One Hundred Things

The following is a writing exercise I do on occasion in pursuit of better description. When it was introduced to me, it was just called 100 Things, and I assumed most everyone writing had heard of it. I mentioned it to a friend and he was so delighted by it, I thought I'd share it.

The goal of 100 things is to pick an adjective. Take any you like, or use this list: red, white, blue, green, black, sticky, sharp, large, small, soft, stinky, hard, cold, hot, fast, slow, etc. Simple descriptive things you find yourself wanting to embellish.

Take your adjective. For this example we'll use green. Make a list of 1 to 100, and start listing things that are green/hard/hot/whatever you picked. Your first ten or so will be banal.

1. trees
2. emeralds
3. snot
4. avocado
5. moss
6. grass
7. sour apples
8. algae
9. lime
10. mouthwash

The point is to get the trite ones out of the way early. "Her eyes were the color of emeralds" is a sentence so done it becomes painful. "Her eyes were the color of antiseptic mouthwash" has a bit more bite to it.

You'll have to stretch as you keep going.

11. caterpillars
12. grass snakes
13. the dumpster behind the apartment
14. army fatigues
15. packers' jerseys
16. punk rock hair
17. "go" lights
18. jade
19. old bottles
20. neglected teeth
21. modem lights
22. cats' eyes
23. bathroom tile
24. agave plants
25. radiation
26. The Hulk
27. infected puss
28. parrot wings
29. dragonflies
30. grasshoppers

And so on. Each description will give a different flavor. Play around with them. Take the analogy one step further. It doesn't have to be fabulous, just get used to the idea of having fun with free association. "The fruit, covered in morning dew, was the reflective green of cats' eyes, and it seemed that every tree glared down on him as if it was full of predators swishing their tales" and so on.

Obviously you should still be writing actual stories, but this is a fun game to help get you in the mood, if you're into that sort of thing.