Hours can slip away when a reader is caught in the spell of a gripping book or story.

How does a writer use language to captivate another's imagination so entirely that the reader sees, hears, and smells what the writer wants him to experience?

Riverdeep turned to Emmy-nominated writer John Romano for answers. Romano began his TV career as an executive story editor of "Hill Street Blues," for which he wrote the Emmy-nominated final episode. He's also written for "L.A. Law," "Knots Landing," and "Party of Five." His first movie screenplay was "The Third Miracle," starring Anne Heche and Ed Harris.

"The first step [to good writing], you might say, is to shut your eyes and really imagine," says Romano. "On my desk when I write I have a card that says, 'See it.' And I could also have a card if I wanted to that said 'Smell it' or 'Taste it' or 'Feel it.'"

Such reminders prompt a writer to concentrate intently on making her writing come alive with sensory details and images. "She ate a peach" is not as interesting as, "She bit into a peach, its sweetness escaping in sticky rivulets down her chin."

(To hear more of Romano's advice, play the videos in this story. They are part of Riverdeep's Write for Your Life Narrative Essay product, which will be available online and in CD form by late September 2001.)

Good writing takes more than just a healthy imagination. The careful selection of words is crucial.

"You want writing to be ... experiential," says Romano. "Rather than just words stacked up on the page."

He suggests using active words and active verbs to engage readers.

• Is the passive voice a problem in your writing? Learn how to correct it.
  

Another strategy he employs is using words that might surprise readers. For example, "The man walked down the road" is a stale sentence compared to, "The hamster of a man scurried nervously down the road, peering behind him every few feet."

Metaphors and similes are two ways to spice up writing. A simile compares one thing to another by using the words "like" or "as." For example: "He was as skitterish as an abandoned kitten."

A metaphor compares two things by saying one thing is something else. For example: "He was an abandoned kitten, afraid of everyone who came near."

Print and fill out the chart below. What would be some interesting choices for each of the common words listed?

Romano urges young writers to show — rather than tell — readers what happened. This keeps an audience more engaged, because people will naturally imagine the action happening to them.

Imagine a writing assignment that asks students to describe a day spent kayaking. Compare the responses of Student A with Student B. Who will get the better grade? See if you can identify any similes and metaphors used.

Student A: "Kayaking was fun and scary all at the same time. The waves were hard to get through, as the current was very strong."

Student B: "As I entered the raging rapids, the icy mist immediately stung my face like shattered glass. My heart skipped a beat as the leaping waves sprang out at me like pouncing tigers. I strained my arm muscles trying to steer the kayak through the wild and crazy rapids. The sound of the water rushing past was like the roar of lions. The choppy waves in the fiercely rushing river exploded over me, tossing my kayak like a tiny toy boat."

A key way to improve one's writing is to practice, practice, practice. Even successful writers such as Romano need to remind themselves of the principles outlined here to keep their writing fresh, unique, and captivating.