OBJECTIVE:
Writing a setting and action paragraph on a compelling photograph is a fun way to capture the sensory experience of the photo. It is also a great way to practice choosing the most vivid nouns and verbs and develop how to organize the sensory details through paragraph structure.

This will allow you to think creatively about descriptive sentences to engage the viewer of the photograph and help them see the photograph in a new way.

Definition of Setting and Action Paragraph:
An expression in vivid language that captures a place and action in time and evokes sight, sound, smell, texture, and taste. This expression often evokes one dominant impression-the overall pervading emotion, idea, or concept.

We will learn how to write intriguing setting and action paragrpahs by using pic-lits.com.

MODEL PIC-LIT:

Notice how the writer starts with the image depicted in the photo and then imagines toward the action that follows this static moment. There are three senses developed: sight, smell, and sound. Pelican soaring and diving (sight), smell of the salty air, and sound of the pelican crashing into the ocean. The details move from least import to most important with the pelican on the surface with a fish!

GUIDED PRACTICE WRITING PROMPT:

1. Go to piclits.com
2. Sign in with your e-mail and password
3. Select a picture from the gallery of pictures
4. In FREESTYLE mode, write a setting and action on a photograph that has a special significance to you. Be sure to employ three of the five senses in your description and organize from least important sensory to detail to most important.