Saturday, March 5, 2011

Revealing Setting

Writing Exercise: Write a setting that will tell the reader about a character without presenting the character directly.

On her blog Pocketful of Playdough Brianna give us the above challenge on her post Fun Character Exercise. My setting is below. What does the setting reveal about the character? [This setting is adapted from the book I am writing, The Library Chronicles.]

Revealing Setting
By Dawn M. Hamsher

The cramped paneled room had two mismatched bunk beds (one red metal, one dark lacquered wood), one on either wall, a dresser under the tiny window, and another dresser stuffed in the closet.  The three boys utilized the dressers and the clothes rack in the closet. But the one who used the fourth bunk had no dresser and was only allotted the space under the bunk for storage.  While the rest of the room was a mess of unmade sheets, tossed football uniforms and empty soda cans, this bunk was different. The comforter was worn, but clean. A handmade orange cat pillow lay on the blue checkered blanket. The floor under the bunk boasted five rows of carefully folded items: jeans, t-shirts, long-sleeve shirts, hoodies, and sneakers (two pairs deep). Behind the clothes were two white bins.  One held underclothes and socks, while the other held hair beads, pony tail holders, plastic colored barrettes, headbands and a thin shiny silver belt.

3 comments:

  1. Did you enjoy the exercise? I think your character is a young boy, possibly living in a foster home. He is caring and responsible. I think he was separated from one or possibly more sisters.

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  2. Patti guessed it! It is a girl. They live in a small 2 bedroom apartment and Whitney and her 3 brothers have to share one room.

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