Like Autumn, But Different

Here are today’s Wonderful Words:

In October the sober forests around us suddenly revealed their proclivity for cross-dressing.

Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, Barbara Kingsolver, page 23

Background

Animal, Vegetable, Miracle tells the story of a family that moves to a farm in Virginia and spends the year eating only local food, most of which they grew or raised.

What makes it wonderful?

The creativity in this sentence makes me smile.

I was raised in upstate New York, where the forests turn brilliant shades of red, orange, and yellow every autumn. People flock to the Finger Lakes to snap pictures of the foliage while sprawled across blankets on the hills of the wineries.

More than a dozen years ago, I was walking home from high school on a brisk fall afternoon, and my heart sank to my stomach as I saw my house in the distance. It looked to be engulfed in flames. Luckily it was my mind playing tricks on my eyes. I quickly realized what I thought were flames were only the fire-colored leaves on the tree behind the house.

In my early twenties, I loved my drives home from college on late September afternoons. The highway was lined with trees changing colors, and the backroads felt like tunnels to a fantasy land.

In my mid twenties, I lived for October Adirondack hikes with friends. And almost every time, we were a little too late to enjoy the leaves.

I guess what I’m getting at is I spent most of my life in prime leaf country, and I never thought to describe the trees as crossdressers. But dang, it’s perfect.

Let's get technical

This is a classic example of imagery, a vivid description that appeals to your senses to evoke a picture or a feeling.

Trees don’t cross-dress. Everyone knows that. But for anyone who has seen a forest’s beautiful transition from summer to winter, they know exactly what Kingsolver is talking about.

And, like me, they probably smiled as they read the words. It’s an experience they’ve had a million times written in a way they never would’ve thought to say it.

Imagery is an easy way to add character to your writing. When you finish your first draft, read back through to find the descriptions everyone will recognize. Then swap one or two with something you’ve never said before. This simple exercise will lead to a lot of smiles. And who doesn’t want that?

Happy writing,

Joe

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