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BOOK: Writing with Stardust: The Ultimate Descriptive Guide for students, parents, teachers and writers

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Personification is giving animate (living) nature, non-natural objects and ideas human terms
. Personification can add a tantalising and thought-provoking dimension to your writing. The distinctions between this and pathetic are marginal, but they are there.

ANIMATE NATURE NON-NATURAL OBJECTS

The flowers were nodding their heads .	The ship was plodding as it left the harbour.
The lion was glaring at me.	The mobile phone had a mind of its own.
The bees were humming a tune.	The champagne glass was pinging with joy .
The trees were staring at us.	The car’s engine was screaming in pain .
The blackbird gave us an aria .	The words were leaping off the page.

PERSONIFYING IDEAS

Time
is a great
healer
.

Fate
was
hurrying
to meet me.

Destiny
is no one’s
slave
.

Courage
is the
enemy
of weak men.

Cowardice
is a strange
bedfellow
for a man.

LAKES

COLOUR

LEVEL 1         LEVEL 2         LEVEL 3         LEVEL 4         LEVEL 5

OTHERS

mirror-silver lakes	diamond flame-silver lakes	star fire-silver lakes	orris-silver lakes	verglas-silver lakes
skyline-silver lakes	dew gleam-silver lakes	teardrop-silver lakes	argent-silver lakes	frazil-silver lakes

1. The mountain’s image was
stamped
onto the mirror-silver lake.

2. The mountain’s reflection was
painted
onto the dew gleam-silver lake.

3. The mountain’s reflection was
tattooed
onto the star fire-silver lake.

4. The reflection of the mountain was
minted
onto the orris-silver lake.

5. The mountain’s likeness was
laminated
onto the frazil-silver lake.

THE SILENT VALLEY

cave quiet	convent quiet	nunnery quiet	cloister quiet	womb quiet
cavern quiet	cathedral quiet	monastery quiet	confessional quiet	tomb quiet

1. The
calm
lake was in the cavern quiet valley.

2. The
peaceful
lake was in the cathedral quiet vale.

3. The
placid
lake rested in the nunnery quiet glen.

4. The
serene
lake nestled in the cloister quiet gully.

5. The
becalmed
lake was in the bosom of the tomb quiet coombe.

THE CLEAR LAKE

window clear	gin clear	diamond clear	varnish clear	lacquer clear
pane clear	vodka	decanter clear	veneer clear	moonshine clear

1. The blue sky seemed to be
engraved
onto the pane clear lake.

2. The sky’s image seemed to be
embedded
onto the gin clear lake.

3. The sky’s reflection seemed to be
embalmed
onto the diamond clear lake.

4. The sky’s sultry colour seemed to be
embossed
onto the varnish clear lake.

5. The sky’s magnificence seemed to be
emblazoned
onto the lacquer clear lake.

THE STILL LAKE

statue still	yogi still	vault still	feng shui still	ossuary still
shrine still	Buddha still	crypt still	Zen still	sarcophagus still

1. The shrine still lake was
duck-pond round
.

2. The Buddha still lake was
fish-pond round
.

3. The crypt still lake was
reservoir round
and glittering.

4. The Zen still lake was
dew-pond round
and shimmering.

5. The ossuary still lake was
millpond round
and edged with tufty reeds.

FISH
SOUNDS

bucking	thunking	flopping	plopping	plunking
dive-bombing	plunging	flip-flopping	plip-plopping	ker-plunking

1. Fish were bucking in the
glassy
lake.

2. Fish were plunging in the
glazed
lake.

3. Speckled fish were flip-flopping in the
crystalline
lake.

4. Dappled trout were plopping in the smooth,
vitreous
lake.

5. Colour-flecked fish were plunking in the beauteous,
hyaline
lake.

THE FLY ARMY

army	legion	squadron	platoon	brigade
mob	division	regiment	phalanx	battalion

1. An army of flies buzzed over the
hidden heart
of the lake.

2. A legion of flies droned over the
deep stomach
of the lake.

3. A regiment of insects hummed over the
confined
womb
of the lake.

4. A platoon of midges hovered over the
measureless
gullet
of the lake.

5. A battalion of insects swirled over the
fathomless
bowels
of the lake.

A MOMENT OF CLARITY

an ‘aha’ moment	a light bulb moment	an eureka moment	an hosanna moment	an alleluia moment
a ‘zap’ moment	a lightning bolt moment	an epiphany	a revelation moment	a hallelujah moment

1. The
magic
of the lake caused an ‘aha’ moment.

2. The beauty and
witchcraft
of the lake caused a light bulb moment.

3. The naked
sorcery
of the lake gave me an epiphany.

4. The wonder and
thaumaturgy
of the lake caused a ‘revelation moment’.

5. The mystique and
necromancy
of the lake brought a ‘hallelujah moment’ to my mind.

THE ISLAND IN THE LAKE

reed-fringed island	twisted trees	crumbling castle	gnarly bushes	stunted shrubbery
quill shaped reeds	ruined walls	weather beaten boat	feral goats	lichen-encrusted rocks