Hello, sports fans and non-sports fans! This week, I thought we’d dive into more description exercises using sports as our topic. Baseball, basketball, hockey, soccer, badminton, horse racing, the list goes on and on. No matter who you are, you can find some sport or game that piques your interest, and that is what this week’s exercise is all about.
Let’s get started!
Exercise #1
Pick a sport. Go on YouTube and find a short clip of that sport being played with the sound off. It can be a greatest moment highlight or a blooper, doesn’t matter.
As you watch, jot down notes on the following:
- What’s the sport? Is the clip professional or amateur?
- What happens in the clip? Jot down the beginning, middle, and end of the clip. Does it have a narrative arc?
- What’s the general tone of the clip? Are fans and players excited? Disappointed? Angry?
- What sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and tactile sensations are related to the game and clip?
- How would you describe the location where the game is being played?
- How would you describe the uniforms?
- Are there any fans that stand out in the crowd? Why?
Write a detailed descriptive narrative (500 words) about the clip. You can have it on hand for reference. Paint a picture with words and describe the scene as it unfolds. Make readers feel like they are at the game, taking in all the sights, sounds, and smells around them.
Exercise #2
In the same clip, choose a player. Any player.
- Describe their uniform, the colors, the team they play for, and if they have a name and jersey number.
- What are they doing?
- What’s their body language telling you?
- What do you think they are thinking during this moment?
- Where do they start the clip, and where do they end it?
Write a first-person narrative and have this player tell us what’s going on from their perspective. Give us their emotions, actions, and reactions to the events unfolding during the game.
Exercise #3
Find a clip of a sport or game you know little about. Don’t look up anything about the sport or game; just watch a few times without sound and answer these questions:
- Write down your first impressions.
- What do you think the basic rules are?
- How do you think the game is played?
- What are the players wearing?
- What are the fans doing during the game?
- What is the general mood at the game during the clip?
You’re a reporter who has to fake their way through writing about this game, but you have to do all you can to make yourself seem like you know what you’re talking about. Can you write about this sport or game, then hand what you wrote to someone else and be confident they’ll know what you’re talking about?
Why Am I Doing This?
Often when we write, we like to write about things familiar to us. But sometimes, we have to step outside the box and write about something new and different that we may not understand but need to describe in a way that makes us seem knowledgeable.
This is especially true regarding locations we write about but have never traveled to or objects we’ve seen in pictures but never encountered. It’s our job as writers to paint a picture with words that place the reader in that location, even if we’ve never been there ourselves.
Happy Writing, and I’ll see you next time!