Post (meaning copy and paste into the text box, so everyone can see what you wrote without downloading) what you wrote for Part 1 and Part 2.

What are some differences between what you wrote about for "an" orange versus "your" orange?

What are some differences in what your classmates wrote? Be as specific as possible: your response represents another version of description. Here, though, description refers less to the senses and more to the writer's need for concrete example and support. You can use a reply post for this response.

Post your response to "School Lunches" (copy and pasted).

Post what you wrote for "School Lunch" (again, copy and pasted).

Post what you wrote (again, copy and pasted) for Brainstorming a Topic.

Part 1

Take three to five minutes. This exercise does not require a word count as much as a time count. Try to write for the entire amount of time allotted.

Describe an orange.

I'd rather not give more instructions. If you have any questions about guidelines or limitations, the answer is Yes.

Part 2

Next, I want you to get a real orange. If this were a face-to-face class, I would have surprised you with one for everyone, but unfortunately, the technology isn't advanced enough yet for me to send you one online. But there's no faking this next part: no orange, no writing. Come back when you have an orange.

Got one now? Good.

Describe your orange.

Yes, you may peel it or eat it. But move slowly and describe carefully and thoroughly. You may also want to describe associations and memories as you proceed.

School Lunches

This chapter from Lamott's excellent book about creative writing allows us to do two things right away. First, look for examples of description. But the chapter also begins a discussion about writing, particularly getting started and working on first drafts. In that sense, pay attention to the ways in which description becomes crucial to laying the groundwork for an essay and for setting the writer up to add and develop during the essay's subsequent drafts.

Finally, notice Lamott's use of food and meal memories as a basis to begin writing. As we saw with the orange, food and the act of eating lend themselves particularly well to descriptive writing, because the writer can use all of his or her senses, as filtered through a particular and subjective experience. On the other hand, though, writing about food forces the writer to apply language to what, for many people, is the consummate wordless experience, since once we get beyond our limited words for taste (sweet, salty, bitter, sour, and a handful of others), we have real work to do.

Write about 4-8 sentences in response to the following questions.

Since this is the first reading, let's start generally. What is Lamott's point for the reader? How is it relevant to you? What is your impression of Lamott as a writer?

What is your favorite sentence or description from the reading? Why did you choose it?

Would you want to have lunch with Lamott? Where would you go, and what would you order? Explain.

How does the essay provide a model for both descriptive writing as well as the writing process? Find and quote at least one specific sentence that supports your response.

School Lunch

Try the descriptive written exercise that Lamott prescribes to her students: Tell me the most important thing about your experience with school lunches when you were growing up. How is your description like or unlike anything in the reading?

Brainstorming a Topic

Your first formal essay, which you'll begin next, will ask you to describe something that is special or important to you. It should also be something that is generally familiar to the average American. You'll notice that "something" is vague, which gives you as a writer room to decide on an appropriate topic. Consider food, as our exercises and models have.

Before you do that, though, it's important to think about your topic itself. Different topics will naturally lead to very different directions and pieces of writing. So here is one exercise that we'll use for each module before you commit to your topic: come up with a list of about 10 topics that you think you could possibly write about for the descriptive essay coming up. Then, after you post these topics in the Discussion board, your peers will be able to tell you what they think might work best-and you'll be able to respond to your peers in the same way as well.