WJ #14

Writer’s Journal #14 – Observation and Description Practice

OVERVIEW

Observation is a critical skill for writers, thinkers, and researchers. It is skill, and like all skills, it requires practice. Also like all skills, proper practice will result in improvement and a deepening sense of how the skill works.

DIRECTIONS

In this Writer’s Journal, you will have the opportunity to practice and hone your observational skills. To that end, select one of the photographs of a bedroom in Mollison’s Where Children Sleep: http://jamesmollison.com/books/where-children-sleep/

As you explore your chosen photograph please do the following:

- Write down everything you can observe in as much detail as possible. What do you see? Describe the objects, colors, shapes, arrangement. (These will be notes, so they don’t need to be polished writing.)
- Do NOT makes judgments. Do NOT try to analyze why things are the way they are. Your only job is to try and describe what you see in as much detail as possible. Reflection and analysis happen later.

Be as detailed and thorough as possible.

one side of Kaya's room is a closet full of fluppy dolls and cute dresses. Many of the dolls are fluppy rabbits which are adored by Kaya, the owner of the room. Red and pink and cream colors are the most distinctive colors in the room. As colors are mixed up with dots and ribbons, overall atmostphere in the room is sweet like cotton candy. The floor is displayed with toys such as a pink phone with pastel color dial buttons and a doll house with mini furnitures, cute small accessaries and hair ties, etc.