Creating Drama

         Drama is technically a visual medium. Short stories, novels and poetry written with a reader in mind rather than a viewer is sometimes called closet drama. But even if it is not meant to be acted, it should still lend itself to visualization.

         Writing scenes that allow the reader to visualize, or better yet experience, the event is tricky. You need some description but not to the extent that you lose the force and excitement of the action.

         Compare these two sentences:
         1. Charlie hacked at the vines with vicious strokes with one hand and wiped the sweat from his eyes with the other.

         2.The vines were tangled and required hard work by Charlie to cut them.

         Drama could be likened to the play by play of sports commentators. Even in something as slow moving as golf, the play by play stretches the tension and drama of the moment.

         "He wipes his eyes; views the hole; takes another club; approaches the ball; studies the hole again; now the back swing and there it goes! Oh, yes another good hit for Tiger."

         I don't really like to write in present tense. It is awkward for me. But I do like the sense of immediate action. Past tense can also produce that sense of watching the story unfold.

         Writing exercise: Illustrate a proverb with a dramatic scene.