Observation exercise for your blog

It’s simple, really.

Pick a spot, any spot out there in the city of Ithaca. It can be indoors or outdoors.

The point is to be there and observe.

You are to write about 300 words. But you must follow these rules:

1) Do not include yourself in what you write. Write in the third person, meaning you should not use “I” or “me” or “we” or “you” or “us” ect. You are to write about what you observe. Do not become a participant in what you are writing about.

2) Use ACTIVE verbs. Avoid any variation of the verb “to be” (is, are, were). Write in the ACTIVE voice. Avoid passive constructions like: “They are playing.” Instead write, “They play.”

So, you may be in a park, and suddenly you smell pine. You write in your notes, “I smelled pine.”

That violates rule one, and is not as active as it could be.

Better to write: “The smell of pine wafted over the park.”

Be specific, look for details which can convey the scene clearly to the reader. Show, Don’t tell.

Rather than, “They obviously were happy.” Try, “They jumped up and down and cheered.”

See? Be specific. Use active verbs. Let the reader SEE what you are observing.

You can use direct quotes. When people talk, it is the best way to let the reader experience what is being said, the emotion, the nuances of the language.

Instead of simply writing, “He looked worried.” Describe his furrowed brow, his shaking head, the nervous twitch in his eye. Let the reader see it. Show don’t tell.

This may count as your weekly blog posting, but it must be posted by Feb. 17. Please include the word "observation" in the headline for this blog.