Tuesday Writing Prompt: School Lunches

Cover of "Bird by Bird: Some Instructions... — Today’s writing prompt was inspired by Anne Lamott’s Bird by Bird. | Cover via Amazon

Today my English Composition I class is learning about description in preparation for the descriptive essay they will write for next week. Descriptive writing incorporates all five senses:

Sight
Sound
Smell
Taste
Touch/feelings

I like to include “feelings” with number five, as it is often important to describe how something makes you “feel” in addition to how certain elements might “feel” to the touch. Just remember, it is equally essential to “show” how something makes you feel rather than “telling” your reader about it. So, try to avoid using the word, “feel” in your writing.

For today’s activities, I am borrowing a writing prompt from Anne Lamott’s Bird by Bird:

Writing Prompt

Write about school lunches. Think back to grade school, middle school, or even high school, and remember what school lunches were like. What did you eat? What did the cafeteria smell like? Look like? Sound like? How did the food taste? Describe the textures of the food, the room, atmosphere, ambience, whatever comes to mind. What did your lunch say about you? What was it like to be YOU in this particular environment?

Freewrite on this topic for a minimum of ten minutes. Then share your results in the comments below. If you decide to write a descriptive essay based on this freewrite, I would love to see you post it on your own blog or website and provide a link in the comments below.

~Amanda L. Webster