Descriptive Writing Project

Choose a setting/event/situation and describe it with vivid verbs, precise nouns, and engaging adjectives. Write with the assumption that the reader has never experienced the place or situation.

Think in terms of sensory details; what are the smells, sights, sounds feelings, and, if applicable, tastes?

Create a day in which you “drag” your reader into the moment by moment of “being there.”

Begin at the beginning. Take the reader step-by-step through what you notice around you and how it affects you. Conclude with your general feelings about the experience.

Some suggestions for topics might be, but not limited to, a day at the beach, Six Flags, a family reunion, a sporting event, a wedding, the mall, school, Halloween night, Thanksgiving Day, a birthday, Christmas Day, or just a plain day spent with friends.

You should use the dictionary, thesaurus, and the provided list of words to assist you. You will not be allowed to use certain OVERUSED words. OVERUSED WORDS: nice, bad pretty, mean, cute, ugly, stinky, stanky, big, little, smelly, stupid, lame, stuff, said, walked, happy, sad, mad, & fast.

Remember: you are not just describing what your senses tell you but what your reaction is. The reader should be able to figure out where, when, what, how, and who by your description.

Your sensory experience must be well organized (a clear beginning, middle, end) and contain at least 35 vivid verbs, precise nouns, and engaging adjectives. Don’t write about something you don’t know. Think in terms of details. Do not attempt to fill a sentence with a list of adjectives, appropriate or not, just to fulfill the requirements. An incorrectly used word will cost you as much as no word at all.

Rough draft 35 points due______Final draft 50 points due ______

Example:

What began as an ordinary day evolved into the most unpredictable day of my life. As I rose from a peaceful sleep, I smelled the aroma of buttery, buttermilk biscuits, smoked turkey bacon, cheesy scrambled eggs, and peach ginger tea. I scurried out of bed, tripped over Simone, my dog, and hurried to the fragrant kitchen.

My spicy Nana had surprised the family with a visit. Dressed in a blinding blue dress, she poured me a tall glass of fresh-squeezed juice and gave me a delightful hug. My siblings, Liz and Tony, bolted into the kitchen and began squealing with excitement at the sight of Nana. We sat around the table and reminisced over the plans Nana had for the weekend.

As we prepared to depart for summer clothes shopping, the doorbell chimed and to our immediate surprise, an attractive chauffeur stood with a blinding smile and we were off to…

Rubric for Descriptive Writing

Correct capitalization, punctuation, and spelling- 10 points ______

Uses sensory details- 10 points ______

Organized (Transitions, spatial order and indentation of paragraphs)- 10 points _____

Specific subject (focus on one topic)- 10 points ______

Includes writer’s feelings (directly/indirectly)- 10 points ______