Lesson 3: Showing and Telling, Description

Writing Exercise

Go for a walk. Bring your notebook along and take notes of what you see, hear, smell, and (possibly) taste. Pay attention to textures as well. Then sit down and write a paragraph or two describing your walk in ONLY sensory terms. Don’t talk about how you feel inside. Don’t use words like “wonderful” or “peaceful” or “scary” or “beautiful.” Limit yourself to sensory impressions (what you see, hear, smell, taste, and touch). Use those details to depict the scene in such a way that the reader can sense that the experience is beautiful or peaceful or scary.