Descriptive Writing Assignment

We are starting the novel, Where the Red Fern Grows, this week in class. We have already talked about the book and made some predictions about its content. The author, Wilson Rawls, is a very descriptive author. I think you are really going to enjoy the way he makes the words in his story come to life. Sometimes you might even make a face or let out a groan based on his vivid descriptions. Listed below are a few things that Mr.Rawls does that make him such an excellent descriptive writer.

 Uses vivid adjectives
 Uses exciting verbs
 Adds specific adverbs

Here is an excerpt from Where the Red Fern Grows where the main character, Billy, is describing his homeland.
“Mama had picked the spot for our log house. It nestled at the edge of the foothills in the mouth of a small canyon, and was surrounded by a grove of huge red oaks. Behind our house one could see miles and miles of the mighty Ozarks. In the spring, the aromatic scent of wild flowers, redbuds, papaws, and dogwoods, drifting on the wind currents, spread over the valley and around our home.”

Reread this passage thinking about what words really make this passage come to life for you. In your response to this blog, list a few of the words or phrases from this excerpt that help make Billy’s homeland seem real to you. To do this assignment, click on the post comments tab at the bottom of the blog.

Now is your chance to try to be a descriptive writer. In your response to this blog, I would like you to take the sentence below and add adjectives, verbs, and possibly adverbs to it to make us really be able to picture your house clearly.

My house is nice.

Could you add another sentence or two to help us to really feel your house? Check back on the blog to see what others have written and see if that inspires you to change and revise your description. Also, if you feel like trying to make other sentences more descriptive, here are some more. Good luck and have fun!

It was hot.
A car drove by.
She looked beautiful.