The Big T13

Gina Ardito wrote an article called Writing with Color. I’ve got it sitting on my board above the screen. I often refer to it. Some of my favourites:

1. Black; There’s a word there. Priestly. This conjures up images in abundance to me. “His black eyes pierced my soul like priestly overtures from a church organ.” I just made that up. Dramatic isn’t it. Not sure it means anything… but my crit group will howl me down if it doesn’t.

2. White. Okay. Pina colada. Now you’d never really think of that. At least I wouldn’t. “The snow was so white if you put down your pina-colada down you’d never find it.”

3. Pink. Bubblegum. “The largest ballerina looked more like a transvestite in bubblegum pink.” Ohh the imagery.

4. Green. Algae. “His eyes were the deepest algae green, I felt like I was slipping into some spell.” Mmmm. I like that.

5. Yellow. Honeysuckle. “His toenail was so yellow it’d disappear in honeysuckle bush.”

6. Red. Irish Setter “Her hair was Irish Setter red.” Isn’t that a good description? Absolutely no mistaking what the colour is.

7. Purple. Orchid. Bermuda onion. “His Hawaiian shirt was a one man war between purples ranging from orchid to Bermuda onion.” Quiet there in the staff room at RWU. At least this sentence won’t get plagiarized.

8. Brown. Hampster. “Just peeking out from a hampster brown hat was a green ribbon.”

9. Brown. Sparrow. “I could instantly relate to her nickname; she was the same color as a sparrow.”

10. Red. Tomato. Cooked lobster The restaurant decor a memorial to the sixties with its clash between marinara red tablecloths, and cooked lobster walls.

11. Green. Artichoke. “Her artichoke green dress was simple and he grew hungry for her. With butter and garlic she’d be a delicacy for any decent cannibal.”

12. Blue. Caribbean. “Her eyes were Caribbean blue. He wished immediately he’d taken that travel agent course.” And now for the big 13. The point at which having struggled through my head to reach 12, I have a thousand new ones that immediately launch themselves like bees from a disturbed beehive…

13. Gray. Driftwood. “Miami Beach is a tribute to the art of the hairdresser’s skill playing driftwood gray heads.”

Phew! Done!