Descriptive Writing

Descriptive writing is about using the power of words to arouse the imagination,
capture the attention, and create a lasting impact in the mind of the reader. In this
article, you'll learn how to employ descriptive elements in your writing, tips to
enhance your descriptive writing skills, and some exercises to better yourself at it.
TAGGED UNDER: Writing
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Read the two sentences given below:

I felt tired at work today.
As the day wore on at work, I felt a cramp beginning to form at the nape of my neck,
my eyes began to feel droopy, and the computer screen in front of me began
blurring.
Which one of the two do you find more interesting to read? Most definitely the second
one. This is because, while the first sentence merely tells you directly that 'you felt
tired at work today', the second one explains the same experience in a much more
vivid and relatable manner.

From this you can see that even something as simple as the above sentence can be
transformed using literary devices that aid visualization, into something that someone
can relate to. This is what descriptive writing is all about: heightening the sense of
perception and alluring your reader to read ahead, because you have so much more
to say.

Good Examples of Descriptive Writing

Given below are a couple of good pieces of descriptive writing from authors who
know their business.

'But the door slid slowly open before Lupin could reach it. Standing in the doorway,
illuminated by the shivering flames in Lupin's hand, was a cloaked figure that towered
to the ceiling. Its face was completely hidden beneath its hood. Harry's eyes darted
downwards, and what he saw made his stomach contract. There was a hand
protruding from the cloak and it was glistening, greyish, slimy-looking and scabbed,
like something dead that had decayed in water...'
- Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling

'I don't know what I'd expected but it was something different than I saw. She looked
unexpectedly young. Or, I suppose said better, she looked unexpectedly "not old".
Her hair, which was completely white, had a yellowish cast that could almost have
been mistaken for a pale blond, and it was loose around her shoulders. And long.
Longer than mine. No doubt she normally wore it pulled up in a bun, and such a style
would have given her a more predictable little-old-lady look, but the way it was here
now, parted on the side - long, loose, and straight - she seemed ageless as an
ancient sculpture. This sense was enhanced by her skin. Though it had the fragile
crepeyness of age, she had few wrinkles, especially across her forehead, which was
smooth to a point of being almost waxy looking. She was of obvious northern
Germanic heritage, with pale eyes and prominent features. Although she was not
overweight, her bones were big and blunt, giving the impression of a tall, sturdy
woman.'
- Twilight Children by Torey Hayden

Why be Descriptive While Writing?

The purpose of descriptive writing is to inspire imagination. When you put your mind
into making a piece of writing more descriptive, you automatically begin to pay
attention to detail and refine your perception about things. You begin to imagine them
as much more than, say a party hat or a hard-bound book. You begin to look at them
as a tall, pink, pointed paper hat with tassels, and a book that had a gleaming golden
spine, and weighed a few good pounds.
The next, and probably the most important benefit of descriptive writing is that in the
process of trying to make the reader visualize what you want to say, you tend to use
more interesting words. You want to convey a mental picture to your reader. So
you're bound to use words that might be unconventional or less-used. You will want
to find words that exactly describe what you want to say, and will look for different
words that mean the same. This will help you suitably build your vocabulary.
The success of descriptive writing lies in the details. The more detailed your depiction
of a plot or a character or a place is, the more you engross your reader. You become
a keen observer and minder of details. You pay attention to the tiniest bits of
information and appearance, which in turn helps you transfer the details into your
writing.
Since you have picked something to describe and have observed all its details, you
are sure to understand the subject better. You may even come across bits and
pieces that you may have missed the first time you looked at the object/subject in
question. Thoroughly understanding what you're going to write about is exceedingly
important to the process of writing about it.
Tips you Can Use

Identify what you're about to describe

As you start with descriptive writing, identify exactly what you are setting out to
describe. Usually, a descriptive piece will include the depiction of a person, a place,
an experience, a situation, and the like. Anything that you experience or perceive
about your subject can be the focal point of your descriptive writing. You build a
backdrop by identifying an aspect of a subject that you want to describe.

Decide why you're describing that particular aspect

While it can be a wonderful creative exercise to simply describe anything you
observe, in descriptive writing, there is often a specific reason to describe whatever
you have set out to describe. Tapping this reason can help you keep the description
focused and infuse your language with the particular emotion or perspective that you
want to convey to your readers.

