Write an essay about your observations of a specific place and time. The
goal of the essay will be to create a dominant impression developed through 4-5
different ways of experiencing a specific city. Each paragraph will describe a different
location of the city, using a different “Thirteen Ways” technique. For this essay, there
will be no transitions between paragraphs. Each location in the city will be described by
using a variety of perspectives and techniques.
7 locations within the city: consider sports, politics, industry, academia, art, geography,
history, food, architecture, crime, recreation, monuments, entertainment, nightlife, and
celebrities. Be extremely precise in detailing the relevant facts about the appearance of
each location or landmark you describe. Narrow the location list
You will use the Thirteen Ways approach (from Adios, Strunk and White) to organize
your paragraphs, but limit the essay to mini paragraphs which use a variety of different
Adios strategies. Some ways (or paragraphs) will be longer than others.
Emphasis:
Use of concrete details to create a dominant impression
Adept use of Adios techniques to create vibrant, descriptive sketches of the city
Use of freighting and telescoping sentences to create flow
Use of active verbs
Use of creative metaphors
Sentence Variety
Perfect Grammar
13 Ways Techniques:
Masquerading: Riddling and Personifying
Contrast Crunching
Pie Slicing
Anecdoting
Problem Making
Raising the Dead (can be used with an important historical document in the city)
Combined with Style Techniques:
Slang Tang, Break-Ups, Super-literalism, Flow, Melted Together Words
Areas of Focus:
• Each paragraph must detail a different location in the city.
• Each paragraph will be developed by a different 13 Ways technique (i.e. one
paragraph uses a contrast crunch, another uses personification, the next uses
problems making, etc.).
• Paragraphs are not of all the same length.
• Each paragraph develops a unique dominant impression of the city.
• Each paragraph can stand alone as an individual description of a building,
event, or moment in time inside the city; therefore, you will not use
transitions between paragraphs, nor will you narrate events (tell a story).
• Clear, precise word choice.
• Logical, grammatically correct and clear sentence structure that supports the
paragraph’s dominant impression.
Write an essay about your observations of a specific place and time. The
goal of the essay will be to create a dominant impression developed through 4-5
different ways of experiencing a specific city. Each paragraph will describe a different
location of the city, using a different “Thirteen Ways” technique. For this essay, there
will be no transitions between paragraphs. Each location in the city will be described by
using a variety of perspectives and techniques.