WR115           Spring 2007                            Michael Dembrow, Instructor

 

Essay #1:  Bringing a Place to Life

 

            In your first essay, I'd like you to try your hand at descriptive writing. 

 

            Compose an essay describing a place where people gather.  Some possibilities might include the library, cafeteria, a sporting event, courtroom, church, shopping mall, hospital ward, veterinary office, and others that I'm sure you can think of. 

 

            You'll want to bring this place to life in such a way that the reader can see it (and hear it and perhaps even smell it.  Also, you'll want to bring the individual people there to life--what do they look like, what do they sound like, what are they doing?  Give them names, if that’s appropriate (you can always invent names if you want to protect your friends!).  Or, if they are strangers to you, you can just rely on description:  e.g., A muscular young man with faded tattoos on his naked arms and pants hanging nearly a foot below his boxer shorts . . .

 

            In this essay I want you to be an invisible observer, not a participant.  That means that you don’t want to use the word “I” here.  For example, instead of saying, I see Father Burns dashing frantically from his car, late as usual, you would say, Father Burns dashes frantically from his car, late as usual.  See the difference?  Keep yourself out of it.

 

            By the way, this place that you’re describing can be a place usually considered undesirable to visit; for example, you may want to write about a trip to the local garbage dump, slaughterhouse, or dentist’s office.  Make sure to include all the unpleasant sights, sounds, and smells.  After all, the purpose for using description in this sort of essay is to enable the reader to share in your experience.  Share the pain!

 

            You might consider visiting the place that you have decided to describe and take notes on it.  Be as precise as you can, but remember that you can't possibly describe everything--you'll have to choose the most important details.  Consider limiting yourself to a set period of time: e.g., the minutes before a church service begins or just after; break time at school or at work; people in a courtroom, waiting for the first case to be called.  The shorter the time period, the more detail you can include.  Limiting yourself in this way will help you to keep it manageable.

 

            Have fun with this!

 

            Your typed draft will be due in a week, so you’ll want to start working on it right away.  Next Wednesday we’ll have an in-class draft workshop, where you will give each other some feedback on your drafts.  I’ll then take them home and return them to you on the following Monday with suggestions for revision.  You’ll then have a week to make it perfect!

 

Typed Draft Due: Wed., April 11

Final Draft Due:    Mon., April 23

Length:  500 words (2-3 full typed pages, double-spaced)

 

 

RETURN to WR115 Page.