Using Descriptive Writing Questions for Detailed Students Stories

During descriptive writing instruction, it's not enough just to tell students, "Write down detail. Be creative and specific!" They're just learning how to write the basics, so we need to show them what exactly to think about and how to choose the right words to write down. These key questions will inspire student imagination which leads to more powerfully creative stories.

Here are some inspiring questions that get to the heart of descriptive, detailed writing:

Describing It Perfectly!

What color was it?

What size was it?

What material was it made out of?

How old was it?

What was the texture?

What condition was it in?

How much did it weigh?

What did it remind you of?

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Model for your students how to imagine a situation in detail, consider each of these questions, listen to the answers in their imaginations, and choose the best, most detailed words to express their imagery. Show them how to close their eyes and be silent for a few moments in order to make the scene come alive in their imaginations.

You will see their writing start to pop and crackle and explode (in a good way!) almost immediately.