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IWW Practice-W Exercise Archives
Exercise: "The Shadow Knows"

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.internetwritingworkshop.org/).

Prepared by: Alice Folkart
Posted on: December 19, 2010
Posted on: January 1, 2012
Posted on: June 23, 2013
Posted on: August 14, 2016
Posted on: September 24, 2017
Posted on: August 4, 2019
Posted on: July 10, 2022

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Exercise: Write a piece of no more than 400 words in which
a shadow or shadowing plays an important role. This could be
a character sketch, a flash piece, memoir, poem, or a start
on something longer.

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You may write anything that concerns 'a shadow,' but you
could start with one of the following:
* Is someone being "shadowed?" (i.e., followed)
* Does a character discover his "shadow" side, i.e., the dark
side of his personality?
* Does someone live "in the shadows?" (e.g., is depressed, in
hiding, or under some constraint)
* Does someone live in
the shadow of another person, e.g., son overshadowed by a
father?
* Does a character have a strong impact on others or
situations, e.g., "cast a long shadow?"
* Does a 'shadowy character' figure importantly?
* Perhaps a shadow on an X-ray or a window curtain plays an
important part.

Be creative and imaginative. Enjoy the exercise.

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In your critique consider the writer's creative approach to
the idea of the shadow. Is it fresh, unique, interesting?
What do you like about it? What works or doesn't? Could the
idea be explored further? Could the author improve the
piece? How?


Web site created by Rhéal Nadeau and the administrators of the Internet Writing Workshop.
Modified by Gayle Surrette.