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IWW
Practice-W Exercise Archives
Exercise: Sounds of Silence
These exercises were written by IWW
members
and administrators to provide structured practice opportunities for its
members.
You are welcome to use them for practice as well. Please mention that
you found
them at the Internet Writers Workshop
(http://www.internetwritingwor
kshop.org/).
Exercise: Sounds of Silence
Prepared by: Rheal Nadeau (Original title: Hush!)
Posted on: 19 Feb 2001
Reposted on: 7 Apr 2002
Reposted on: 13 Feb 2005
Reposted, revised on: 13 Aug 2006
Reposted on: 19 Aug 2007
Exercise: In 300 words or less, write a scene in which you depict total
silence
without using the words "silence," "quiet," or other synonyms.
_____________________
This assignment deals with the absence of something, in this case
sound. Describing
the absence of something can be more difficult than describing
something that is
there.
A story might include a moment where the action ceases and all becomes
quiet.
Something shuts off, or stops moving and silence prevails. Perhaps the
crying baby
finally falls asleep, or the neighbor's dog stops barking. It is easy
to describe noise,
but how do you describe silence?
Choose a setting. Add some noise. Create an event that causes the noise
to stop and
show the reader what that "sounds" like. How does it feel? What
emotions occur as
a result of the silence? The silence might feel peaceful, comforting,
relaxing,
ominous, threatening, or foreboding.
A thought--total silence is rare. Will there be other sounds that begin
to intrude on
the silence?
_____________________
Exercise: In 300 words or less, write a scene in which you depict total
silence
without using the words "silence," "quiet," or other synonyms.
_____________________
Critique by assessing how well the essence of silence was portrayed.
Could you
"feel" the change from noise to quiet emotionally? Did it engender a
certain mood?
Was the story free from synonyms for silence?
Web site created by
Rhéal Nadeau and
the administrators of the Internet Writing Workshop.
Modified by Greg Gunther.
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