This assignment is an experiment in descriptive writing. Description rarely stands alone in literature; it is normally woven into the fabric of a story. Your assignment, however, is to avoid story-telling and focus on description alone. Paint a picture using words. Of course your “painting” can appeal to more than just the sense of sight. You can make your reader hear, feel, smell, and taste your subject as well. Don’t tell a story, but be sure to include some action in your scene. Many young writers, when they think of description, imagine something static – like a still-life painting. But description often includes movement. In fact, a secret to good descriptive writing is lively motion. That’s why this assignment is intentionally restricted to active places. Bring your scene to life by showing people and things in action.

Some other keys to good description include:

interesting detail: yellow socks, a wrinkled leaf, a scar
specific nouns: a Dalmatian, not just a dog, an elm, not just a tree
active, vivid verbs: zipped, bungled, vanished
carefully chosen adjectives and adverbs (not too many): luminous, viciously
appeals to various senses: tastes, smells, textures, sounds, and sights
creative comparisons and figures of speech: metaphors, similes, personification, hyperbole
Describe in three to five paragraphs a busy, active place. You may choose from the suggestions below or one of your own.