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Writing exercise: The nerve-wracking wait


A cozy living room with Anna sitting on a couch, waiting anxiously for a phone call. The room is quiet, with an old-fashioned clock ticking on the wall. Anna's hands are fidgeting, and her eyes are fixed on the phone on the coffee table in front of her. The atmosphere is filled with tension and anticipation.


 

Introduction to the exercise and its purpose:

This exercise aims to practice the “Show, Don't Tell” technique by describing the anticipation of an important event without making the character's emotions explicit. The goal is to bring out nervousness, impatience and hope through detailed descriptions and actions.


Situation:

Anna is waiting for a phone call that could change her life. She is sitting in her living room, with the phone in front of her.


Writing Exercise:

Recount the moments when Anna is waiting for the call, focusing on her movements, physical reactions and interactions with her environment.


Suggestions and exercise development:

Describe Anna's living room, the background noises of the house, and the clock ticking relentlessly. Illustrate how Anna moves nervously, drumming her fingers on the table, looking at her phone every few seconds. Show how she bites her lips, fixes her hair, and stands up to walk back and forth. Conclude with the phone ringing and Anna hesitating for a moment before answering it, her breathing suspended, her hands slightly trembling.

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