Drama: August 29, 2007 Issue [#1910] |
Drama
This week: Edited by: Vivian More Newsletters By This Editor
1. About this Newsletter 2. A Word from our Sponsor 3. Letter from the Editor 4. Editor's Picks 5. A Word from Writing.Com 6. Ask & Answer 7. Removal instructions
Hello, I'm a substitute drama editor this week. Since I'm finishing a book for young teens about baseball and mystery, I thought I'd address how to insert drama into sports writings.
Viv
Next week's editor will be StephBee |
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Make Sports Dramatic
A bit a drama should be inserted into any writing; just as a touch of humor helps smooth the way for dramatic pieces. For sports lovers, drama fills any good game. However, observing dramatic sports events and writing about them aren't the same, unless one uses words to create what is seen, heard, felt, tasted, and smelled, brings the reader into the game.
At a sporting event, observers hear the jeers and cheers from people around them. The smell of a crisp autumn day at a football game or the sun-drenched breeze at a baseball game leaves a scent unforgettable. The plays that bring excitement or despair also send adrenalin pumping through veins. A hot dog's mustard sharpness tingles on a muncher's tongue. Details set the stage.
The next step is to bring the drama of the game to the reader. Let's look at a section written about a middle-school aged baseball team, the Chargers. The opposing team led two to nothing at the bottom of the last inning.
The inning wasn't going well for the Chargers. The batters who got on base were forced our or tagged out when they tried to steal a base. With two outs and one runner on base, Shane stood at the plate. Coach Randy considered replacing the team's youngest player with a pinch-hitter but decided Shane should have his chance. Shane carefully took his stance and watched the ball whizzing toward him.
"Ball one!" the umpire cried.
The next pitch was a little inside but still in the area where the umpire had called strikes. Shane swung.
"Foul ball!" came the call as Shane stepped from the batter's box and removed the batting helmet. He wiped the sweat from his forehead with his shirt sleeve, pushing the light brown hair out of his eyes.
Pitch after pitch, Shane swung if the ball was near the strike zone, hitting foul after foul, or he took the ball call. The count stood three balls and two strikes - full count - but most people lost count of how many fouls he had hit, when the perfect pitch met Shane's bat. The ball soared over the right field fence. The Chargers won by one run.
By using the technique of "show, don't tell," the writer can show the drama of sports events. Readers can "see" what happens, watch the action unfold before them.
Since football season starts next week, perhaps I should have used a football game in my example. Now, football brings all kinds of drama to mind.
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Final Words
Thanks for letting me visit with you this week. I hope I helped you improve your writing.
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