Descriptive Writing Tips and Tricks

Whether you're a professional who is writing an article or a student writing an essay, descriptive writing is a useful way to enhance your composition. Descriptive writing draws your readers into the piece and hooks them, ensuring that they'll stay with you until the final word. This technique can be elusive if you are not accustomed to incorporating it. Often, inserting descriptive writing can be as simple as imagining what you or your characters might smell or hear at any given time. Read on to learn tips and tricks of descriptive writing that will make your articles stronger and more engaging.Set the SceneDescriptive writing is all about drawing your readers into a scene and helping them visualize it in their mind. Building that scene is the first step. Don't just tell that you were at a zoo; instead, tell them about the zoo. What time of day did you go? Was it hot? What sounds did you head? How was the zoo designed? When you walked in, what was the first thing you saw? Laying groundwork early in the scene ensures that your readers invest themselves in the writing. If you hook them early, they'll be much more likely to stick with you through the end.Use All Five SensesYou may feel like descriptive writing only uses the sense of sight, but that's not entirely true. Describing what the readers should see is only part of the equation. Don't forget to tell them what they smell, hear, and feel. In rare cases, tell them what they might taste. Use all five sentences together to really bring the readers along with you into the scene.Include DetailsAnother way to really draw the readers into the scene is to give as many details as possible. Considering the zoo story, don't just tell the readers that the cages were full of animals. Tell them what kind of animals were in the cages, how many cages there were, how many animals were in each cage, and what the animals looked like. Think carefully about the scene itself before you write. What details stick out in your mind? Those are the details you should tell your readers if you want to engage them in the scene.Use Action WordsRemember that a scene isn't a picture that is static and unmoving. If you want to draw readers into a scene, you need to make it vibrant and alive. When writing about the zoo, you don't want to just tell them what everything looked like. You want to tell them how animals or people interacted with everything else. When a child threw popcorn at the monkey cage, what did the monkey do? Use action words to make your scene alive and vibrant, and you'll make the readers feel like they were there with you.Use DialogueDialogue is another method of descriptive writing that helps your scenes come alive. The people in your scene don't just walk around, saying nothing. They talk. As with other details, using dialogue is a way to make the readers feel like they're walking alongside you hearing everything you hear. Beyond this, using dialogue helps the scene feel more authentic.Descriptive writing is not as difficult to craft as you might think. It's all about getting your readers to feel like they're standing next to you in whatever it is you're describing. Effective descriptive writing will hook the readers at the beginning and keep them engaged through the very last word. When your readers are that engaged, they'll enjoy reading every minute. This allows you to create a realistic experience through your words.

Seven Tips for Descriptive WritingThe following comes fromBruce Porter. Its rare that a journalism prof. will offer advice in the form of lists, but he has been teaching at Columbia and Brooklyn college long enough to know how to get important ideas across succinctly.1. Dont be literary or lyricalIf it makes you feel like Walt Whitman inside you are probably being too self-conscious and that comes across in the writing. Aka, its crap.2. Be specific: Dont go into detail about the blue sky and the white clouds. Readers know what color the sky is, so dont describe it for them. Its the oddities that paint a scene. If you are describing a diner, dont write about the booths and the counter. Mention the ketchup stain on the window or the cheeky writing in the mens bathroom.3. Make them do something: Use descriptions that move the story forward. Dont just list things, make sure they are descriptions that help tell the story.4. Be economical: Dont let the reader know you are being descriptive, it should sneak its way in.5. Create a backdrop: This is more about a type of description that should be used when setting the scene which helps tell the story. Describing the backdrop of a drug den will pay-off if you are writing a story about a drug dealer/user6. Prove you were there: Careful description makes a scene more believable for readers. They know the reporter was on the scene.7. Show me what you told me: If you write something vague go into the details that show the reader what you mean. Dont expect them to undestand abstract thoughts, they need concrete examples to move the story forward.The following cost me $40,000 in tuition. I offer it to you for free (donations accepted)

HOW TO START A DESCRIPTIVE ESSAYA descriptive essay is largely based on personal observation and detailed descriptions that involve all of the readers senses. It can describe anything from an event, object, person, place, memory, or imagined scenario, and are not usually full of action, but instead focus intensively on a specific subject. You should be creative, use vivid imagery, and incorporate rich vocabulary. You dont need to provide factual information or definitions your only task is to describe your specific subject in as much detail as possible, awakening the mind and the senses of the reader.So now weve defined what a descriptive essay should be like, but how do you get started? Choosing a topic is the first step in the process. Think about interesting or challenging personal experiences you have had and how they affected you. Reflect on your familys history, a past event, or a childhood memory. Remember or imagine a unique object or significant place. Almost anything you can think of can work as a topic for a descriptive essay. Compare several subjects that you are interested in and brainstorm ideas to see which one stimulates your imagination the most. Make lists of associated words, images, and events that might help you come up with more ideas. Think about the reason behind your interest in each topic. Ensure that your chosen topic is interesting and thought-provoking and is capable of providing a lot of in-depth material for your essay. Then do your best to unwind and have a clear mind, so you can really focus thoroughly on thoroughly exploring your subject. Think about the order of your essay and what information you might want to convey in each paragraph. Create an outline and plan, beginning on a more general level and gradually working onto more specific details. Focus on bringing the reader directly into the situation and leaving them with the feeling that they have experienced it firsthand. Dont tell them how to feel, show them through your descriptions. Write down how each of the senses is affected by the subject and keep this in mind throughout the process.The key to beginning a descriptive essay is choosing a great topic that works for you and unlocks your creativity and imagination. Once you have chosen your topic and implemented the other guidelines mentioned, you will be well on your way to having a strong and engaging descriptive essay.