Maintain a proper chronology/sequence

Sometimes, you may get so caught up in making your work colorful and creative that
you may end up having a mash-up of descriptions that follow no particular order. This
will render the effort of writing useless as the various descriptions will simply confuse
the reader. For instance, if you want to describe characters in a particular situation,
begin by describing the setting, then proceed to the most important character of that
particular situation, and then to the least important one (if necessary).

Use Imagery
Imagery is the best tool you can employ in descriptive writing. Since you cannot show
your reader what you are imagining, you need to paint a picture with words. You
need to make the depiction of your imagination so potent that your reader will
instantly be able to visualize what you are describing. However, don't go overboard.
Make sure that the focus does not dwindle stray. Keep your descriptions specific to
the subject in question. The writing must be able to draw in the reader; hence, the
writer should say things that the reader can relate to or empathize with. An
introductory backdrop can often provide an effective setting for the remaining part of
the piece. Great descriptive writing has the ability to lure the reader, enticing him or
her to continue reading right to the end. While giving the details is important, it is how
they are presented that makes the difference.

Hone the senses

One of the most effective ways to make the experience you are describing vivid for
your reader is to use the five senses: smell, sight, sound, taste, and touch. When the
descriptions are focused on the senses, you provide specific and vivid details in such
a way that it shows your reader what you are describing. So, when you describe a
subject, depict it in such a manner that it involves the reader's possible sensory
interpretations. It must make the reader imagine what he would see, hear, smell,
taste, or feel when he reads what you have written.

She gently squeezed the juice out of the plump, red tomato. She blended this juice
into the simmering mix of golden-brown onions and garlic in the pan, and watched as
they melded into each other. She then added the spice mixture that she had
prepared, and the air was permeated with a mouth-watering aroma.

Use strong nouns and verbs effectively, adjectives intelligently

It is true that the purpose of adjectives is to describe a subject, but overuse of
adjectives in descriptive writing can render the piece shallow and hollow. Hence,
make it a point to use other parts of speech to express the same sentiment. You'll be
surprised how effectively nouns, verbs and adverbs can be used to describe
something, sometimes even better than adjectives alone. For instance, look at the
two sentences below.
The flowers were as fresh as the morning dew.
The flowers had a freshness that could only equal that of the glistening morning dew.
The first sentence has used an adjective (fresh) to describe the flowers. It is a good
description too, because the comparison to morning dew is something that will
immediately put the reader in the sense of mind that you want. The second sentence
too has compared the freshness to morning dew, but has used a noun (freshness)
and a verb (equal) to do so, and in the process has probably enticed the reader to
continue reading, more than the first sentence.
Pick related words
Before you actually begin writing, it is always a good idea to build a word bank of
related words and ideas. For instance, if you are going to be describing a flower
arrangement, you could jot down a few ideas before you start describing it, like: vase,
color, types of flowers, leaves, stem, style, shape, fresh, etc. Once you have these
basic words, you could start descriptive sentences for each one. Then, carry on from
there.

Display passion
Impact is what you're looking to create in the minds of your readers. You want your
readers to relate and empathize with what you're writing. This will be close to
impossible if your work does not reflect the passion that you feel for it. Make them
feel what you feel with the words you write. Language that relates to powerful
emotions such as love, hatred, admiration, disgust, etc., can convey the range and
intensity of the sentiment that you are trying to express. Use them to your favor and
get the desired effect.

Exercises to Enhance Descriptive Writing

Given below are some simple, yet effective exercises that you can use to better
yourself at descriptive writing.

Exercise 1
Decide on an everyday action, say 'making a pot of coffee' and write about it in a
descriptive manner. Give yourself 3 words that you're not allowed to use while writing
about it. You'll see yourself reaching for the thesaurus, which will help improve your
vocabulary.

Exercise 2
Pick random objects like a hat, a burger, a chair, etc., and place them before you.
Enlist the different names that these objects can be called. Describe each of the
objects in sentences that have more than 15 words each. Be as imaginative as you
can.

Get your 'assignments' read by an objective person to see if they can relate to and
understand properly what you have tried to convey.

Make descriptive writing a rewarding experience, both for your reader and yourself. If
you like what you write, chances are that your reader will too. As is evident, having a
comprehensive vocabulary is the key to good descriptive writing. But mere
vocabulary will fall short if your piece lacks passion, logic and interest. The trouble is
that it can easily become an incoherent rambling of senses and emotions. To avoid
that, present what you are writing about in a logical and organized sequence of
thoughts, so that the reader comes away from it with a cogent sense of what you
have attempted to describe.