WAG Exercise: Grey Sky
Note: Today is the last day to post your Writing Adventure Group Exercise for the “Sky’s The Limit” theme. To join in, read this post for instructions and this post for the general group guidelines. It’s not too late to join!
We get some lovely skies here in Scotland. When I first moved here, I used to joke about the “sky painters” making the whole country look fake because the skies looked like oil paintings and not the ordinary paler versions I was used to. So I thought this “sky” exercise would be easy. I’d planned to pick one of the radiant evening or morning skies.
Well, of course the entire plan went South and I did it this morning, at the last minute, naturally, when the sky was bleak.
However, this did present a challenge, so I decided to get as specific as I could and get into the spirit of observation and do my best. It was harder than I thought!
Here’s my result:
Gun metal grey - bleeding fog of the same drab colour onto distant landscapes.
Wisps of even darker clouds like smudged greytone bruises.
To the west – the bleak background is dimpled.
The olive and khaki trees atop the nearby hills bristle into the pale background.
Rain starts to fall in fat irregular droplets as blackened clouds descend, blocking out the pale, washed-out dome above.
Reading it again, I realise that although the sky seemed boring at first, there are bits in here that could be useful to me in stories, so that’s great!
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Oh, I adore your description of the sky, especially with the bruises…
I love “Wisps of even darker clouds like smudged greytone bruises.” I also love the fact that although you told us not to use metaphors, you used a simile. Whew! I am vindicated!
Yeah, I know! I really shouldn’t have, but I had the hardest time with it! LOL
You win!
Well, bummer, I was thinking we had until Wednesday. I’ve muffed the first week. I’ll do better next time.
~jon
[ Follow me on Twitter: jmstro ]
Even though I’m late, I did go ahead and post my sky today. I also added you to my blog roll. I’ll try and be on time for the next one. This is a fun exercise.
~jon
[ Follow me on Twitter: jmstro ]
Starting it off with “gun-metal grey” makes me want to set a western stand-off under this sky, but the “wisps” and “bristles” (and knowing it’s in Scotland) also make me feel like Heathcliff is about to ride across the meadow, seeking shelter from that rain.