Topic: Choose 1 of the following to physically describe: a person, a place, or an object about which you have strong feelings. Use any 1 or any combination of prewriting strategies to generate topic ideas. There is also a list of suggested topics in your textbook. Your paragraph must be at least 150 words.
Overall impression/point: This should be your descriptive overall impression of your topic. What specific impression do you want your audience to have of this person, place, or object? Include at least 1 very specific descriptive word.
Audience: Be specific in selecting your audience. Who would be interested in hearing this description? Who might benefit by hearing about this subject?
Purpose: To inform? To entertain? To persuade? Choose 1 or perhaps a combination of 2.
Topic Sentence: Combine your topic and your overall impression into a complete sentence. Remember, you are physically describing your topic.
Your Vantage Point: Where are you physically in relation to what you are describing? Are you fixed in one place, or are you moving?
Spatial Order: Pick the order in which you will present your details: near to far, left to right, head to toe, outside to in?
Brainstorm Sensory Details: Brainstorm a list of details that are specific and appeal to as many of the 5 senses as possible: sights, sounds, tastes, textures, and smells related to your topic and your overall impression. If you cannot reasonably include all of the senses, that's fine.
Plan: Arrange your sensory details in an order according to your chosen spatial order, just as shown in your textbook.