Craft Make Your Descriptions of Setting Do Double or Triple Duty with Tracy Forgie Koppel

Lesson 1:
Too often, descriptions are boring. Some readers skip over them. Why do we even need them?
Homework:
1. Share a picture (taken either by you or someone else) of a cute animal.
2. Start looking at description in books by an authors you like and respect, but don’t worry about sharing anything you find yet.
3. Ask me questions.

Lesson 2:
What are the makings of a good description of a setting? (Overview: details relevant to the POV character, attitude of the character to the place, five senses, does not slow down the story.)
Homework:
1. Share a favorite picture (taken either by you or someone else) of a place you’ve been or would love to go to. 2. Ask me questions.

Lesson 3:
Using all five senses in a description. (Okay, taste is only rarely used. Usually only four senses.)
Homework:
1. Tell us what fictional place you’d love to go to.
2. Ask me questions.

Lesson 4:
Using description to demonstrate things about the POV character
Homework:
1. Find at least one description of a particular place in a book by an author you really like. How many senses did the author use? Does the description show/reflect the POV character’s knowledge or interests?
2. Post your thoughts for discussion.
3. Read and comment on others’ posts.
4. Ask me questions.

Lesson 5:
Using description to show emotion—attitude of the POV character
Homework:
1. Find at least one description in a book by an author you really like where the POV character’s attitude to the setting is helping to show the POV character’s emotion.
2. Post your thoughts for discussion.
3. Read and comment on others’ posts.
4. Ask me questions.

Lesson 6:
Using description to show emotion through irony
Homework:
1. If you can, find a description in a book by an author you really like where irony is involved.
2. Post your thoughts for discussion.
3. Read and comment on others’ posts.
4. Ask me questions.

Lesson 7:
Using description when slowing down the story is the right thing to do. Either because the scene would be too fast, or because the characters and the readers need a rest.
Homework:
1. Try to find a scene in a book by an author you love that uses description one of these ways. Can you find another scene that does it the other way?
2. Post your thoughts for discussion.
3. Read and comment on others’ posts.
4. Ask me questions.

Lesson 8:
Weave your description, don’t make it a paragraph of just description.
Homework:
1. Find a description in a book by an author you really where the description of the setting is woven throughout the scene
2. Post a scene from your work-in-progress where you’ve used what we’ve learned to make a location feel real to the reader.
3. Post your thoughts for discussion.
4. Read and comment on others’ posts.
5. Ask me questions.

Lesson 9:
Summary of all previous lectures.
Homework:
1. Post a scene from your work-in-progress where you’ve used what we’ve learned to show a POV character’s emotion.
2. Read others’ scenes and give supportive and constructive feedback.
3. Ask me questions.

Lesson 10:
Review. (New lecture—whatever seems appropriate based on what people’s homework demonstrated or what questions were asked.)
Homework:
1. Post a scene from your work-in-progress where you’ve used what we’ve learned to slow down a scene that would otherwise be too fast.
2. Read others’ scenes and give supportive and constructive feedback.
3. Ask me questions.

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