October 7 - Descriptive Writing
What is a descriptive essay?
The descriptive essay is a genre of essay that asks the student to describe something—object, person, place, experience, emotion, situation, etc. This genre encourages the student to create a written account of a particular experience. The goal of descriptive writing is to paint an image that is vivid and moving in the mind of the reader.
Remember: If the reader is unable to clearly form an impression of the thing that you are describing, try, try again!
Here are some guidelines for writing a descriptive essay.
1. Take time to brainstorm
If your teacher asks you to describe your favorite food, make sure that you jot down some ideas before you begin describing it. For instance, if you choose pizza, you might start by writing down a few words: sauce, cheese, crust, pepperoni, sausage, spices, hot, melted, etc. Once you have written down some words, you can begin by compiling descriptive lists for each one.
• Use clear and concise language.
This means that words are chosen carefully, particularly for their relevancy in relation to that which you are intending to describe.
• Choose vivid language.
Why use horse when you can choose stallion? Why not use violent or raging instead of mad? Or why not horrific in place of bad? Such choices form a firmer, more specific image in the mind of the reader.
• Use your senses!
Remember, if you are describing something, you need to be appealing to the senses of the reader. Explain how the thing smelled, felt, sounded, tasted, or looked.
• What were you thinking?!
If you can describe emotions or feelings related to your topic, you will connect with the reader on a deeper level. Many have felt crushing loss in their lives, or ecstatic joy, or mild boredom. Tap into this emotional element of the human mind in order to create the best description possible.
• Leave the reader with a clear impression.
If your reader can walk away after reading your essay craving the EXACT SAME pizza you just described, you are on your way to writing effective descriptive essays!
The descriptive essay is a genre of essay that asks the student to describe something—object, person, place, experience, emotion, situation, etc. This genre encourages the student to create a written account of a particular experience. The goal of descriptive writing is to paint an image that is vivid and moving in the mind of the reader.
Remember: If the reader is unable to clearly form an impression of the thing that you are describing, try, try again!
Here are some guidelines for writing a descriptive essay.
1. Take time to brainstorm
If your teacher asks you to describe your favorite food, make sure that you jot down some ideas before you begin describing it. For instance, if you choose pizza, you might start by writing down a few words: sauce, cheese, crust, pepperoni, sausage, spices, hot, melted, etc. Once you have written down some words, you can begin by compiling descriptive lists for each one.
• Use clear and concise language.
This means that words are chosen carefully, particularly for their relevancy in relation to that which you are intending to describe.
• Choose vivid language.
Why use horse when you can choose stallion? Why not use violent or raging instead of mad? Or why not horrific in place of bad? Such choices form a firmer, more specific image in the mind of the reader.
• Use your senses!
Remember, if you are describing something, you need to be appealing to the senses of the reader. Explain how the thing smelled, felt, sounded, tasted, or looked.
• What were you thinking?!
If you can describe emotions or feelings related to your topic, you will connect with the reader on a deeper level. Many have felt crushing loss in their lives, or ecstatic joy, or mild boredom. Tap into this emotional element of the human mind in order to create the best description possible.
• Leave the reader with a clear impression.
If your reader can walk away after reading your essay craving the EXACT SAME pizza you just described, you are on your way to writing effective descriptive essays!
Read the example essay below. In the notes on your iPad, please make a category for each of your five senses (Taste, Touch, Smell, Sight, Sound). After you read the essay, find an example for each category. How did the author describe the sights of the beach? Did she list any sounds? List as many examples as you can find.
Descriptive Essay: Place of Serenity Can you imagine? A place like this, a very special place it is. Just imagine a place of golden, soft, precious sandy ground. Children beg their parents to take them there, eagerly and anxiously. And when they arrive, it’s like they just tore the wrapping paper from the box containing their favorite toy under the tree. Sometimes it’s hard to walk because the ground is hot, and so you tip-toe across. The water is sparkly and filled with the sun’s warmth, everyone from everywhere can relax, play, ride humongous waves, or even just watch. As you look for the perfect place to set down your things, you see the white, hungry, and anxious birds soaring above you. There are boats in the water, big and small. Then someone yells out, “shark!” but it is only a log. You wade into the water, and decide to pull out the so called shark, and find it covered in green, slimy seaweed. There are children all around splashing and spraying the salty water. They’re filled with joy, laughter and cheer. Being there reminds us of the holiday season with all the happy children. Children around you build sand castles with red flags, blue flags, and seashells claiming their kingdom and its people as they battle other castles. They pretend that their moat will stop their kingdom from being destroyed by the crab army sent from its opponent. When you are in your chair on the golden ground, munching away on a delicious, delightful, frozen cherry treat and some refreshing fruit juice, you notice someone staring right at you from the condos right behind. You decide to ignore, but as they near, they are coming with a net and some kind of ball. They approach closer, and closer, until a little boy is calling out to you, “Let’s play!” And as he sets up the net, you go forward, forward, forward. Slowly nearing you, he tosses the ball. All of a sudden a man calls out, “BUMP, SET, SPIKE!” The little boy yells at you to come be on his team just as he begins to serve the ball. You play, and play, but the hours disappear minute after minute. And as your day comes to a close, the sun sets, slowly fading. You gather your things and turn around, to get one last look. “I hope to come back soon. I love the beach.” |