After reading Ken Fuson’s example of how fantastic writing can be, even in a short article reporting on weather in Iowa, my teacher challenged the class to observe a scene and write 10 sentences using “sexy” verbs, good details, and active voice (subject, verb, then object). So over the weekend, while replenishing my kanban on resin, I decided to observe a free craft class at Michaels craft store. I’m no ASNE prizewinner, but this is what I came up with:
Crafting hopefuls saunter through the doors of Michaels, despite the overcast sky and bursts of rainfall. This weekend’s craft class would serve two functions: an opportunity to make a Valentine’s card and a simple way to distract children while their parents fulfill their crafty needs. Eager little bodies fill most of the seats, ready to create a token of their love for someone special. Inspiration was sure to be found, buried among a plethora of embellishments: ribbons in various shades of reds, pinks, and polka dots, tins of markers and colored pencils, pads of colorful inks, clear stamps and block letters, cut-out hearts, and glitter.Two pre-teen crafters trickle in late, hoping to rush creativity in order to finish cards by the end of the class, or until their ride is ready to go. Over the hum of excitement the instructor warned, “You don’t want to make a card too busy, but make sure you have enough.” She then slowly circled the table on the prowl for an attention-worthy example of the right amount of embellishment; she found it and held it high for the rest of the class to admire. One intense bedazzler with a look of determined focus chose an approach of finding the perfect placement for a faux rhinestone. While the “minimalist” decided to wrap the bottom edge of the card with a red wavy-patterned ribbon, glue three cut-out hearts to the front, stamped “Happy Valentine’s Day” on the inner right side of the card, and call it a day. Embodied by a little girl with pink-framed glasses smiling as she excitedly pointed out the red glitter and fluffy yellow cotton balls to her mother, Michaels is a place that fosters creativity.
Now you have one great example (Fuson’s article) and my first attempt. So get out there and do some of your own practice. It’s not as easy as it sounds, but some guy said during some era that practice makes perfect. I’ll keep practicing and let you know if he was a liar. In the meantime, share/post/link what you come up with too.
Artsy-ish 