How to Write an SDT
List,
cluster, or brainstorm all the characteristics or attributes associated with the
telling sentence. Example:
A stormy night—rain, thunder, lightning, wind, darkness, water, etc.
List,
cluster, or brainstorm all the descriptive words or strong verbs associated with
these characteristics. Example:
howling, thrashing, electrifying, crashing, pouring, beating, bleak, etc.
Begin
describing the conditions in the scene, not what people are saying or where you
are. Example: rain pounding down like nails being thrown from the sky…the
wind howled like a lonesome desert wolf.
Don’t
worry about having a “complete” story.
Concentrate on describing the scene, not telling a story.
Be
creative. Use your imagination and
have fun. This is an opportunity to
be a little silly. Use similes,
metaphors, sound effects, and hyperbole (exaggeration).
Sample
SDT
