Writing Skills That Add Magic to Your Writing!

© 2013 Melissa Forney

These are the sound effect words or descriptive words that add an element of sound to your writing. Onomatopoeia makes things “come alive” for the reader, and helps him feel like he’s right there in the middle of the action.

Pop! Crash! Drip! Jingle! The wind whispered woooooooooo

outside my window, lulling me to sleep.

Onomatopoeia

Strong verbs are verbs we can picture. Th ey create rich “mind movies” in the imaginations of your readers.

Scooted. Dragged. Flopped. Bolted. Twisted. Sprang. Irritated. Comforted. Tortured.

Amelia rocketed to the nurse’s station and blurted, “Someone’s been hurt!”

Strong Verbs

Using the same main noun over and over can be boring for your reader. Think of ways to rename the noun. The new name has to be one you can substitute for the original noun. If you were writing about alligators, you could choose one of many ways to rename the noun:

Dangerous swamp dwellers Slithering predators Meat-eating stalkers Scaly reptiles Interesting creatures Creatures of the deep

Rename the Noun

This means conversation. Dialogue makes your reader feel connected to the speakers about whom you are writing. We let the reader know someone is speaking by using quotation marks.

“Throwing the basketball from the free throw line is challenging,” Coach said.

“Will you teach me?” Bonny asked.

Dialogue

Similes are when we compare two things using the words “like” or “as” to connect them. We do this to make a point.

“Let George move the piano because he is as strong as an ox.”

I laughed like a hyena when Billy bit into that candied apple.

Marissa drives her convertible like a maniac when she’s angry.

That song is as soothing as a lullaby.

Similes

Metaphors are direct comparison of two things without using the words “like” or “as.” We use them to make a point.

Let George move the piano because he is an ox.

My sister is a total headache. Marissa is a maniac when she is

angry. Our first practice was a train wreck.

Metaphors

Adjectives are words that describe nouns and help the reader form mental pictures of what we are writing about.

Carlos tossed out the muddy, scratched baseball from the dugout.

Frienda shook her shining, black mane and tail in the brilliant, gleaming sunlight.

Adjectives

Transitional phrases and sentences form smooth “bridges” from one topic (or thought) to the next.

The first step is easy! If you think that’s bad, listen to what happened next.

This is my favorite part. You won’t believe what my sister did then.

Transitional Phrases and Sentences

Writers use grabbers to get the reader’s attention at the beginning of a writing piece. Grabbers can be a single word, a phrase, or a sentence or two that pulls the reader into your story. With grabbers, anything goes.

C-R-E-A-K!! That sound sent cold chills up my spine as the door to the basement slowly began to swing open during the thunderstorm.

There’s a killer in the ocean that is far worse than any great white shark: it destroys its victims with a slow, lingering death, and it’s name is...oil.

Grabbers

Zingers are just like grabbers, but they are used at the very end to add a little “something extra” to your writing. A zinger could be a song lyric, a line from a poem, a catchy phrase, or a direct comment, among other things. With zingers, anything goes.

Thanks, Dad, for saving my life. To Infinity, and BEYOND! Shame on you, oil companies! It’s true: girls run the world.

Zingers

flamboyant precipitous sinewy aroma skedaddle plethora

magnificent

hideous hallelujah outstanding overwhelming

Sizzling Vocabulary

These pizzazzy words add drama, beauty, and maturity to your writing.

When you add your own personality to your writing, it gives your writing a personal tone. We call this voice. You don’t want to overdo it: a

little goes a long way. Try writing with your natural voice so you sound like the real you.

You think I care what she thinks? No way. She can go her way and I’ll go mine.

Alligators are living, breathing, eating machines. Running into one in the water could be my worst nightmare. Yikes!

Voice

Yep, believe it or not, adverbs can add beauty and details to our writing. Th ey paint pictures so the reader can imagine exactly what we are

writing about. I quickly scooted out of the room, so my mom

wouldn’t see me. She urgently waved her hand to get Binh’s attention.

Tenderly, soothingly, she sang the baby to sleep. Aida yawned silently, so the teacher wouldn’t hear her.

Adverbs

Writing with intensity and enthusiasm impresses the reader and lets her know that the topic is important to you. Passion is one of the best

qualities to showcase your writing. I realized that night that because of my own carelessness, I might

die and so might my little sister. How could I have been so STUPID as to play

with matches? We all live on this Earth together, so we need to be careful where

we throw our garbage and dump toxins. Do you realize that animals

sometimes suff er because humans are THOUGHTLESS? Yes, I’m talking to you and me.

Passion

Everyone likes to laugh at funny things. Adding humor to your writing can make it enjoyable for the reader. But there’s a trick to using humor: don’t overdo it. Don’t try to force yourself to be silly or outrageous, but if you’re writing about something truly funny, go for it!

If you’re writing a funny story, be sure to include a little dialogue so we, your readers, can “hear” people’s reactions.

When the cockroach ran up my pants leg, I jumped up on the desk screaming, “MOMMY!!!!!!”

My grandpa was supposed to be watching my little sister, but he fell asleep. What he didn’t know is that while he was sleeping, my little sister drew on his face with a marker. She sure does love markers! Grandma came in from the kitchen and saw what happened, but she didn’t tell Grandpa. She let him go all over town with marker on his face.

Humor

Good writers “show” whenever they can. The details they give paint pictures in the reader’s mind, and let her figure out what is

happening. This is easy to do, especially when you’re showing us how your body reacts to something in your story. Telling: I was very, very, very scared. Showing: My knees started knocking, and I couldn’t stop shaking. I

tried to scream, but no sound came out. Telling: I showed Cinnamon that I loved her. Showing: I wrapped my arms around Cinnamon’s neck and rubbed

my face against her soft mane.

Show, Don’t Tell