Transcript No Slide Title

Creating a vivid description . . .
From Reading to Writing In Isaac Bashevis
Singer’s story “The Son from America,” the main
characters’ simple lives are shown through
singular details: a goat who lives in their oneroom hut, an oil dish that serves as their lamp.
Creating a vivid description . . .
Through focused description, authors like
Singer can create vivid settings and help
readers grasp some aspects of the characters’
inner lives.
Basics in a Box
Focused Description at a Glance
RUBRIC Standards for
Writing
A successful description
should
• focus on a person, place, or
object
• convey a clear sense of
purpose
• use sensory details and precise
words to create a vivid picture,
establish a mood, or express
emotion
• include figurative language or
dialogue when appropriate
• use a consistent method of
organization such as spatial
order, order of importance, or
order of impression
Writing Your Focused Description
1
Prewriting
You can observe a lot by watching.
Yogi Berra, baseball player and manager
Find a subject for your description

Recall a time when you found something
so interesting you couldn’t wait to
describe it to your friends.
Writing Your Focused Description
1
Prewriting
You can observe a lot by watching.
Yogi Berra, baseball player and manager
Find a subject for your description

Make a list of places—both strange and
familiar—that you find fascinating.

Think of interesting or unusual people
you know.
Planning Your Focused Description
1. Decide your purpose.
Why are you describing this particular
thing? Do you want to

Show why something is important to you?

Make your subject vivid and memorable?

Create a particular mood?

Recreate a scary event?
Planning Your Focused Description
2. Gather information through your
senses.
Careful observation is the key to powerful
descriptive writing. Close your eyes.
Imagine the smells, sounds, or textures you
associate with the person, place, object or
event. What colors or shapes help describe
your subject?
Planning Your Focused Description
3. Identify your audience.

What do your readers know about the
subject?

What background information might
your readers need?

What details will best help them picture
your subject?
Writing Your Focused Description
2
Drafting

Begin writing even if you have not refined
your purpose or chosen a specific focus.
Keep going. Your focus will become clearer
as you develop and refine your ideas.

Start by stating the most important aspect
of your subject. Then provide details that
contribute to the overall effect.
Writing Your Focused Description
2
Drafting

Use sensory language to convey a mood
clearly. For example, words like
dilapidated, rusty, cracked, dirty, clatter,
and searching furtively all contribute to a
mood of loneliness and neglect.

Show what you are describing. For
instance, if you describe people, let their
actions and dialogue reveal their
personalities.
Writing Your Focused Description
2
Drafting
You may choose an organization before
you begin your draft, or you may order
and rearrange your details in a later
draft. At some point, however, you must
choose a method of organization in order
to create a clear, well-ordered
description.
Writing Your Focused Description
2
Drafting
There are three common methods for
organizing a description:

Spatial order. This order reflects how a
person might actually look at a subject:
bottom to top
left to right
inside to outside
near to far
Writing Your Focused Description
2
Drafting

Order of importance
Present the most significant detail
first. Follow with less important
details.
Or
Begin with the least important details
and work up to the most important
ones.
Writing Your Focused Description
2
Drafting

Order of impression
Arrange details according to what first
catches your attention. Then describe
details you notice later. This type of
organization can give a “you are there”
quality to your description.
Writing Your Focused Description
3
Revising
Target Skill
WORD CHOICE
Apt word choices add punch to your
descriptions. Vague or abstract words can
leave the image fuzzy for the reader. Try
adding concrete words to leave a stronger
impression.
Writing Your Focused Description
4
Editing and Proofreading
Target Skill
SUBJECT-VERB AGREEMENT
During revision, if you change the number
of your subject, make sure your verb
agrees.