Well, it's that time of the year and in Advanced English we are reading Robert Cormier, one of the greatest writers of young adult novels (in my humble opinion!) This post, is unlike the others in that the essence of it is really hidden in the comments part of this post. As we are enjoying our third winter storm of the year and reading I Am the Cheese, we tried our hand at imitating Robert Cormiers style by using absolute phrases to zero in on some tiny detail within a scene. In the comments, the absolute phrases are marked with italics. An absolute phrase combines a noun and a participial form of a verb ("ed" or "ing" suffix) to zoom in and examine a piece of the whole. Click on the "Comments" link on the bottom of this post to see how something as simple as a tiny phrase can have a profound effect on our writing.
P.S. If Cormier has captured your attention, try reading The Chocolate War and The Rag and Bone Shop. Both are simply wonderful.
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The snow fell from the clouds, wind blowing thru the trees.The owl hooted, bushes swaying. The snowman waved, twigs swirling. My nose was red. I wore a bright pink scarf, and it was cold
One day,Wolfy and Wu decided to build a snowman. As they opened the door,fingers clutching the handlebar,they tumbled outside. Wolfy bent down,her gloved hands gathering the soft, white snow into a ball. This would be the head. Wu rolled up two more big snowballs as Wolfy accessorized Mr. Lucky(the snowman). Wolfy added a carrot nose and two rocks for eyes,her breath breaking the cold air. Wu stepped back in awe,her boots shuffling against the snow. Finally,Mr.Lucky,their wonderful creation,was complete.
The winter is cold, snow swirling everywhere. The trees are covered in ice, branches deserted of leaves. The wind howls, frost biting the air.
Cold weather envelops the city, snowflakes falling gracefully to the ground. Everyone gathers with their family, watching the fire glow, their faces lit up by the flames. A small child shivers, his body shaking under the blanket that his mother gave him. Soon the whole family has gathered around the fire, huddling together for warmth. The snow has finally come, slowly uniting families everywhere.
Snowflakes drifted from above, my tongue stuck out in the cold trying to catch them. The wind whipped as I stood trying to sheild my face. I walked across the blanket of snow, the snow sounding like it was being crushed beneath my feet. Shivers rising up and down my spine, the cold air snuck into my coat. It was a cold Christmas eve.
The snow swirled and spiraled downward in a circular motion. Flakes falling, it danced in the sky, landing softly on the frigid ground. The snow covering the dead grass, it accumulated in piles along the roadside. Blanketing the tree's branches, it sparkled in the sun's rays, facets gleaming in the light.
The wind rustled through my hair, standing on top of what felt like the world. I looked down upon my friends, sledding gracefully down the hill. It looked like such fun, the joy circling them, but that joy disappeared too fast; they were headed for a tree. I hollered out, my voice cracking through the cold wind. It was too late, my voice died in the air, but the echo continued. My friend swerved just in time, and she ended up crashing into a bush, branches flying, sticking in her hair. I tried to control myself, but I couldn’t; I doubled over in laughter, my legs came crashing into the freezing snow. She got up and laughed, too. Our laughter soared through the town like a dove.
Creamy marshmallows melted onto a luxuriously delicate piece of chocolate imported from Belgium, sandwiched in-between two crispy Graham crackers, lightly coated with honey. This is a famous delicacy, commonly known as s'mores, a family tradition brought to you by www.hersey.com. Shall we enjoy biting into the thick layers of fineness and
delight, the crackers cracking beneath your chocolate covered teeth.
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