the soft sounds fluttering from the trees. Describe it in as much detail as you can without a lot of adjectives. Adjectives are the lazy way to write. Use comparison, metaphor, simile, and personification---all those literary words your English teacher tried to teach you. They're quite useful when you want to write something memorable.

Describe spring at your house. Leave your paragraph below if you like and I'll take a look at it. Happy writing!