Writing Descriptive Details

In order to make our personal narratives stronger, we have been talking in class about adding descriptive details to our writing. Descriptive details include:

• Adjectives (words that describe, like enormous, green, freezing, outstanding, etc.
• Interesting verbs (powerful action words, like sprinted, leaped, rushed, twirled, etc.
• Telling the "who" - who was there with you?
• Telling the "where" - where were you?
• Telling the "why" - why did events happen the way they did?

Let's focus on adjectives in this post. What adjectives could you use to describe the Issaquah Salmon Hatchery? Use the photos below to give you ideas. List as many adjectives as you can think of in the comments!

What colors do you see?


What textures do you see?


What shapes do you see?


What temperatures do you imagine?

True Stories from Our Lives

In class we have been writing in the genre of personal narrative - true stories from our lives. The wonderful thing about this genre is that the ideas for our stories are already here for us - we just have to remember them and write them down!

One strategy for thinking of ideas is to notice an object, then let that object spark a memory. For example, I might notice the tape dispenser on my desk:

I'm going to let that spark a memory for me... hmm... I remember when I was 10 and my brothers discovered that they could use tape to make crazy faces, taping their noses up, their eyebrows down, etc. I could write a story about that memory!

So now writers, you try it! Here are some objects to get you started. Spend a moment on each one, and write down any memories that get sparked!