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Descriptive Writing Based On An Image

The document provides guidance for writing a descriptive piece based on an image of a dark, creepy forest. It includes suggestions for developing the setting, atmosphere, characters, and backstory over three paragraphs. Students are instructed to carefully craft descriptive details, vary sentence structures, and use literary devices to set an ominous tone through showing rather than telling. Sights, sounds, smells, and touches of the foreboding forest environment are outlined to inspire ideas for building an intriguing opening to a fantasy story.

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291 views

Descriptive Writing Based On An Image

The document provides guidance for writing a descriptive piece based on an image of a dark, creepy forest. It includes suggestions for developing the setting, atmosphere, characters, and backstory over three paragraphs. Students are instructed to carefully craft descriptive details, vary sentence structures, and use literary devices to set an ominous tone through showing rather than telling. Sights, sounds, smells, and touches of the foreboding forest environment are outlined to inspire ideas for building an intriguing opening to a fantasy story.

Uploaded by

vicky08.st
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Descriptive Writing Based on an Image

Name: ________________________
Date: _________________________
Lesson Objectives: to carefully consider how a piece of writing can be structured and focus on
developing tone and atmosphere
Task one: Around the image below, use your imagination to build ideas you could use to describe the
setting as the opening for a story.

Sights:
The creepy forest stretches out before you, its ancient trees towering overhead, their gnarled branches
reaching out like skeletal fingers. Thick layers of moss and ivy cling to the decaying trunks, obscuring
any sign of life beneath. The sunlight struggles to penetrate the dense canopy, casting long, distorted
shadows that dance eerily on the forest floor. Jagged, twisted roots snake across the ground, creating
treacherous obstacles in your path.
Sounds:
As you venture deeper into the forest, the air grows heavy with an unsettling silence. The only sounds are
the distant creaking of branches, as if the trees are whispering to each other in a language you can't
comprehend. Occasional rustling noises echo through the underbrush, hinting at unseen creatures lurking
in the shadows. A faint, haunting breeze passes through, creating an eerie symphony as it whistles through
the treetops.
Smells:
A damp and earthy odor hangs in the air, mingling with the scent of decaying leaves and moss-covered
stones. The aroma is musty and slightly sweet, with an underlying hint of decay that sends shivers down
your spine. The smell intensifies as you pass by rotting logs and fallen trees, evoking a sense of unease
and foreboding.
Touch:
As you cautiously reach out to touch the rough bark of a nearby tree, a chill runs down your fingertips.
The surface is cold and damp, with a texture that feels like the skin of a reptile. The forest floor is littered
with a layer of decaying leaves, twigs, and fallen debris, making each step uncertain and slippery. The
occasional brush of cobwebs against your face sends a tingling sensation down your spine, and you find
yourself constantly bru
Taste:
The air in the forest was tinged with a damp earthiness, carrying hints of moss and decaying leaves. It left
a subtle, almost metallic taste on the protagonist's tongue, like the lingering aftertaste of fear.
Words to describe atmosphere:
The atmosphere was suffocating, as if an invisible shroud of foreboding hung heavy among the towering
trees. The dense foliage above cast eerie shadows, obscuring the sunlight, while the silence was broken
only by the occasional rustle of unseen creatures and the faint whisper of wind through the branches.
What tone is suggested? Which words help to show this?
The suggested tone is one of suspense and mystery. Words such as "creepy," "dark," "foreboding,"
"eerie," and "unseen" contribute to building a sense of unease and anticipation.
Who is the character? Note key features:
The character is a solitary figure, accompanied by their loyal dog. The person, whose features may be
obscured by shadows or kept intentionally vague, could possess a strong sense of curiosity, resilience, and
a tinge of caution.
Why are they there? What information could you withhold, yet suggest?
The character could be in the forest for various reasons, and their exact purpose could be withheld to
create intrigue. Perhaps they are an intrepid explorer seeking answers to an ancient legend, or a troubled
soul seeking solace in the depths of nature. The withheld information could hint at a deeper purpose or a
hidden past, allowing readers to form their own theories and engage with the story's unfolding mysteries
Plan your response. You are aiming for three decent sized paragraphs – think carefully about what order
you are going to present information to your readers:
Paragraph one: Develop atmosphere
Paragraph two: Introduce character – think about tone
Paragraph three: Where are they going? Is there a back story? Keep tone.
Task Two: Write three descriptive paragraphs to the opening of a fantasy story which begins with the
setting in the picture. Think carefully about the detail you will include and use a range of sentence types.

Helpful tips:
• Remember to vary the types of sentences you use.
• Do not use phrases like ‘They could see…”, “They could smell…” – SHOW ME this through the
description, don’t just tell me.
• Aim to use the following devices: simile, metaphor, personification, alliteration and imagery.
• Remember to use more ambitious vocabulary – i.e. instead of “In the dark and gloomy forest...” Try
something like “Murk and mist surrounded the gnarled trunks of every tree, engulfing the light,
making it impossible to find a way through.”

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