Module 2 Writing Activity

In your journal, continue your observations of the scene observed in journal 1.  Note several vivid action verbs that you have already used. Revise some of your sentences using action verbs and/or write 2-3 new sentences with action verbs. Try not to use any of the forms of “to be” (is, are, was, etc.).  Underline the action verbs in your sentences. Again, you will want to keep all of these sentences at hand as you do the peer reviewed writing at the end of the unit.

this is the scene that I was using... looks like I have to work it over a bit.

As I stared into deep brown eyes of my dining companion, I was unaware of the hustle and bustle going on around us.  Servers were getting orders and visiting with their customers.  The hostess showed more customers to tables around us.  My companion and I spoke to our server and ordered. The server was efficient and the food served quickly.  We dug into the deep fried fish, I had perch, while my companion ate cod.  The plates were filled with French fries, coleslaw and rye bread.  

I wrote this in the past and as you can see there are many "helping" verbs and not as much action.

The sentence "servers were getting orders and visiting with their customers" can definitely be changed.

"I had perch, while my companion ate cod."

"The plates were filled with French fries, coleslaw and rye bread."  Most of this is quite bland and needs more action to show the hustle and bustle of the busy restaurant.

Quite boring and needs more work.

Writing Assignment 1 for coursera Writing class



The tall purple flowers bloom near the bird feeder in my small backyard garden.

The small blonde woman walks determinedly towards the coffee shop where she will purchase breakfast.

2nd or third attempt seems to be ok.

This is what I will turn in.

this is for the second post of journal writing

Verbs                                                                 

1. saw

2. discuss

3. have

4. was

5. hung

 6. leap

7.crawl

8. spun

Adverbs

1. suddenly

2. always

3. lovely

4. darkly

5. romantically

6. sharply

Writing journal for cousera

I am going to be using this blog for my writing journal for my current coursera writing course.

The assignment was to write nouns and adjectives describing a scene.
                                                             

1. bed
2. computer
3. printer
4. books
5. clothes
6. light
7. closet
8. walls
9. chair
10. desk

Here is a list of adjectives:

1. blue
2. messy
3. clean
4. cold
5. warm
6. green
7. light
8. dark
9. three
10. seven
11.  

March

Things are changing.

My coursera courses are almost finished.  Yea!

Snow is melting.  We actually got almost 17 inches the other.  On top of 6 or 7 from previous snowfalls, so there is quite a bit of snow that will have to melt.

Today is sunny which makes everyone feel better and think that spring is finally on the way.  However, there is still the tournaments.  Minnesota tends to get at least one more storm during Boy's basketball tournament.  I am not sure what happens in WI.  Haven't been here that long.

Camp NaNoWriMo is next month.  I may use that to rewrite Jill's story.  I know that was ok at one time, but it needs updating and an ending.

There is Writer's Digest Writing competitions in May.  I am going to seriously think about those as well.

Book club is in about two weeks.  I have finished reading the book (again).  I still want to go over what happens in each chapter so I have the story straight.

It's the end of February.  Not much has been accomplished this month.

I start my Romance book club discussions next month.

I have shoveled a lot of snow.  Today as I look out my window, we have 14.5 inches (supposedly) on the ground and it is heavy and wet.  I haven't done a lot of shoveling, but what I did was tough.  I have already been outside three times for a total of about 2 1/2 hours and still can't get from the house to the garage.  I do have the front shoveled out.

Still no job.  Been to one on-site interview this month.  Have plenty of applications out there.  Was hoping something would work out. But alas.

As for the novel, got started on forms and looking at it, but really haven't done much else.  Always seems like something else needs to get done first.  I have a bare bones book, but not much else.  Seems like I am very good at starting a project, but not so hot at finishing.

Started several more afghans and crocheted items this month.  Maybe that's the direction I should head. Still thinking.....

February

Well, I haven't done much writing.  A lot of thinking about writing and learning what not to do while writing.  I haven't even spent time rewriting.

Although I should.

Still looking for meaning ful work, however, I am starting a new volunteer position as a book club facilitator at the local library.  I am still Storyspotting for Storybird.  And I did some work for the Naval Ship Association.

So I volunteer.  I also have been taking classes through Coursera.  One on writing, one on gamification, evolution and nutrition.  I was also involved in the once Coursera class that crashed a system.  It just wasn't working.

I am reading a lot about writing mysteries and romance novels trying to figure out why my plots don't really go anywhere, (as I find out that is one way truly to be rejected).  I need to find out or rather, maybe outline where my stories are supposed to go.  My biggest problem is ending the story.  i can write dialogue and a sentence that makes sense.

My characters are flat and wooden so I need to work on that, and I need to put in more description of the setting and other parts of the story.  (Maybe it's because I have written plays and they didn't need much more that dialogue.)

Any way, my biggest thing now is trying to figure out my way in life.  Maybe this is the part of my life where I spend my time writing the trashy romance novels that I described back in 2001 or so when I had to make some comment about where i wanted to go with my life.